What kind of plant is this? Calathea
This plant came from a florist. The instructions stated that it was a green plant but did not specify an actual name. Could you please help me identify it as I am having difficulties taking good enough care of it. I feel as if it is barely hanging on. Thanks.
Hi,
Your plant is a type of Calathea ornata. This is not an easy plant to care for. A Calathea plant requires bright indirect light but no direct sun. Direct sun burns the leaves of most houseplants and causes their vibrant colors to fade. The leaves of Calathea are easily damaged by the quality of the water you use. Hard water or soft water, water with a high chemical content (fluorine, chlorine, or salt), or water of poor quality causes leaf burn on a Calathea Plant. Water a Calathea with distilled water, rain water, or allow your tap water to sit out over night before using it. Calathea plants like moist but not soggy soil at all times, but never let it sit in water. Allow the top 2-3” of the soil in the pot to dry out before watering. Calathea plants need high humidity. When the air is too dry, they gets brown leaf edges. Increase the humidity by placing the plant on a tray of wet pebbles (be sure the container is on the pebbles and not in the water), setting a humidifier near-by, or by grouping plants together to create a greenhouse effect.
You can read all my care tips on how to grow calathea plants in the Popular Houseplant section of the website. The picture is of a slightly different variety but the care is the same.
https://www.houseplant411.com/houseplant/calathea-plant-how-to-grow-care