Home»House Plants»Calathea
The Marantaceae sept is often have-to doe with to as the prayer plant life family for the many plants which famously fold their leaves in a petition - like pose at night .
Of these , the manytypes of calathea varietieshave always been among the most arresting .
Calathea veitchiana ( ka - LAY - thee - uh veet - chee - AY - na ) was one of these famous plants until late when it was among a gravid percentage of calatheas to be reclassified under the genus Goeppertia .
Of of course , botanical name tend to change often , and gardeners are loathe to take on these novel names , so this industrial plant will likely stay a calathea in the public middle for years to descend .
Hailing from Ecuador , it ’s not too surprising why plant scientist wanted to rename this recurrent Calathea plant .
alternatively of the folding leaves , calatheas are celebrated for ; this flora instead has turgid rotund leaves , which have given it the common name of laurel wreath calathea .
It ’s also sometimes referred to as calathea medal and decoration prayer flora , even though it ’s not a true entreaty industrial plant .
Calathea Medallion Care
Size & Growth
palm prayer plants unremarkably grow to about 2 ’ feet tall , although they ’re known to make 3 ’ feet in the right condition .
Instead , this slow grower will take on a bushy show over clip , with plenty of the with child , round leaf that give the plant its sobriquet .
These leaves have a shiny dark-green pattern on top and a thick burgundy undersurface .
While the principal species does n’t shut down its leaves as with true prayer plants , some cultivars have this power .
Flowering and Fragrance
It ’s almost out of the question to get this plant to flower , sadly .
Growing open has a gamy chance of success , but it ’s almost unheard of for one to produce flowers indoors .
Light & Temperature
As with most heavy - leaf plant , your medallion is adapted for life story on the timberland floor , shaded by a canopy of Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and big industrial plant .
As a result , the leave of absence can easily sear when left exposed to lineal sunlight .
rather , aim for lustrous indirect light or mottled Dominicus .
Another aspect of this plant ’s aboriginal home ground is that it ’s used to high humidity .
While it can handle moderate humidness , it should never be exposed to levels below 50 % percentage .
Kitchens and bath tend to be the most humid rooms in the house and are well - suited for this plant .
However , you’re able to also pick out to use a pebble tray or humidifier to ensure the plant is vex enough wet .
While laurel wreath calatheas can grow outside in USDA hardiness zone 9 to 12 ( and parts of geographical zone 8) , it ’s far more common to see them growing indoors .
gratefully , middling home temperature are perfect for this industrial plant , which has a comforter compass of 65 to 85 ° degrees Fahrenheit .
Sudden temperature changes and stale drafts can wreak havoc with your medal . Be sure to keep it away from vents , air conditioner , or any other rootage of drafts .
This includes hummer , as the dry passion emanating from them can damage your plant .
Watering and Feeding
Medallion calathea is illiberal of sloppy or overly ironic filth , so the soaking - and - juiceless method acting of watering is of the essence .
try the soil with your finger and give the plant a thorough watering once it ’s ironical 1 ” inch down .
Never use rap piss , as the industrial plant is highly sensitive to chemicals , especially chlorine and fluoride . piddle using distilled water supply or rainwater . More onwatering Calathea plants here .
The H2O should also be at room temperature to avoid ball over your flora .
While this specie may be watered from below , you should at times water from above to facilitate flush out any toxin buildup .
Just ensure you do n’t get the leaf wet when watering from above .
Use a balanced 15 - 15 - 15 liquid houseplant fertilizer that ’s fortified with smoothing iron .
It ’s often best to dilute the fertiliser by at least one-half to trim down the hazard of chemical burns and use it half as often as the packaging urge if it suggests frequent applications .
The plant will want to be fed monthly during the spring and summertime but should not be feed the rest of the year .
Soil & Transplanting
Just about any ripe - quality , well - draining tropic potting soil will work for your calathea medallion . watch out out for fungus gnat in any dirt with woodwind products .
or else , you may wish to amend a standard potting mixture with peat moss and perlite .
Medallion petition plant life only need repotting once every two years or so in the fountain .
fine-tune to one tidy sum size of it larger as require and interchange the land .
You may need to repot a little earlier if you see sign that the plant is root - bound ( such as etymon sneaking out of the drainage holes ) , although this will be rarefied if you ’re dividing the plant when repot .
Grooming And Maintenance
Dust is the big part of maintaining this works , and you ’ll want to wipe it off with a damp cloth once or double per hebdomad .
However , its sensitivity towards chemical substance mean you ’ll want to forfend any form of foliage shine .
You may choose to utilize a tiny chip of Dawn dish soap in tepid water when wipe down the leaves , but be sure to test it on one leaf first to ensure the flora wo n’t have a chemical reaction .
Pruning is simply a matter of removing a drained or diseased leaf now and then .
How To Propagate Goeppertia Veitchiana
This plant is most normally propagated through section , as it ’s very hard to make it flower .
However , there have been some reports of succeeder using cutting and seminal fluid with enough patience and skill .
Medallion Prayer Plant Pests or Diseases
Medallion plants are susceptible to all of the common suspect , such as :
folio smirch and root putrefaction are the two most common diseases the plant faces .
However , its sensitiveness to fluoride perniciousness can leave your flora inauspicious if you debunk it to intercept water .
The honorable news is that this amazing plant is completely non - toxic to both man and favourite .
The bad news is that it ’s related to arrowroot and , as such , incline to be quite tasty for your pets and child .
Thus , for the plant ’s own refuge , you should keep it out of reach from diminutive hands and paws .
Calathea veitchiana Uses
As with all calatheas , the foliage of the medallion plant life have been used in traditional basketball hoop weaving .
It makes for a truly wonderful accent in any room and is gross for the bathroom .
While not often planted outside , its large leaf and relatively short height make it a large choice for borders or to fill in spaces under taller plants .
