Calathea makoyana (Peacock plant)
Botanical names: Calathea makoyana, Goeppertia makoyana, Maranta makoyana
Common name: Peacock plant
Family: Marantaceae
Origin: Central and South America and the Caribbean






Mostly grown in gardens for the handsomely patterned foliage. Calathea prefers moist, shady, jungle-like conditions in a garden and is also often grown as potted specimens. When it is used as a house plant, the leaves should be sprayed with water several times a week. Propagation is by root division. Water with soft water. Keep uniform high humidity and temperature. Look best when grouped with other foliage plants. Can be used in a bottle garden or terrarium. This plant requires very specific growing conditions in order to thrive. Place in a warm, shady position i.e. one that never receives direct or indirect sun. Feed with a liquid fertilizer every two weeks during Spring and Summer and once a month during Autumn and Winter. Stand on a tray filled with water and pebbles to increase humidity. Water plentifully. Never allow to dry out - keep the potting mixture moist at all times. Repot every Spring using a mix of two thirds potting mixture and one third leaf mould or peat. Once the plant has been potted on to a fifteen centimetre pot , it is only necessary to replace the top layer of soil.
See Article - How to grow Calathea indoors.
Similar plants: Calathea makoyana (Peacock plant)
- Calathea altissima (Calathea)
- Calathea lietzei (Calathea)
- Calathea loeseneri (Brazilian Star Calathea)
- Calathea musaica (Network Calathea)
- Calathea orbifolia (Peacock Plant)
- Calathea picturata (Calathea)
- Calathea roseopicta (Calathea)
- Calathea rufibarba (Velvet Calathea)
- Calathea warscewiczii (Calathea)
- Goeppertia insignis (Rattlesnake Plant)