How do I care for my Calathea Makoyana?

This June our pet-friendly indoor plant of the month is the stunning Calathea Makoyana also known as the Peacock plant!

Native habitat

Calathea makoyana or Peacock plant is native to Eastern Brazil.

Light and position in the home

The Peacock plant prefers moderate,  indirect sunlight. Keep out of direct sunlight, which will dull the colour of the leaves. Very low light can slow down growth.

Flowers and foliage

A showstopper of a plant that really makes a design statement due to its stunning leaf patterns that resemble a peacock's tail.  Like a splendid reversible catwalk coat it has reddishstemmed, broad-oval leaves (to 12” long) with pale cream backgrounds and oval dark green designs and striping. Dark green markings are pinkish-purple on the leaf undersides.

Watering and humidity

This supermodel of a plant is a bit fussy and loves to be misted every other day. If the air gets too dry, the leaves will turn brown or yellow. Wherever practical, keep the humidity high - especially in winter - by standing the plant pot on wet pebbles, or grow in humidified rooms. Use distilled water or rainwater if you can, and keep the soil evenly moist and not waterlogged. Reduce watering during the winter as the plant requires.

Temperature

Keep the temperature consistent between 60ºF – 75ºF (15.5-24ºC) and avoid drafty locations.

Did you know?

Calathea makoyna is sometimes called Cathedral Windows - look at how its decorative patterns catch the light to see why. #randomfactoftheday

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If you like the look of our Calathea Makoyana plant and want to get your hands on one of these, you can get yours here.