Plant Finds: Three new Calatheas

Last week I bid on some plants on eBay.  This was kind of a first for me and I am very satisfied with the quality of the plants and the speed in which I received them.  The auctions ended on Sunday and the plants arrived on my doorstep on Tuesday at lunchtime!

My three new Calatheas. Clockwise from top left: Calathea roseopicta 'Mia', Calathea lancifolia, Calathea makoyana.

The three plants I bought are all from the Calathea genus (commonly called Peacock plants), from the Marantaceae family (commonly called the Prayer Plants).  Since I am running low on pots, I potted the largest two species together in one medium sized pot.  I think they look pretty neat together and will look even better as they each fill out.

Calathea roseopicta 'Mia' and Calathea lancifolia jointly potted

Calathea lancifolia had been on my "to acquire" list for quite a while and I am really glad that I bought such a nice looking specimen.  It seems very healthy and happy.  The plant which was sold as Calathea 'Mia' looks to me like a variation of the species C. roseopicta.  I have another color variation of roseopicta, which is called 'Saturn' and has the opposite coloring on top of the leaf.  Saturn has light green center and a dark green band around the edge.

The smallest little critter I planted separately in this little pot I found in the garage.  Apparently I painted it for my wife a while back.  It says "Happy Birthday" and is a little bit too much color (in my opinion) for this plant.  I would prefer a simple pot, not to overshadow the colorful foliage of this little plant.  Anyway, that's where he will stay for now.  Maybe this summer I will move some things around and he will get a new pot.

Calathea makoyana potted

My collection of plants from the Marantaceae family is growing!  I now have plants from a total of 10 species - 4 Calathea, 3 Ctenanthe, 2 Maranta, and 1 Stromanthe species.  I moved pots around in the house this morning (it's still too cold to let them get some fresh air outdoors) and decided to move all of these plants to the bathroom counter, where most of them were already.  With the exception of my two large Ctenanthe species, all of Marantaceae plants are sitting together now.  I decided they should probably have a family portrait.

Marantaceae family portrait. Left to right: Calathea makoyana, Maranta leuconeura erythroneuro, Ctenenthe burle-marxii, Maranta leuconeura, Stromanthe sanguinea 'Triostar', Calathea roseopicta 'Mia', Calathea lancifolia, Calathea roseopicta 'Saturn'. [Not pictured: Ctenanthe lubbersiana 'Brazilian Snow' and Ctenanthe setosa 'Grey Star'

If you missed my other posts concerning Marantaceaes, you can see them here:

• Ctenanthe from Australia


• Plant Find: Calathea, Marantas and Stromanthe


• Trip Report: TLC Florist and Greenhouses


• Trip Report: Myriad Gardens continued