Calathea
Calathea is a vegetable in the Marantaceae family. It grows best in bright indirect light with medium to high moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 10-12.
Varieties
1 · sorted by days to maturity▸Calathea
PROPAGATION CATEGORY: Tropical houseplant (division) (not in original seed catalog). Use: Boldly patterned leaves that fold at night. Note: Pet-safe but fussy about humidity/water quality.
Calathea (Calathea/Goeppertia) is grown for spectacularly patterned leaves that fold up at night; pet-safe but demanding, needing high humidity and filtered or distilled water.
Growing notes: Botanical name: Calathea spp.|Hardiness zones: 10-12|Propagation: division|Light: Bright indirect light|Water: Medium to high|Mature size: 1-2 feet
Plan your calathea planting
Add calathea to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.
Start your free plan →At a glance
Storing & preserving
Most keep best refrigerated; storage crops prefer a cool, dry spot.
- Freeze: Blanch briefly, cool, then freeze — keeps color and texture.
- Can: Pressure-can low-acid vegetables; water-bath only pickled/acidified ones.
General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Growing timeline
Care & troubleshooting
No curated care & troubleshooting advice for calathea yet. Our extension-sourced library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.