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These 7 Low-Maintenance Calatheas Make the Best Houseplants
From dark green velvety leaves to geometric patterns and maroon undersides, calatheas fashion some of the most highly-decorated foliage found in nature.
Are you always on the lookout for pretty houseplants with eye-catching foliage too? Then some of your favorites are likely calatheas (pronounced ‘cah-lay-thee-ahs’). Calatheas are also known as prayer plants and are wonderful additions to your plant collection because they do not only look incredibly pretty, they are also able to thrive indoors with minimal maintenance.
Stunning Calatheas That Will Look Great in Your Plant Collection
Calathea plants are part of the family of plants known as Marantaceae, which is a species of flowering plants from tropical areas such as South America. They are famous for their wide, green, colorful leaves. These wide leaves make them popular for areas of low light. Low light plants have broad leaves to absorb and use as much light as they can get. In nature, they are found in jungles and at the base of trees.
Why Prayer Plants?
Many plants get nicknames because they are generally a little easier to pronounce than their botanical names. In the case of calatheas, it’s the prayer plant. While with some houseplants it’s hard to figure out how and why they got their nickname, for the calathea it has everything to do with the movement of the leaves. During the day and night, calathea leaves noticeably lift and dip in a circadian rhythm. This means that during the day, a calathea will have its leaves stretching out horizontally from its stems. But check on it at night, and you will likely see the leaves stand up straight as if in prayer for evening vespers.
It just takes one look at the eye-catching and elaborate foliage to realize why calatheas are such popular houseplants. Best of all, there are so many calathea varieties to choose from, each with its own uniquely colored foliage to fall in love with. Check out these 7 calatheas from Evanthia and pick your favorite!
Calathea Medallion
Calathea Medallion – aka Calathea veitchiana – is arguably one of the most beautiful low-light plants. They are pretty popular to plant enthusiasts because of their large, medallion-like leaves: a brilliant green pattern on top, and a deep burgundy underneath. Their leaves fold up slightly in the evening, as if in prayer – causing them to be mistaken for Maranta Leuconeura at times.
Calathea Medallion via @melbourneindoorplants
Calathea Freddie
Calathea concinna Freddie is a spectacular, tropical foliage plant with an upright, bushy habit and a fresh appearance. Freddie has highly contrasting light green leaves and dark green stripes. As a typical calathea, Freddie too earns its nickname as ‘living plant’ because it closes or rises its leaves at night and uncurls or lowers them again in the morning. Calathea concinna is native to tropical areas of Brazil, where it grows as an evergreen perennial in the shady, damp understories of rainforests. It makes for an elegant and easy houseplant. Calathea concinna Freddie is commonly known as Goeppertia concinna Freddie, Zebra Plant, or Peacock Plant, because of its significant, exotic leaf pattern.
Image via @theplantroomdenver
Calathea makoyana
Calathea makoyana is a colorful, tropical foliage plant with a bushy habit. This stylish calathea has broad, oval leaves. The green leaves have a fun pattern of contrasting stripes and oblong blotches. Even the undersides of the leaves are adorned with this pattern, but then in a cool pink/reddish color. Calathea makoyana is commonly known as Goeppertia makoyana, Cathedral Windows, or Peacock Plant, because of its typical leaf pattern.
Image via @sirinplant
Calathea orbifolia
Calathea orbifolia is a beautiful houseplant highly sought after due to the exquisite beauty of its large, round leaves and its air-purifying qualities. This beautiful foliage is subtly striped with pale silver-green markings, with the undersides of the leaf also being a pale silver-green. All calatheas have strong air-purifying properties. This means that the plant not only produces extra oxygen but also filters harmful substances from the air.
Image via @tommyseesplants
Calathea ornata
Calathea ornata is an elegant (ornate) tropical foliage plant with a compact, upright habit. Calathea has thick and shiny, oblong dark green leaves. The leaves have an extraordinary, baby-pink pinstripe pattern. As the leaves mature, this baby-pink color will eventually turn more yellow to white. The undersides of the leaves are deep purple to dark green. Calathea ornata is commonly known as Goeppertia Ornata or Pinstripe Calathea, because of its fine-lined leaf pattern.
Image via @mrs.mama.plant
Calathea rufibarba
The Calathea rufibarba is a native plant of the Amazon rainforests in Brazil. Unlike most calathea varieties, this plant is more subtle when it comes to patterns. This plant has long, slender, and wavy leaves that are light green when young. As the leaves mature, they transition into a darker green upper side and maroon to burgundy below. The stems of a Rufibarba are long and slender and are burgundy in color as well.
Image via @pixiesflora
Calathea vittata
Calathea vittata is a gorgeous tropical foliage plant with a low-growing habit. This decorative calathea has elongated, pointy dark green leaves with light green, elliptic stripes. Calathea vittata is native to tropical areas of South America, where it grows as an evergreen perennial in the shady, damp understories of rainforests. It makes for a compact and easy houseplant that doesn’t need a lot of space. Calathea vittata is commonly known as Goeppertia vittata, Calathea elliptica vittata, and Pinstripe plant.
Images via @lolaflora.roslinna
Enjoy your Calatheas
From dark green velvety leaves to leaves with geometric patterns and maroon undersides, calatheas fashion some of the most highly-decorated foliage found in nature. Regardless of the variety, all calatheas require similar care for healthy and problem-free growth. For extensive cultivation advice, please contact our team and request our cultivation manual.
Source: Thursd.
