Calathea plants, native to tropical South and Central America, Africa, and the West Indies, are grown primarily for their beautiful, brightly colored, upright, oval leaves. There are over 300 different types of Calathea plants, many being man-made hybrids created by tissue cultures
A Calathea plant likes bright indirect light; so placing it in front of an east, west, or north window is ideal. Too much direct sun burns the leaves and causes the beautiful leaf colors to fade.
Calatheas are very sensitive to the water you use. Hard water, soft water, fluoridated water, or water of poor quality causes the leaves to turn brown from leaf burn. The best way to water is to use distilled water, rain water, or allow your tap water to sit out over night before using it. Keep the soil moist but never soggy. Allow the top 2-3” to dry out before watering. Never let a Calathea Plant sit in water.
Calatheas like temperatures between 65°-80°F (18.3°-26.7°C), and do not like cold drafts or temperatures below 55°-60°F (12.8°-15.6°C). Hot temperatures cause the leaves to curl.
High humidity is a must! A Calathea plant gets brown leaf edges when the air is too dry. Humidity can be increased by placing your plant on a tray of wet pebbles (be sure the pot is on the pebbles and not in the water), setting a humidifier close by, or by grouping plants together to create a greenhouse effect.
Spider mites, scale, Mealy Bugs and Aphids are house Plant Pests that can be a problem.