Calathea zebrina is a species of plant in the family Marantaceae, native to southeastern Brazil. This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
The Zebra plant (scientific name - Calathea zebrina) is a perennial foliage plant that displays fairly large ovate leaves at the tips of it's long stalks, growing up to 1 metre tall. Being a tropical plant native to Brazil the Calathea does require a warm and moist environment which encourages the foliage to thrive and look its best. Just like all others from the Maranta group and Calathea genus, it's grown for its striking leaves. This variety has velvety patterned ovate leaves which are light green in color with darker green stripes, like Zebra stripes. The underside of the leaves are purple and not always visible because leaves grow horizontally (although some will curve or grow more upright). It's a clump-forming plant that produces long stalks (up to 1 metre tall) and the leaves (15 inches or more in length) sit at the top.
