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Calathea warscewiczii(ka - LAY - thee - uh vark - zeh - wik - ZEE - eye ) has been through quite the identicalness crisis compare to other popular houseplants .
Going by the common name Calathea jungle velvet ( or just jungle velvet ) , the plant has had multiple scientific names , including Maranta warscewiczii and Phrynium warscewiczii .
It was late officially renamedGoeppertia warszewiczii , although this new name still has n’t fully caught on .
It shares the common name of prayer flora with otherCalatheavarietiesand is a member of theMarantaceaefamily .
Other vulgar figure let in :
hobo camp velvet is a native of Central and South America ( more specifically , the rainforests of Costa Rica and Nicaragua ) , so it can be foxy to grow , despite being low - maintenance in general .
This is due primarily to the perennial evergreen ’s tropic descent , which give it high heating and humidity demand than the fair home furnish .
The plant is prized for its velvety fishtail - patterned leave of absence and conical , color - change inflorescences .
Calathea Warscewiczii Care
Size & Growth
Under the good conditions , velvet touch will rise to a maximal stature and width ranging from 20 ” to 40″ in .
Each lancelike leaf ’s underside are maroon - purpleness , while the gloomy immature tops have a fishtail pattern of mid to light green .
These leaves move via nyctinasty , responding to both temperature and brightness level in a way that gives the impression of a praying name .
Flowering and Fragrance
While not the primary reason for own a Calathea velvet , the inflorescence is quite striking .
The bract , which go forth in a spiral formula along the cone , begin as a creamy white before turning yellow and eventually gaining a pink hue .
The cones resemble rose when viewed from above due to the way the bract fold up over the sharpness .
It can take very careful care to get the works to bloom indoors , but it is deserving the effort , as a well - tended plant will continue to bring on novel 3 to 4 - hebdomad blooms throughout late wintertime and early spring .
Light & Temperature
The farewell ofWarscewicziiare thin and prostrate to tan when uncover to direct sun .
Ideally , a velvet Calathea will get medium to bright indirect light .
NOTE : It can be normal for the leaves of Calathea to droop at certain times of Clarence Day , depending on the plant point itself for the just lighting .
You should only attempt to grow this plant outdoors in USDA hardiness zone 11 .
This should be merge with a humidness level of 50 % percent or higher to maintain healthy foliage .
Too piddling humidity , especially in brighter light , can cause the leaves to turn Brown University .
In the event you may not keep the plant in equal humidity levels , you should sit the pot on a pebble tray filled and water , as frequent misting can only do so much .
Watering and Feeding
maintain a Calathea warscewiczii properly water can get tricky because it has dissimilar requisite based on season and temperature .
You should only usedistilled waterat elbow room temperature onCalathea plants , as it ’s highly sensible to the chemical in tap water .
Make certain the soil remains damp but does n’t get waterlogged , adding water as necessary .
A good rule of thumb is to water when the top half - in of soil ( or one inch if the plant is enjoying higher humidity stage ) is ironic during the warmer months and top two inches in the wintertime .
There ’s always water in the dawn , so there ’s no moisture on the plant by nightfall to help forbid fungal infections .
Having a pot with good drainage hole and flushing the soil every three month will also help ensure there ’s no buildup of toxins in the soil .
Soil & Transplanting
Calathea velvet needs a moist , well - draining stain mix .
An idealistic homemade intermixture should lie in of two parts peat or coco palm coir and one part perlite .
you’re able to feed the industrial plant a dose of any organic , balanced fertiliser load to ¼ or ½ strength once per month , but you should verify to crimson the potting mix every few months , so there ’s no residual buildup from the fertilizer .
If there ’s one thing that velvet Calathea hat , it ’s having its roots handle .
As a result , you should only repot this plant when it becomes root - bond .
Choose a container one size larger , gently removing it from the old potbelly in spring .
Handle the tooth root as mildly as possible , and avoid tamping down the new soil , as this can damage the root organisation .
The first lachrymation will avail settle the new soil , and it ’s best to take up slow on the waterings , so you do n’t accidentally overwater .
Grooming And Maintenance
This Calathea flora will benefit from gentle pruning from time to time to remove yellow or discredited leaves .
Light pruning will also aid excite the growth of new leaves .
you could cut it back in the fall to help influence it , although it wo n’t do well if aggressively pruned .
Other Calathea Varieties To Collect and Grow
How To Propagate Calathea Velvet
There are a few good ways to propagate your velvet touch .
The safest but less guaranteed method of propagate is through stem cut .
You will need a 3 to 4″ in long cutting containing three or four parting .
localise this cutting off in an equal intermixture of peat and sand , water light and covering in credit card to ensure the cutting wo n’t dry out .
Since the cut has no root leaf node , it can take a while for roots to come along , but keep it moist and in promising , collateral lighter should leave small roots to take form .
cautiously pot the plant once a small base organization has formed and switch to your normal precaution turn .
Division , while popular , can be wild due toCalathea ’s sensitivityto have its ascendent handle .
The good clip for variance is when the plant becomes root - bound , dividing it in spring as part of the repotting summons .
Gently tease the roots into sections containing at least one leaf .
Place each fresh section in its own container using the same soil mix as with the parent plant .
Water the plantlet and cover them in plastic to keep the humidity in , set the jackpot in indirect brilliant light .
Make certain the plant is regularly misted , stay warm , and has adequately moist soil until you begin to see new growth ( usually after a few weeks ) .
At this point , the charge card can be removed , and you may begin deal for the works normally .
Calathea Warscewiczii Pests or Diseases
Several diseases are love to impress thisprayer plant , usually as a result of overwatering .
These diseases include : cucumber mosaic virus , fusarium , and folio post .
A fistful of pesterer can also affect your Calathea , such as mealybugs , mites , and scale .
It is highly susceptible to spider mite when the idealistic temperature and humidity is n’t present .
This plant life is non - toxic to humans , cats , and dogs .
Suggested Jungle Velvet Uses
Due to its gamey heat and humidity needs , this plant is easily reserved for terrariums or greenhouses where the proper levels are more well maintained .
The plant does well in a tropical - themed garden .
Indoors , it ’s pop in way that have multiple short sources , as the leave will slow reorient themselves towards the combat-ready abstemious rootage over several hours , allowing occupants to bask the variance in its leaves .
