Calathea plants are native to Africa, the West Indies, and Central and South America. A calathea is not an easy-care plant, but like many unusual houseplants, well worth the effort.
All are treasured for their large, oval, distinctly patterned, and vibrantly colored leaves. The beautiful striped leaves grow at the end of long stems and require quite a bit of care to stay looking good. Indoors, a calathea plant rarely grows larger than about 2ft. wide and 2ft. tall. This plant requires high humidity to keep its leaves from getting brown edges.
Calathea is sensitive to both overwatering and underwatering, so its watering schedule will need to reflect that. These plants tend to be fussy about water; you will need to pay close attention to how your calathea reacts to different conditions and adjust accordingly. You should water your calathea when a top 5 cm (two inch) of a soil is dry.
Mix the recommended amount of liquid fertilizer and water in a watering can. Then simply pour the mix into the soil as if you're watering the plant.
It is important to never remove more than a third of the foliage in any one year and to cut just above a node on the stem.
Calathea plants prefer temperatures between 65°-80°F (18.3°-27.7°C) , and don't do well in cold drafts or temperatures below 55°-60°F (12.8°-15.6°C). The leaves of a calathea plant curl when the temperature is too warm.
