The special thing about the Calathea orbifolia is probably its large, striped leaves. However, the beautiful foliage plant is more for advanced houseplant gardeners.

The Calathea orbifolia shines with its foliage

High humidity, even warmth and soil moisture as well as nutrients are among the basic requirements for a he althy Calathea orbifolia. Anyone who meets the needs of the jungle plant and offers a suitable location will enjoy the extraordinary plant very much.

Calathea orbifolia: origin and properties

The Calathea orbifolia belongs to the genus Coriander (Calathea) and comes from the tropical forests of South America. It is one of many Calathea species that make excellent houseplants. Its showy foliage makes it a decorative foliage plant. The leaves are juicy light green with silvery-green stripes. They grow up to 40 cm tall and have a rounded shape with a slightly wavy edge. Hence the botanical name, because orbifolia means "round-leaved". The leaves move during the day and curl up at night. The herbaceous plant grows to a height of about 80 cm. The star-shaped, white flower of the Calahea orbifolia does not usually appear on indoor plants. As a non-hardy plant, it can be damaged from as little as 5 °C.

The special thing about the Calathea orbifolia are the leaves with the silvery stripes

Location, soil and co. for the houseplant

According to its natural location in the rainforest, the Calathea orbifolia should be placed in a light semi-shade. It needs a lot of indirect light, but must not be in the direct sun. High humidity is also important. This can be found, for example, in a bright bathroom behind a light curtain. But you can also take care of it yourself by filling a trivet with expanded clay and water. The pot with the basket marante is placed on it so that the water evaporates in the immediate vicinity. A year-round, average room temperature of 18 to 26 °C is for theCalathea orbifolia ideal. In winter it must not be colder than 15 °C.
The right soil is above all humic, but should be sufficiently coarse-pored so that the water can drain off easily. A suitable substrate is, for example, our Plantura organic universal soil. With its coarse structure made from sustainably obtained organic raw materials and the slightly acidic pH value, this optimally suits the needs of tropical indoor plants. It also contains no peat and is equipped with nutrients for the first few months. By mixing in 30% expanded clay, the soil can be made even more permeable. Expanded clay is also good for creating a drainage layer on the bottom of the pot. This allows excess water to drain off directly and there is no risk of harmful waterlogging.

Since the Calathea orbifolia needs an evenly moist soil without waterlogging, it is advisable to additionally create a mulch layer on the substrate.

Caring for Calathea orbifolia

The care of the Calathea orbifolia is not very uncomplicated. In summer, the Calathea orbifolia can also stand outside in the shade, where it can easily cover its minimum light requirement of 750, better 2000 lux light intensity. But even outside it is essential to ensure that the leaves are regularly moistened.

Tip: The high humidity not only helps to keep the plant he althy, but also keeps out a variety of pests that prefer dry air.

Water, cut and fertilize

Because it needs a moist substrate, the Calathea orbifolia needs to be watered regularly. Water that is low in lime is used for this purpose, ideally even rainwater. As soon as the top 2 cm of soil has dried, it should be watered again. This can easily be checked with a finger test. Excess irrigation water should be removed about 15 minutes after watering, as the Calathea must never stand in water. In winter, because of the lower temperatures and less daylight, there is a little less watering, but the root ball should always be slightly moist.

High humidity is important to keep Calathea orbifolia he althy

In the growing season from spring to autumn you should fertilize the Calathea orbifolia. Fertilizing with liquid fertilizer, such as our Plantura organic indoor and green plant fertilizer, is sufficient about every four weeks in half the dosage. With sufficient nitrogen and reduced phosphate content, our organic fertilizer ensures he althybasket marants. The bacteria it contains also strengthen the roots. Since the Calathea orbifolia needs an even supply of nutrients, our primarily organic fertilizer is ideal: because the nutrients are only available after they have been implemented in the soil and are therefore gradually available.

If the leaves turn yellow and are old and dried up, you can grab the scissors and cut the Calathea orbifolia. However, it is not necessary to cut back for branching or before winter.

Repotting the Calathea orbifolia is only necessary when the roots have outgrown the pot. Otherwise, it is sufficient to replace the upper substrate layer annually, because repotting can unnecessarily stress the Calathea. It is best to repot in spring, when the growing season begins. The roots should be treated carefully, dead and rotted roots are cut off and the old soil removed before the Calathea is planted in a next larger pot. When repotting, the Calathea orbifolia can be propagated by division, which we explain in more detail below.

The Coriander Calathea orbifolia can have very large leaves with good care

Frequent care mistakes and their treatment

  • Calathea orbifolia has brown edges: Brown edges or spots on the leaves of Calathea are usually a sign of too low a soil pH or too much nutrients. In this case, it is best to repot the plant in fresh, suitable substrate.
  • Calathea orbifolia droops leaves: The Calathea moves its leaves during the day - drooping So leaves don't have to be a bad sign. However, if they are also discolored and limp, hanging leaves can be a sign of dry or, vice versa, wet substrate. Check the soil and replace the top layer of substrate if necessary. Older soil tends to collapse and eventually becomes less able to absorb and store water. Disease of the roots, lack of light, dry air or drafts can also lead to drooping leaves.
  • Yellow Leaves: If the Calathea orbifolia develops wilted and yellow leaves, then it is probably suffering from root rot. This is caused by waterlogging, i.e. when the irrigation water cannot drain properly. In this case, the Calathea should be repotted in fresh substrate and freed from rotten roots. When planting, be sure to put oneDrainage layer and always pour off excess water after watering. In addition, a lack of nutrients due to a lack of fertilizer or too much light can be the reason for yellow leaves.
Incorrect care can usually be recognized by yellow, brown or hanging leaves

Tip: If a basketweed is curling up its leaves at night, this is not a sign of improper care, but quite natural. It adapts to the lighting conditions.

Propagate Calathea orbifolia

Like the care, the propagation of the Calathea is not easy. Although it is possible to propagate the Calathea orbifolia by division, there is a risk of damaging the sensitive roots too much. If you still want to venture into propagation, you should have a he althy mother plant and divide it in late spring. The ideal time is in the course of repotting.

  • Remove the Calathea from the pot, remove the soil from the roots.
  • Using a sharp and clean knife, cut a small piece from the mother plant, consisting of at least one leaf and some roots. Accidentally damaged roots must be removed at the base so that new roots can sprout at this point - because the Calathea cannot "repair" them.
  • Plant the young plant in its own pot containing well-drained, nutrient-poor substrate.
  • For example, our Plantura organic herb and seed soil, which contains fewer nutrients for the cultivation of young plants, is suitable. This promotes the formation of strong roots. For more permeability, 30% broken expanded clay should be mixed in.
  • Keep the soil moist and prefer a shady spot at some 24 to 30°C. It should also be covered with a clear plastic bag that is aired daily.
  • If new leaves form, propagation has been successful and the plastic bag is omitted and replaced with daily spraying.
  • In the growing season it is now fertilized like an adult Calathea.
  • Next spring, it can be repotted in nutrient-rich substrate.
Separated young plants are cared for quite quickly like fully grown corianders

Is Calathea orbifolia poisonous?

No, the Calathea orbifolia is not poisonous and can safely be kept in households with children and pets. She should be eatenbut not because it is not a crop.

If you like the silvery pattern on the leaves of Calathea orbifolia, you will probably also like Syngonium - a further ornamental leaf plant, which can be used as a climbing plant in the room.

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Houseplants