Overview

Introduce a touch of the South American rainforest into your living space with the exquisite Calathea Ornata live plant. This captivating indoor specimen, often referred to as a prayer plant due to its unique leaf movements, arrives in a convenient 6-inch pot, ready to adorn your home. The Calathea Ornata, also known as the Pinstripe Calathea, is celebrated for its stunning foliage, featuring glossy dark green leaves intricately patterned with vibrant pink stripes. These feathered veins create a truly gorgeous display, making it a popular choice among houseplant enthusiasts. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, this Calathea Ornata live plant is a fantastic way to add lush greenery and natural elegance to any room. Its moderate growth rate ensures it will become a prominent and cherished feature in your plant collection.

As a member of the Marantaceae family, the Calathea Ornata exhibits mesmerizing nyctinastic movements, where its leaves fold upwards at night, resembling hands clasped in prayer, and then unfurl again with the morning light. This dynamic characteristic adds an engaging element to its beauty, making it more than just a decorative item. This particular plant is a robust and healthy specimen, carefully cultivated to ensure it thrives in its new indoor environment. Its distinctive coloration and active foliage make the Calathea Ornata live plant a conversation starter and a constant source of natural wonder.

Key Benefits

The Calathea Ornata live plant offers a wealth of benefits that make it an exceptional choice for any indoor plant lover. Its unique features contribute to both the aesthetic and atmospheric quality of your home.

• Stunning Visual Appeal: The deep green leaves with prominent pink pinstripes create a dramatic and elegant contrast, instantly elevating the decor of any room. This striped prayer plant is a true showstopper.
• Pet-Friendly Nature: Unlike many houseplants, the Calathea Ornata is non-toxic to pets, making it a safe choice for homes with curious cats and dogs. It’s a fantastic pet friendly indoor plant option.
• Air Purification: Like many foliage plants, Calatheas contribute to improving indoor air quality by filtering out common toxins, creating a healthier living environment.
• Unique Leaf Movement: Experience the captivating daily ritual of the leaves folding up at night and unfurling during the day, a characteristic that gives it its ‘prayer plant’ moniker and adds a dynamic element to your plant collection.
• Enhances Humidity: Grouping this plant with others can help create a microclimate of higher humidity, beneficial for all plants in the vicinity and contributing to a more comfortable indoor atmosphere.
• Moderate Growth for Easy Management: This plant typically grows at a medium rate, reaching a manageable height of 3-4 feet indoors, making it suitable for various spaces without becoming overgrown too quickly.
• Stress Reduction: Studies show that having plants indoors can reduce stress and improve mood, making the beautiful and serene Calathea Ornata live plant a perfect addition to your wellness routine.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Calathea Ornata live plant requires attention to detail, particularly regarding its environmental needs, but the rewards are well worth the effort. These plants thrive in conditions that mimic their native South American jungle habitat. For optimal growth, provide medium to bright indirect light. Direct sunlight should be avoided as it can fade the vibrant colors of the leaves and cause leaf burn, leading to a less attractive striped prayer plant. A north-facing window or a spot several feet from an east or west-facing window is ideal. Ensure consistent humidity, as low humidity can lead to brown leaf edges. Using a humidifier, placing the pot on a pebble tray with water (ensuring the pot isn’t sitting directly in water), or grouping plants together can help maintain the necessary moisture in the air.

Watering is crucial for the health of your Calathea Ornata. These plants are sensitive to the quality of water. Hard water, fluoridated water, or water with high mineral content can cause leaf burn and browning. The best practice is to use distilled water, rainwater, or tap water that has been allowed to sit out overnight to allow chlorine to dissipate. Water thoroughly when the top 2-3 inches of soil feel dry to the touch, and ensure adequate drainage. Never let the plant sit in standing water, as this can lead to root rot. The optimal temperature range for this beautiful pet friendly indoor plant is between 65-85°F (18-29°C). Protect it from cold drafts and sudden temperature fluctuations, especially during colder months. Fertilize during the active growing season (spring through summer) with a diluted liquid fertilizer, about 1/4 strength of the recommended dose. A well-draining potting mix rich in organic matter is essential for healthy root development.

Size & Details

This offering is for one healthy Calathea Ornata live plant, carefully cultivated and shipped in a 6-inch nursery pot. The plant’s overall height will vary slightly depending on individual growth, but it is typically well-established and ready for display upon arrival. Calathea Ornata plants are known for their medium growth rate and, with proper care, can reach an indoor height of 3-4 feet, developing into a wide and lush specimen with large, striking leaves. The 6-inch pot provides ample space for initial growth before requiring a larger container. These plants are shipped securely to ensure they arrive in excellent condition, ready to grace your home. Expect to enjoy the full beauty and unique movements of this striped prayer plant as it adapts to its new environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: The Calathea Ornata live plant typically grows to a height of 3-4 feet indoors, becoming wide and lush with mature leaves. Its growth rate is considered medium.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: This Calathea Ornata live plant is delivered in a 6-inch nursery pot, providing a good starting size for its initial placement in your home.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Calathea Ornata is primarily an indoor plant, thriving in the consistent temperatures and humidity levels of a home environment. It is not suited for outdoor conditions in most climates.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: This plant prefers medium to bright indirect light. Avoid direct sunlight, which can scorch its delicate leaves and diminish the vibrant pink stripes of the striped prayer plant.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: While Calatheas have specific care requirements, particularly regarding humidity and water quality, they are manageable for attentive plant parents. They are not considered high-maintenance once their needs are understood.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your Calathea Ornata live plant will arrive securely packaged in its 6-inch nursery pot, carefully protected to ensure it reaches you in healthy, vibrant condition.
• Q: Is it pet-safe? A: Yes, the Calathea Ornata is a fantastic pet friendly indoor plant. It is non-toxic to cats and dogs, giving you peace of mind.
• Q: How often should I water my Calathea Ornata? A: Water when the top 2-3 inches of soil feel dry. Use distilled, rainwater, or filtered tap water. Ensure the soil remains moist but never soggy.
• Q: Why are the leaves turning brown on the edges? A: Brown leaf edges are typically a sign of low humidity or sensitivity to minerals in tap water. Increase humidity and consider using purified water for your Calathea Ornata care.
• Q: When is the best time to fertilize this plant? A: Fertilize your Calathea Ornata during its active growing season, from spring through summer, using a diluted liquid fertilizer.