What is Calathea
Article Guide: This article introduces what Calathea is and shares some related experiences in flower planting. Below, the editor provides a detailed explanation for you.
Calathea is a type of green plant that enthusiasts love very much. Placing a pot at home not only serves as decoration and embellishment but also helps to maintain fresh air indoors, offering many uses. Enthusiasts know that there are many varieties of Calathea, and each variety has different patterns, making them very beautiful.
Today, I want to share with enthusiasts a variety of Calathea called孔雀竹芋 (Peacock Calathea). Why does this variety have "peacock" in its name? This is because the leaves of Peacock Calathea have rich colors, such as dark green, light yellow, or light green, with very beautiful patterns, resembling the feathers of a peacock's tail. In addition to this reason, I speculate that the main reason might be that the leaves of Peacock Calathea can also spread and retract like a peacock's tail.
During the day, the leaves of Peacock Calathea are like any other plant, normally unfolded. But at night, it is different; it will retract. At night, the leaves of Peacock Calathea curl from the sides to the center, like a rolled-up scroll, and by the next day, they will unfold again as if nothing happened.
Although Peacock Calathea is considered an ornamental leaf plant, it can actually bloom, although the flowers are very small and inconspicuous, and blooming is quite rare. However, the flowers of Peacock Calathea are still very beautiful, with small, spotless white flowers. If enthusiasts can grow flowers, it would be fantastic!
What is Calathea
There are many reasons why Peacock Calathea is very popular. Apart from its good looks and ability to purify indoor air, it is also related to its growth habits. Peacock Calathea does not require much sunlight, so for some homes with poor lighting conditions, growing other flowers can easily lead to problems, either not blooming or yellowing leaves.
But Peacock Calathea won't have so many "problems." It prefers places with scattered light and too much sunlight will make it uncomfortable. Therefore, enthusiasts with poor lighting at home are very suitable for growing Peacock Calathea!
Moreover, unlike flowers such as Spathiphyllum, Oleander, and Euphorbia, Peacock Calathea does not contain toxins and is completely safe throughout, so you don't have to worry about accidentally touching the sap and getting poisoned. Also, Peacock Calathea can release oxygen at night, so enthusiasts can feel free to plant it in the bedroom without worrying about it competing for oxygen!
If enthusiasts are growing Peacock Calathea at home, they need to repot it every two to three years. If enthusiasts want to propagate more pots of Peacock Calathea, they can take advantage of the repotting opportunity to divide some parts of the root and plant them in new pots. After a while, new plants will grow! It is best to do this during the transition period between spring and summer when the success rate is higher.