Rattlesnake Plant

Calathea lancifolia

Rattlesnake Plant is a tropical evergreen perennial with attractive foliage marked with elliptic blotches, ruby undersides, and distinct waxy margins that is commonly used as a houseplant.  Rarely blooms indoors.  Grows best with good indirect sun, high humidity, and consistently moist well-drained soils.

MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low Maintenance.  Keep the soil lightly moist, but in winter water when the first inch of topsoil is dry to the touch.  Fertilize once a month during the growing season.  If the leaves are turning yellow, its getting too much water, but if the leaves are curling unattractively then the soil is too dry. If the stems are turning limp there is too much water in cold weather, or its roots are sitting in standing water- this can be fatal if not fixed quickly.  If the leaf tips are turning brown, it needs more humidity. 

IMAGES: Serenity, Batik leaves1, CC BY-SA 3.0, (2) Bastique, Calathea lancifolia, CC BY-SA 3.0, (3) anonymous, Calathea lancifolia - rattlesnake plant - from-DC1, CC BY-SA 3.0, (4) cultivar413, 190615 283 Corona del Mar, Sherman Gardens - Calathea lancifolia Rattlesnake Plant, Calathea roseopicta Rose-painted Calathea, Chlorophytum amaniense 'Fire Flash'

*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.