Calathea

(Prayer plant) Orbifolia

Big, round leaves striped in silver and soft green: that's what you notice first, and it's hard to look away. Each leaf is smooth, slightly glossy and almost as wide as a dinner plate. Picture it in a bright corner of your living room, filling the space with calm, sculptural greenery. In the rainforests of Bolivia it grows in the shade of taller trees, and like all prayer plants its leaves rise and fold a little towards evening. Give this green friend a bit of humidity and it'll reward you with fresh leaves that unroll bigger than the last, a gentle show you'll want to catch.

Give it bright, indirect light, ideally a little back from the window, because direct sun fades those silver stripes and can scorch the leaves. Water about once a week, as soon as the top 2 to 3 centimetres of soil feel dry, and use lukewarm rainwater or filtered water if you can, since hard tap water gives Calathea brown leaf edges. It loves humidity, so a humidifier or a bathroom with a window works wonders, and it's happiest between 18 and 26 °C, away from draughts. Choose an airy, well-draining potting mix and repot roughly every two years in spring, when roots peek out of the pot. Feed with half-strength plant food every four weeks in spring and summer, then let it rest in winter. Curling leaves usually mean thirst or dry air, so there's no need to worry, it's simply telling you what it needs. Good news for pet owners too: it's safe for cats and dogs.

Your order will be hand picked and packed in our strong and sustainable packaging as soon as possible, after which it will be delivered straight from our greenhouse to your door by your chosen carrier. You can follow the journey of your plants via the tracking link you receive in your mail. If you have any questions regarding your order and its shipment, you can get in contact with our support team.

We expect every order to arrive in tip-top shape. We take intensive care of the plants in our greenhouse and use special and as sustainable as possible protective packaging to ship our plants. We also wrote an extensive blog about how to unpack and prepare your plants for growth after shipping. However there are rare occasions where our plants don’t meet their full potential. That’s why all plants are guaranteed for 30 days after arrival, if still in its original nursery pot.