Calathea plants are native to Africa, the West Indies, and Central and South America. All are treasured for their large, oval, distinctly patterned, and vibrantly colored leaves. The beautiful striped leaves grow at the end of long stems and require quite a bit of care to stay looking good.
The leaves of calathea plants are easily damaged by the quality of the water you use. Use distilled water or rainwater. Calathea plants like moist but not soggy soil at all times; never let the plant sit in water. Allow the top 2- inches of the soil to dry out before watering. Calathea plants need high humidity and when the air is too dry they develop brown leaf edges. Increase the humidity by placing the plant on a tray of wet pebbles, setting a humidifier near-by, or by grouping plants together to create a mini-greenhouse effect.
