Calathea Concinna

Bring Nature Inside With Calathea Concinna | The Prayer Plant

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A living plant can work wonders for any décor situation in your home or office space. You can bring the calming effect of greenery indoors with a beautiful calathea concinna plant, especially during this pandemic.

Among the various types of prayer plants, we pick the calathea concinna, formerly known as calathea leopardina, as our favorite because it is one of the easiest to care for.

Origin of Calathea Concinna

Also known as the Zebra Plant for its zebra-patterned leaves, the calathea leopardina traces its origin in the tropical regions of South America, particularly in the Brazilian rainforest. It is often grown as houseplants for its intricately striped patterns and darker green spotted oval leaves.

For anyone who likes an ideal plant that helps purify the air and requires little attention, the Calathea Concinna is a perfect choice. It is best kept inside your home in a warmer climate at high humidity. It is also an ideal fixture in your bathrooms and kitchens.

Botanical NameCalathea Concinna
FamilyMaranaceae
GenusCalathea
OriginSouth America
SunlightIndirect sunlight
WateringDoes not need to water daily
SoilMoist, well-drained soil
Temperature65°-85° F
PropagationDivision
Re-PottingEvery year or two
Pests and DiseasesSusceptible to infestation
ToxicityNon-toxic, pet, and kid-friendly plant

A Quick Calathea Concinna Care Guide

We have to keep in mind that this tropical plant grows on the forest floor. As a result, the trees with more prominence receive the most sunlight, while the calathea plants beneath them experience the least warmth. Calathea eventually evolves into an adaptive hypo-plant as a result.

Calathea concinna is one of the ideal houseplants for indoors due to its evolution. It does not require direct sunlight or artificial light. It can grow and strive with less.

Watering Your Indoor Prayer Plant

Calathea Concinna Freddie thrives in moist, well-drained soil. This remarkable plant does not need much water. The primary reason behind it is that most of the moisture content is evaporated due to direct sunlight in the Brazilian rainforest or other tropical regions.

Being a tropical plant, the zebra plant has developed an innate capability to retain less water to survive the harsh environment. Because of this characteristic, this indoor plant rejuvenates with just a few amount of water. For this reason, you need not have to water the calathea concinna plant daily.

Although it can survive with less indirect sunlight, the calathea concinna does not like to dry out completely like any other indoor plant. Therefore, you have to make sure that its soil is moist at all times. Dry potting soil can also attract spider mites and other pests that are difficult to get rid of.

When the topsoil is dried out, pour enough water to keep the soil moist but not too much to make the plant sit in water, leading its roots to rot.

We highly recommend the use of filtered or distilled water when watering. The plant is sensitive to salts additives and excess minerals found in the water. 

Growing on the forest floor, prayer plants receive only rainwater that is naturally filtered of any mineral or salt by numerous leave canopies above them. Unfortunately, this makes the plant’s roots sensitive to tap water, which can cause damage to the leaves.

Light and Temperature for Calathea Concinna Plants

Just like other plants from the tropics, the calathea Freddie is a low-light plant. It requires indirect sunlight. Calathea concinna grows on the forest floor and has adapted well to a low-light environment by broadening its leaves.

The relationship between water and sunlight in calathea concinna is quite noticeable for an experienced houseplant enthusiast. 

When placed in a low sunlight room, the calathea concinna needs less water. But, conversely, when placed in bright sunlight, it needs more water. This is why prayer plants strive better even with less supply of the sun or in shady areas.

Check Soil Conditions

Calathea concinna should be planted in a pot with drainage holes. Be sure that the moist soil mixture contains an ideal mix of 1/3 organic material, 1/3 sand, and, if possible, 1/3 substrate like perlite. You may find a pre-made soil mixture explicitly formulated for indoor plants at your local garden center near you. 

You may add a few pebbles to its moist soil. Aeration is needed to aid the growth of the plan. Just make sure not to put too many pebbles on the top of the soil as this will suffocate the plant.

Calathea Concinna Flower

Unlike most Calathea plants, the Calathea concinna is prized for its foliage rather than its flowers. Although it is a challenge to get this calathea type to flower inside, you may see it produce spathes containing small white flowers if you are lucky.

Common Issues With Calathea Concinna

The most common problem when growing the Calathea plant is yellowing leaves. When you see yellow leaves, make sure to prune them to take unnecessary nutrients from the plant.

The usual culprit for the yellowing leaves is due to improper care. Frequent watering or not enough watering can lead to this problem and too much fertilizer that can burn the plant.

The damage from fertilizer burn can be seen around the entire edge spread of the plant. It is not only sensitive to tap water but most especially so to synthetic fertilizers. Therefore, when using such products, it is recommended to dilute a synthetic fertilizer to weaken its potency.

To remedy this problem, we suggest using organic fertilizers only. This way, you do not have to worry about fertilizer burn.

Avoid Cold Damage

Calathea plants do not thrive in cold conditions. Once exposed to a cold climate, calathea prayer plants will begin to disintegrate, specifically in temperatures below 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The plant will start to wilt and die. It cannot survive in such tougher conditions.

Wilting Problems

Wilting of your calathea Freddie plants may be caused by allergies, excess water, or poorly aerated soil. In such cases, this indoor plant can suffocate, resulting in wilting issues. Check our guide to caring for this plant above to ensure proper aeration in your potting soil.

Finally, with the pandemic still raging outside, having greenery inside your home provides you with a calming, peaceful ambiance—less hassle to look after than the other indoor plants. The calathea concinna plant will give you a tropical vibe if that’s what you’re after.

Last Updated on February 3, 2022 by Gustaf Johansson

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