Leaves like peacock feathers that fold up in the evening: the calathea is a real eye-catcher – and the first diva in this guide. Dry air gives it brown tips.

What it does for you

Its leaves look like peacock feathers: creamy white to light green with dark green blotches, the undersides reddish purple¹. In the evening it folds its leaves upwards, at sunrise it opens them again¹. This sleep movement is called nyctinasty². And it's non-toxic for cats and dogs³.

Origin & history

Species from three genera are sold under the name "calathea"⁴. Which of them is the most common in shops isn't documented by any source we found. The RHS names the peacock plant, Goeppertia makoyana, as an example of a calathea with patterned leaves⁴; in the USA it was one of only three commonly grown species in 1975⁵. That's the one this page is about. It grows wild in south-eastern Brazil, in Espírito Santo⁶, in warm, shady rainforest¹.

It was described in 1872 as Calathea makoyana⁶, named after a nursery in Liège¹. Since 2012 it has belonged to the genus Goeppertia⁷. In the trade it is often still called calathea².

Caution

Good news: the calathea is non-toxic for cats and dogs^3,1, and it's considered non-toxic for humans too⁸. Still, plants generally belong out of reach of small children⁸.

Care

Light. Bright, but out of direct sunlight. In summer a shady window or one with morning sun is ideal, in winter it can go to a sunny window⁴. If it's too dark, the pattern fades¹.

Water. In spring and summer keep it evenly moist⁴; water when the surface has dried slightly⁵. In winter the surface may dry out, but never the whole soil⁴. Ideally use rainwater, because fluoride in tap water can turn the leaves brown¹. The RHS considers tap water that has stood for a while to be fine⁴.

Temperature & humidity. 16–21 °C⁴ – NC State gives 18–24 °C¹ – with no draughts or sudden temperature changes^4,1. When it comes to humidity, it's a real diva: it needs about 60 percent¹ – in heated rooms it's often only 10 to 30⁹. A bright bathroom, a gravel tray or neighbouring plants help⁴, more on this in the basics.

Soil, pot & repotting. Peat-free houseplant soil or multipurpose compost with about ten percent grit. Repot in spring, once the clump fills the pot, and only one or two sizes bigger⁴ – depending on the source, every year to every few years^4,2.

Feeding. From spring to early autumn once a month with liquid fertiliser, none in winter⁴. Too much fertiliser makes leaf tips die back⁵.

Extras

Indoors it rarely flowers; the flowers are small, white and purple¹. Dust on the thin leaves slows down photosynthesis – wipe them now and then with a damp, soft cloth¹. A relative, Calathea allouia, forms small tubers that are eaten like potatoes in the West Indies and northern South America⁵.