Rattlesnake Plant

Rattlesnake Plant Care

Calathea lancifolia

What is the plant

Also known as Calathea lancifolia and by the more commonly known name, the Rattlesnake Plant. Popular for people wanting to achieve a tropical theme (with this species used as foliage).

A plant native to Brazil where it thrives in warm and moist areas of the Brazilian Rainforest and blooms in the late spring and early summer months. A Rattlesnake plant is a fairly tall, with leaves that can grow 30 inches tall or more. The leaves don’t just make this plant tall though, it also contributes to its beauty. They are beautifully marked with various shades of green, wavy edges that magnify those shades, and green spots that resemble small leaves. Even their undersides do not lack in magnificence, being a reddish-purple shade.

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Humidity

High

Lighting

Part Sun

Temperature

18°C - 25°C

Hardiness zone

10a - 11b

Difficulty

Medium

Hibernation

Cold Period

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Rattlesnake loves moist but not soggy soil. Therefore rattlesnake should be watered only when a top inch of a plant’s soil dries out. And when watered a watering should be deep until a water drains from a drainage holes. Keep reading to know what determines how often you should water your calathea.
Pruning
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.
Fertilizer
Use a 5-10-10 blend or 10-10-10 fertilizer diluted to 1/4th strength.

Disease diagnosis

Check your plant’s health

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Sunlight
Does best in partial sun.
Soil
Loam soil contains a nice balance of silt, sand, and clay along with hummus.
Propagation
Calathea can be propagated by division at repotting time. Keep new divisions warm and moist by covering the pot with plastic and providing reduced light until active growth starts again. The plant should be repotted every year or every other year into fresh potting mix. Divide it at repotting time.

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Temperature
Room temperatures that average 65-75ºF (18-24ºC) and no lower than 60ºF (15ºC). Avoid drafts and sudden temperature changes.
Container
Use a ceramic porous pot with a good drainage.
Popularity
26,886 people already have this plant 5,818 people have added this plant to their wishlists