Peacock Plants

Botanical Name: Calathea (Goeppertia)

Common names: Peacock plants, rattlesnake plants

With their bold, beautiful, and deeply colorful foliage, Calatheas are known to be some of the most dazzling house plants to own. The increate patterns on their leaves bring a mesmerizing and dramatic touch to every space they occupy. 

It is no surprise that the foliage has earned the calathea several intriguing nicknames, such as peacock plant, cathedral window plant, zebra plant, rattlesnake plant and even the prayer plant. 

Don’t be surprised if you find your Calathea closing its leaves up at night, only to unfurl them when morning strikes. Like real beauty queens, Calatheas know when to get their beauty sleep, following their own circadian rhythm, a process known as nyctinasty. 

With each species having a distinct pattern and presence, the Calathea genus is a botanical masterpiece that will have something to offer for every kind of plant enthusiast.

At EasyCare you’ll find 10 stunning variants: 

Calathea Insignis, Calathea Sanderiana, Calathea Beautiful Star, Calathea Makoyana, Calathea Rufibarba, Calathea Orbifolia, Calathea Freddy, Calathea Illustris, Calathea Dottie, Calathea Rosey

Calathea Plant Care

Like a true diva, Calatheas need proper care and consideration to be as stunning as they are. In this guide, we’ll teach you all you need to know to make your plant flourish.

Watering

Calathea plants should be watered at regular intervals when the top 1-2 cm soil starts to dry. During summer, this is once a week. During winter, check every 7-14 days. 

When watering your calathea, you should use lukewarm tap water. 

Calatheas tolerate you forgetting to water them occasionally, but long periods of dried-out soil will result in the tips and edges of the leaves turning brown.

Light and placement

Calatheas prefer medium to bright indirect light. Placing your calathea plant by a north/east facing window or a couple of meters from a south-facing window is ideal. Placed in direct sunlight, their leaves will burn. If these light conditions are met, bathrooms are ideal for calatheas, as they love a humid atmosphere.

Temperature

The plant thrives at room temperatures between 15-25 °C.

Humidity

Like many tropical plants, Calatheas prefer a humid environment. When the air gets too dry, the edges of the leaves tend to brown. To help your Calathea thrive, give it an occasional spa day. 

Mist the leaves once or twice a week with tepid distilled water or rainwater. You can also give it a shower once every second month, to keep dust of the leaves.

Fertilizer 

A newly bought plant is already fertilized and will be able to thrive for the first 5-8 months. 

Hereafter, your plant will benefit being fertilized once a month during the plant’s growth season, April to August. During winter, your plant should not be fertilized, as it needs a break during the winter months. 

The amount of fertilizer depends on the type of fertilizer you use. Read the instructions carefully and preferably stick to the lower end of the recommendations to avoid over-fertilizing your Calathea.

Why are my Calathea’s leaves dropping and curling? 

In most cases, it’s a sign of dehydration. Give your plant some water and it should go back to being normal within a day or two. In other cases, it might be too late to save your plant. 

The leaves can dehydrate, even if the soil is wet, if the roots are not able to uptake water. This happens when the root hairs are dead, which happens from over watering or over fertilizing.