How to grow Calathea zebrina

Calathea zebrina grow and care – leaf plant of the genus Calathea also known as Zebra plant, Calathea zebrina perennial evergreen used as ornamental plant mostly for the leaves and purify the air, grow in tropics, mediterranean, subtropical climate or indoor as houseplant and grow in hardiness zone 11b+ and in the right care in hardiness zone 11a+.

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Calathea zebrina leaves and flowers

Leaves color green with white stripes and under the leaves red or purple color, the leaves in elliptic shape.

Flower color purple flowers grow on stem in inflorescence the flower look like beehive the petals merge in the bottom.

Calathea zebrina for sale – Seeds or Plants to Buy

How to grow Calathea zebrina growing and care:

Rain water or clean water, rich soil, moist soil, humidity, better more than 15C but can survive 10C, optimal temperature 18-25C.

How to care:
Put fertilizer 3-4 times a year, add organic matter, mulch the plant to keep moist

What is the best way to start growing?
Plant / Seed / Vegetative reproduction

How to propagate:
Propagation by daughter plants mostly need to take care when pull it from the ground you take all the roots, uncover the roots, dig around the plant and better to use air blower machine or wash it with stream, after reveal the roots need to disconnect them from the mother and wait, when the daughter plant can live by itself possible to take it out of the soil, also another option just to pull the plant from the soil less but less good.

Is it necessary to graft or use vegetative reproduction?
No, but easier to start with daughter plants than to start from seeds

Difficulties or problems when growing:
Sensitive to hard water

Planting season:
All year, in hardiness zone 11a better to plant it in the spring to early summer

Pests and diseases:
Aphids, spider mites

Pruning season:
All year

How to prune:
Dead leaves

Size of the plant:
30-60 cm, 12-24 inches

Growth speed in optimal condition:
Medium growing / Slow growing

Water requirement:
Average amount of water / Big amount of water (don’t let it dry and don’t over water and let them to sit in puddle)

Light conditions in optimal condition for growing:
Full Shade

Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant?
Yes, grow well indoor

How to care indoor as houseplant:
Need to check that the plant not affect by dry air of warming and cooling machines, light, need to keep the soil moist and humidity, also to fertilize at least once a year

Growing is also possible in a pot / planter /flowerpot / containers:
Yes, start with container that bigger than the plant at least 30-50%, pot size 10-15L (2.6-4 gallons), need to switch the soil once in a few years by new soil, better to do in the winter, wash the soil from the roots and cut the root and prune the plant, use potting mix or peat soil with perlite and mix it with hummus and organic matter, use chopped mulch to keep the soil moist, let the bottom of the pot fill in water but dry in the same day.

Blooming information

Bloom season:
Most of the year

General information about the flower
Purple flowers grow on stem in inflorescence the flower look like beehive the petals merge in the bottom

Scientific name:

Calathea zebrina

How to grow Calathea zebrina

Calathea zebrina

Categories

Blooming Seasons
  • Autumn flowers
  • Spring flowers
  • Summer flowers
  • Winter flowers
Flower colors
  • Purple flower
Climate
  • Mediterranean Climate
  • Subtropics Climate
  • Tropics Climate
Leaf color
  • White leaves
Ornamental parts
  • Ornamental flower
  • Ornamental leaves
  • Ornamental plant
Plant growing speed
  • Average growing plants
  • Slow growing plants
Plant life-form
  • Evergreen
  • Leaf plant
  • Perennial plant
Plant Uses
  • Colored leaves
  • Indoor plants
  • Ornamental plants
Planting Season
  • Autumn Planting
  • Spring Planting
  • Summer planting
  • Winter planting
Plants sun exposure
  • Shade Plants
Watering plants
  • Regularly water
Hardiness zone
  • Hardiness zone 10
  • Hardiness zone 11
  • Hardiness zone 12
  • Hardiness zone 13

Growing in Pots, Balconies & Indoors

Calathea zebrina (Calathea zebrina) is a shade-loving foliage plant of 30-60 cm (12-24 in). The grower confirms it grows well indoors – it is a classic, pet-friendly houseplant that dislikes direct sun.

Quick Details

  • Container Size: Start at least 30-50% bigger than the plant; pot size around 10-15 L (2.6-4 gal)
  • Indoor Suitability: A genuine, easy houseplant
  • Best Spot: Full shade / bright indirect light – never direct sun
  • Soil & Drainage: Potting mix or peat with perlite plus humus and organic matter; a mulch to hold moisture
  • Watering in Pots: Average to generous – keep evenly moist, never bone dry and never sitting in a puddle

Indoors & On the Windowsill

  • A real houseplant: The grower marks it as growing well indoors. Give it bright, indirect light and steady humidity.
  • Care: Keep it away from the dry air of heaters and air conditioners, hold the soil moist and humid, and feed at least once a year.

On a Balcony or Patio

  • Light & wind: Only in warm, frost-free conditions and always in shade – direct sun and drying wind quickly scorch and curl the leaves. Pots dry fast in a breeze, so watch moisture and humidity.

Choosing the Pot, Soil & Long-Term Care

  • Pot & drainage: Good drainage holes; if you use a saucer let the base fill briefly when watering but let it dry the same day.
  • Potting mix: Potting mix or peat with perlite, enriched with humus and organic matter, topped with chopped mulch.
  • Feeding: Potted plants need feeding more often than those in the ground, since watering steadily leaches nutrients out of the container.

Grower’s Container Tip

  • Winter refresh: Every few years renew the soil, best done in winter – wash the old soil off the roots, trim the roots and prune the plant, then repot into fresh mix. This keeps it vigorous and stops it becoming pot-bound.

Bloom & Flower Guide

Quick Details

  • Bloom Season: Potentially much of the year in ideal conditions, though flowering is uncommon indoors
  • Time to First Bloom: Only mature, thriving plants bloom; most houseplants are grown for foliage and rarely flower
  • Flower Appearance: Small purple flowers packed into a cone-like head with overlapping bracts, held on a short stem
  • Edibility: Grown as a foliage ornamental; the flowers are not eaten (the plant is non-toxic and pet-safe)

Detailed Blooming Overview

Calathea zebrina, the zebra plant, is treasured for its broad, velvety leaves striped in deep and pale green — flowering is rare on indoor plants and very much secondary to the foliage. When a mature, contented plant does bloom, it forms short, cone-like flower heads of overlapping bracts, a little like a small beehive, from which the small purple flowers emerge with their petals fused at the base.

Flower Characteristics

  • Small purple flowers emerging from a cone of overlapping bracts.
  • The petals merge at the base, and the head sits low on a short stem.
  • Understated beside the plant's bold, striped leaves.

Bloom Care & Thinning

  • Grown for leaves: Any flowering is a bonus — warmth, high humidity and even moisture keep the plant at its best.
  • Water quality: Use rainwater or filtered water, as this species resents hard or chlorinated water.
  • After flowering: Remove the spent flower head to keep the plant looking neat.