Calathea is a famous species of the family Marantaceae, grown indoors because of its stunning foliage patterns and vivid colors. Calathea is one of the most loved and breathtaking species of the Marantaceae family -native to the Brazilian rainforest. They are now reclassified to the genus Goeppertia, therefore, botanically known as Goeppertia. There are more than 300 Calathea types to choose from, each featuring uniquely colored foliage that might take your breath away.
It is hard for plant lovers to resist their vibrant and exotic beauty. My collection of gorgeous Calatheas started with just one, and soon my place brightened up with a huge variety of these beauties. Calatheas can be polarizing in the house plant’s world due to their care. Some of the Calathea types on our list are widely available and easy to care for, while some are fuzzy and require a particular environment to thrive.
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Calathea Varieties with Pictures and Names
Each Calathea is unique and striking; therefore, don’t be surprised if you can’t resist the vibrant and exotic beauty of these exquisite Calatheas. Let’s dive into some of the most popular and staggering Calathea types with pictures and names that you may fall in love with.
1. Calathea Warscewiczii | Jungle Velvet Calathea
Calathea Warscewiczii is named after the heroic polish botanist, Józef Warszewicz, which I find difficult to pronounce. This delightful plant is a perennial evergreen houseplant from Central and South America. It’s one of the most loved variants of Calathea and my personal favorite. Calathea Warscewiczii’s plant thrives in indirect bright light, warm temperatures, and high humidity. The plant features beautiful two-toned velvety leaves and rewards you with gorgeous cream-colored cone-shaped flower blooms with minimal but regular care.
2.Rattlesnake Plant | Calathea Lancifolia
It is an outstanding houseplant due to its unique and beautiful dark green foliage resembling rattle snakeskin patterns. If you’re looking for an eye-catching and forgiving houseplant, the Calathea Lancifolia is worth considering. Rattlesnake flourishes in bright indirect sunlight and rich, well-draining but moist soil. We talked all about this plant in detail in our Calathea Lancifolia care guide.
3. Calathea Orbifolia | Orbit Peacock Plant
This Calathea variant, also known as Round Leaf Calathea, is a beautiful plant featuring large round leathery foliage with silver and light-green stripes. Calathea orbifolia is sure to grab plant admirers’ attention, and they cannot resist buying this bounty. Orbifolia thrives in a warm indoor environment growing silver-green leaves in a fan configuration and can quickly become large, bringing a tropical feeling to your space.
4.Calathea Medallion Roseopicta
This gorgeous space filler is a moderately easy-care Calathea that can reach a fairly large size. In addition to brightening up your place, its colorful foliage serves as a natural air purifier. This plant is photophilic and popular as Medallion Prayer Plant because of its leaves’ up and down movement during day and night.
5. Calathea Zebrina | Calathea Zebra
The Calathea Zebra plant is an evergreen ornamental plant that illuminates your place with striking light green and velvety leaves with purple undersides resembling a Zebra pattern. Zebra Plant is slightly more challenging than some other Calatheas, but the size and eye-catching foliage colors give you the most rewarding feeling. As already mentioned that Calatheas rarely blooms indoors, but Calathea zebrina produces little whitish-purple flowers in spring in a suitable environment.
6. Calathea Ornata Pink | Pinstripe Calathea
Calathea Ornata, also known as Pinstripe Calathea, has colorful patterned leaves with violet undersides. Many plant parents own these beauties, and they love them cultivating in a container inside their house. Moreover, Pinstripe Calathea serves as an air purifier and jazz up your space with its pinkish-white pinstripes. Please refer to our complete care guide on this dazzling beauty.
6. Calathea Ornata ‘Beauty star’
Calathea ‘Beauty Star’ is an elegant variety of Calathea Ornata characterized by neon green stripes and lighter white accent stripes that radiate from the centre of the pointed foliage. The green leaves are longer, thinner and pointy compared to traditional deep-coloured Ornata leaves. The underside of each leaf exhibits a deep purple and green colour. However, the stripe colour varies from cream to pink depending on the amount of light it is exposed to.
7. Calathea Fasciata
The Calathea Fasciata is another stunner member of the Calathea variant featuring thick and luscious leaves. Calathea Fasciata has a striking appearance that reminds you of Orbifolia but with darker leaves and more pronounced markings. It is relatively easy to care for than other family variants.
8. Calathea Rufibarba | Velvet Calathea
It is known as Velvet Calathea, which prefers a warm indoor environment. Rufibarba has earned many names like “furry Calathea” or “furry feather Calathea” due to the fur-like texture of the leaves and stems undersides. Some house plant gardeners also call it “Velvet Calathea” due to its soft and fuzzy leaves. If you’re searching for an adorable and exotic houseplant, Calathea Rufibarba would be an excellent addition to your collection.
9. Calathea Roseopicta Crimson
Calathea Roseopicta, also famous as Rose Painted Calathea, is moderately a fast-growing plant. It features gorgeous patterned large oval-shaped leaves with deep pink-centered leaves and a deep green-black border. Perfect for illuminating any living place with its radiant beauty. Calathea Roseopicta is sensitive to its environment and thrives in a warm climate.
10.Calathea Vittata Elliptica
The Calathea Vittata belongs to the Calathea types , featuring green elliptical leaves stretching outwards with beautiful sleek, white and green stripes. Moreover, Vittata can serve as gorgeous hanging in the living room or tabletop décor as it is only two feet tall. This stunning Calathea foliage folds in at night and opens up in bright daylight like prayer plants. Cool!! The plant may suffer from stunted growth if not provided with favorable requirements.
11. Calathea Fusion White
If you are a house plant collector and adore leafy tropical plants, we recommend trying this gorgeous specie of Calathea, the Fusion White. This particular variety of Calathes is relatively challenging to take care of as it is more sensitive toward light than any other Calathea plant. However, this plant will keep flourishing in your house with good care and a suitable environment.
12. Calathea Lutea | Pampano Plant
Pampano Plant is a taller variety of Calathea, featuring paddle-shaped leaves extending from the individual stem, making the plant a perfect choice to enhance your garden corners. Calathea Lutea is also popular because of its cigar-like flowers known as Cigar Calathea. If you have a large space or a garden, Calathea Lutea is perfect for brightening your balcony with its large decorative leaves.
13. Calathea Freddie Mirabilis
The Calathea Freddie has thicker, fuzzier leaves that are less delicate and is the lowest maintenance calathea. This beauty can turn heads because of its beautiful outspread foliage in all directions. Also known as the Zebra plant due to its light and dark green stripy leaves.
14. Calathea Crocata | Eternal Flame Plant
Calathea Crocata blooms flaming hot, orange-yellow flowers- adored by many houseplant parents. It is also famous as the Eternal Flame Plant because of its flowering color and shape. Eternal Flame can be a phenomenal and astounding addition to your indoor flowering plant’s collection.
15. Calathea Flamestar
The Calathea Flamestar is a phenomenal houseplant featuring gorgeous and mesmerizing foliage, making it hard for house plant lovers to resist.
16. Calathea Leopardina | Calathea Concinna
We have an extremely impressive recommendation for you, the remarkable Calathea Leopardina or Calathea Concinna– an easy-going gorgeous house plant from the tropical rainforests of Brazil. As the name implies, this plant features breathtaking bright green shovel-shaped leaves and a spotted pattern around the leaf- resembling a leopard.
17. Calathea Loeseneri | Calathea Lotus Pink
It is a splendid variety of Calathea with elongated oval-shaped green leaves, also known as the Brazilian star calathea. Loeseneri is a beautiful low-light-loving plant that is a perennial and gives you long-lasting blooms. It’s star resembling flowers consist of white to pinkish lance-shaped petals on a long delicate stalk, giving elegance and class to the surrounding.
Calathea Loeseneri Blooms
18. Calathea Louisae Maui Queen
It is relatively a less common variety of Calatheas. The dark green foliage, with vivid cream-colored stripes in the middle, is the most prominent feature of Calathea Louise. The purple insides of the leaves further glorify the beauty of this plant.
19. Calathea Makoyana | Peacock Plant
Calathea Makayona, commonly known as Cathedral Windows, is an evergreen, splendid house plant that certainly beautifies your place all around the year. In addition, its colorful foliage also acts as a natural air cleanser or purifier.
20. Calathea Louisae Misto
Calathea Misto is another photoperiodic variant of Calathea that responds to the light throughout the day and folds up its leaves at night. The stunning patterns on the dark green foliage enhance its surroundings’ aesthetic appeal.
21. Calathea Musaica | Network Calathea
Calathea Mosaic is another adorable and eye-catching member of the Marantaceae family. This plant is also popular as Network Calathea due to its distinctive dark and light-colored mosaic pattern on its lush foliage.
22.Calathea Picturata Argentea
Calathea Picturata is a gorgeous, attractive member of the Calathea genus, featuring wonderful contrasting leaves.
23. Calathea Majestica White Star
Calathea Majestica White Star, commonly known as Calathea White Star, is an absolute beauty gem from the Calathea genus. For house plant parents looking for an outstanding and stunner plant that mesmerizes them daily with its beauty, look no further; Calathea White Star is a perfect choice.
24. Calathea Yellow Fusion Thai
Calathea Yellow Fusion is a graceful and attractive plant featuring a stunning foliage pattern. Yellow Fusion, also known as Calathea Thai Beauty, due to its distinguished foliage patterns featuring paint strokes of yellow and lime green, giving a marble look.
25.Calathea Roseopicta Dottie
‘Dottie’ is an easy-growing tropical plant featuring rich dark purple leaves with bright pink markings. This houseplant loves humidity and moisture; hence, it thrives well in a bathroom.
26. Calathea Roseopicta Rosy
Rosey is an enchanting colorful, and popular cultivar of Calathea Roseopicta. This variant boasts large, glossy oval foliage bordered in green. ‘Rosey’ will be a bright addition and will turn the heads wherever placed indoors.
27. Calathea Roseopicta Cora
Calathea Roseopicta ‘Cora‘ is a relatively rare houseplant that requires regular watering to thrive. Calathea Cora is a true masterpiece with attractive foliage, which features large almond-shaped leaves with dark green stripes and pinkish undersides
28.Calathea Roseopicta Illustris
Roseopicta Illustris boasts broad bright green foliage, from the deep green edge to lime brushstrokes, white-feathered highlights, and the central burgundy stem. It is a free-spirited houseplant that needs plenty of indirect light, and its foliage colors respond to the varying degrees of exposure. The foliage colors will fade to dark green in case of light deprivation.
Common Queries
What is the easiest calathea to care for?
Some of the easiest Calathea types to care for are;
What are the hardest Calathea types to care for?
The hardest Calathea types to care for are;
What is the most beautiful Calathea?
The most beautiful Calathea types that you will fall in love are ;
Is Calathea hard to keep alive?
A Calathea can be polarizing in the house plant world as some Calathea types can be challenging to care for and require particular water, light, and fertilizer needs. However, like many other fussy plants, a Calathea plant is well worth the effort.
What are the Rarest Calathea Types ?
Some Calathea types are less common and are not widely available. Following are some of the rare Calathea types;
We recommend if you can get your hands on these beauties , don’t hesitate buying one.
Which Calathea types are safe for pets?
All the Calathea plants are safe for children and pets according to global analytics. Therefore, you don’t need to worry when your pets or children goes near one or accidentally chews them.
Conclusion
House plant lovers can’t get over the leaf pattern on these striking, eye-catching plants! The dark, velvety green foliage of the Marantaceae family makes them the most beautiful indoor plants. These vivid colored plants featuring stunning foliage are displayed as ornamental plants on balconies, offices, and living rooms. With proper care Calatheas thrive and are most rewarding plants that a plant parent can enjoy and feel proud of.