Calathea
Goeppertia species
Also called Prayer plant, Peacock plant and Zebra plant
Houseplant · Patterned foliageCrisping edges are almost always tap water. Rain or filtered water fixes more than misting.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Very hard
- Water
- Every 5 daysKeep it moist — water at the first hint of dryness — don't wait for a dry pot.
- Light
- Medium indirect, never direct
- Feed
- Every 30 days
- Humidity
- Very high
- Hardiness
- Tropical — indoors, warm RHS H1A, to 15°C
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- Bolivia and Brazil
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsSafe for pets
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- The rim of every leaf goes papery and brown from the outside in while the middle stays patterned — that is the salts and fluoride in tap water, not dry air.Leaf-edge burn · disorder
- A grey stipple across the top of the leaf and webbing in the fold where the blade meets the stalk; the leaf stops folding up at night.Glasshouse red spider mite · pest