Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Inspiration

6 gorgeous calathea varieties that would make a great addition to any home

Cayla Leonard
By

If you’re looking for a new, colorful plant to add to your indoor or outdoor collection, then you should consider calathea. Calathea is a genus of plants with remarkable, distinct leaf patterns. Some calathea plants have been moved to the genus goeppertia, but are still referred to as calatheas. They’re native to tropical regions, making them a great choice if you’re looking for an easy-to-grow tropical plant. Calathea comes in a range of colors, patterns, and sizes. If you aren’t sure which variety works best for you, then why not try out one of these six varieties?

Calathea warscewiczii

Also known as jungle velvet and Goeppertia warscewiczii, this variety of calathea has striking green leaves with purple undersides. The name jungle velvet comes from the fuzzy texture of its leaves, and it can grow to a maximum height of roughly four feet tall. This particular calathea is native to Costa Rica and Nicaragua. As you might imagine, it prefers consistent moisture, both in the soil and in the air, with warm temperatures and indirect light. In early spring, this calathea variety might reward you with tall stems and tiny, cream-colored flowers. However, flowering indoors is uncommon, so don’t worry if you don’t see any blooms.

Recommended Videos

Calathea lancifolia

Whether you call this plant Calathea lancifolia, Goeppertia insignis, or rattlesnake plant, one thing that remains true is its stunning appearance. It has the classic dark green and cream colored leaves associated with many calathea varieties, but with stripes that are more rounded, almost like spots. The leaves are also crimped, with wavy edges that draw the eye. Native to Rio de Janeiro, rattlesnake plants prefer light, consistent moisture and bright, indirect light. They can grow to roughly 2 feet tall, but their narrow leaves mean they don’t take up too much room.

A person holding a potted calathea lancifolia or rattlesnake plant
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Calathea musaica

Calathea musaica goes by many names, but the typical common name for it is calathea network. The waxy leaves of this plant have a more subtle pattern than other calathea varieties. Rather than large stripes or spots, the leaves are divided into small squares, giving it the appearance of a mosaic. It can grow up to two feet tall and three feet wide, and is native to Brazil. Calathea musaica has similar care requirements to other calathea and goeppertia varieties, but is generally more forgiving, making it a great variety for beginners.

A potted calathea musaica
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Calathea makoyana

Native to eastern Brazil, Calathea makoyana is also known as the peacock plant or cathedral windows. The name comes from its distinctive oval leaves with lighter centers, darker edges, and darker stripes. This variety flourishes in warm, humid conditions. Keep your Calathea makoyana in bright, indirect light. Although it’s more tolerant of direct light than some other calathea varieties, direct light can dull the colors of its leaves. They can grow up to two feet tall, but grow slowly and take several years to achieve their full height.

A potted calathea makoyana on a blue background
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Calathea crocata

Calathea crocata are one of only a handful of calathea varieties that are grown for their flowers in addition to their leaves. Its common name is eternal flame, and it’s easy to see why. They bloom bright orange flowers on tall stems among dark leaves. The flowers last for a couple months before fading. Calathea crocata grows to between one and two feet tall, making it one of the smaller calathea varieties.

Related

This variety is native to the tropical regions of South and Central America, particularly eastern Brazil. Keep your eternal flame out of direct light, or you might see its colors begin to fade. They need warmth and humidity, along with consistently moist but well draining soil.

A group of potted calathea crocata
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Calathea rufibarba

This native of northeastern Brazil is more commonly known as the furry feather calathea. It gets its name from both the shape and texture of its leaves. The leaves in question are narrow, with crimped edges and a soft, fuzzy underside. The leaves are solid green on top, with a dark red-purple underside, and are not patterned like most calathea varieties. This makes them a great choice if you want something that’s subtle but still interesting.

As with most calathea varieties, this plant prefers warmth, humidity, consistent moisture, and bright, indirect light. It’s slightly more shade tolerant than some varieties, and can grow up to three feet tall. However, this means it can sometimes be in the path of drafts that other varieties avoid, like those from ceiling vents.

These six calathea varieties are great choices to start with. The care requirements vary only slightly, so a large portion of choosing the variety you want to grow involves looking at colors, patterns, and heights. An additional benefit is that all six of these varieties are non-toxic to cats and dogs, so pet owners don’t need to worry. No matter which variety you choose to start with, these delightful and interesting plants are sure to brighten up any room in your home.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Cayla Leonard
Cayla Leonard
Contributor
Cayla Leonard is a writer from North Carolina who is passionate about plants.  She enjoys reading and writing fiction and…
6 air plants that make for the perfect air-purifying indoor plants
The most common air plants and how to care for them
A person holding a bowl of air plants

You might have seen air plants at your local plant shop and wondered what they were, and you might have even thought they were faux foliage. What kind of plant can live without soil, anyway? But you've probably seen them enough times on your Instagram feed that you might wonder if you're missing out. Air plants are trendy and unique plants that shouldn't be ignored. Ahead, we're going to talk about why you need an air plant and discuss our favorite varieties.

Why you need an air plant
Air plants, or Tillandsia, are lovely little plants that rarely get bigger than 8 to 12 inches. These tiny plants are low maintenance, need no soil, and are easy to care for as beginner plant parents. Plus, air plants are resilient, pet friendly, and have long life spans! The tiny or microscopic hairs on their leaves are used to suck up water from the air and capture harmful chemicals and toxins, making them genuinely air-purifying indoor plants.

Read more
7 easy patio plants that will thrive into the cold winter months
Try out these no-fuss plants to add some life to your porch this winter
Wintergreen basket

When it comes to easy patio plants, there are a few questions you need to answer first. What plants do you like to grow? How much space do they need? Can you keep them outdoors during winter, or do they need to be brought inside? If you don’t have much indoor space but want to make year-round use of your patio, here are some winter plants you can grow that will fare just fine in colder climates and provide some much-needed greenery to your outdoor space.

It’s important to remember that just because a plant exists doesn’t mean it’s suitable for a container. (Try to imagine that large oak tree in your yard growing from a pot — impossible, right?) The ones that will thrive in container gardens, whether indoors or on a patio, have shallow root systems and small mature sizes, or they can be kept small with pruning and trimming. Let’s look at some of our favorites to add some color and life to your porch or patio this cold season.

Read more
Focus on color: Red plants that will bring a festive vibe to any home or garden
Plants that feature joyful red foliage and flowers
Cyclamen

During the transitional period between fall and winter, there’s nothing like a vibrant red plant to infuse your garden with festive cheer. As the weather becomes grayer, brighten up your landscape with a splash of scarlet or burgundy. There are plenty of plants with delicate red blooms as well as those with striking red foliage. From the low-maintenance burning bush to the ubiquitous poinsettia, here are seven festive red plants to grow for the holiday season.

Cyclamen
Cyclamens often hit your local garden centers during the holiday season. This delicate tuberous plant features marbled or matte green leaves with butterfly-shaped white, purple, pink, or of course, red flowers. It blooms during the fall and winter, then goes through dormancy in the summer, during which its foliage dies down. It's hardy down to 23 degrees Fahrenheit, but it does best around 50 to 65 degrees — consider bringing it indoors during the winter. With this plant, you’ll want to provide adequate bright indirect light for blooms. It also appreciates being watered deeply once its soil dries out, but be careful with overwatering during winter.

Read more