Calathea is one of the most gorgeous and often most disappointing houseplants a new plant parent can bring home. If you've ever taken a beginner plant shopping, you already know: they walk straight to the calatheas. Can you blame them? These plants look like they were literally hand-painted by Mother Nature.
But calathea care is pretty tricky. The leaves curl. The edges go crispy and brown. The humidity demands feel impossible. Suddenly, your most beautiful plant becomes your most dramatic one.
That's why I brought Mark Hachadourian, Director of Glasshouse Horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden, to cover how to care for calatheas and prayer plants, troubleshoot the most common problems, and actually keep them alive.
In this episode, we learn:
- What Marc does for the NYBG
- What plants fall under the Marantaceae Family
- Prayer Plant, Calathea and Stromanthe- their differences and similarities
- Why do the leaves fold up and down as in “prayer”
- Why the bottoms of many Marantaceae are purple
- Why the tips brown and how we help avoid this
- Why humidity is so important for the Marantaceae family
- Marc answers a collection of listener questions
Mentioned in our conversation:
What do you think is the #1 reason calatheas are so hard to keep alive?
Check out the full show notes and blog for Mark's expert Calathea troubleshooting guide!
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