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Zebra Calathea

3.2 out of 5 (29 experiences)

Browns easily

Large, lush leaves

About Zebra Calathea

This houseplant with showy leaves is an indoor herbaceous perennial to 3' 3", fountain-like and spreading. It's generally intolerant of low humidity, wet soil, dry soil, low or inconstant temperatures, cold drafts, direct sun, low light and direct sun.

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Goeppertia zebrina

Genus

Goeppertia

Family

Marantaceae

Order

Zingiberales

Also known as

Calathea zebrina

How to care for Zebra Calathea

💦 Water

How often to water your Zebra Calathea

Zebra Calathea needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Water 0.5 cups every
9

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

No Yes

Select the pot size

☀️ Light

Finding light for Zebra Calathea in your home

Zebra Calathea may have difficulty thriving, and will drop leaves 🍃, without ample sunlight.

Place it less than 3 feet from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Zebra Calathea in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize Zebra Calathea

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Zebra Calathea: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Zebra Calathea after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

Browse #ZebraCalathea

💡 FAQs

⭐ Difficulty Level

Zebra Calathea can be challenging to care for, according to some plant parents. Check out the reviews down below to learn from their experiences!

Benefits of Growing Zebra Calathea →

Common Zebra Calathea Problems →

💦 Water Needs

Zebra Calathea prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Zebra Calathea Water Frequency →

Zebra Calathea Root Rot →

☀️ Sunlight Needs

Zebra Calathea may have difficulty thriving and will drop leaves 🍃 without ample sunlight. Place it less than 3 feet from a window to maximize the potential for growth. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

Zebra Calathea Light Requirements →

Zebra Calathea Direct Sunlight Needs & Tolerance →

🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Zebra Calathea is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.

💨 Humidity

Zebra Calathea prefers dry environments. Providing extra humidity or misting your plant allows water to linger on leaves, which can create the perfect environment for harmful types of fungi.

Zebra Calathea Humidity Needs →

🪴 Soil

Zebra Calathea is very sensitive to dry soil, so choose a potting soil that retains moisture. A good soil will still drain well and contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir or sphagnum moss.

Best Soil Mix for Zebra Calathea →

When and How to Successfully Repot Zebra Calathea →

💩 Fertilizer

Zebra Calathea should be repotted after it doubles in size or once a year, whichever comes first. Fresh potting soil has all the nutrients your plant needs, so as long as it’s refreshed yearly, you shouldn’t need to use fertilizer. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!

How Much and When to Fertilize Zebra Calathea →

🌎 Native Region

Zebra Calathea is native to Tropical Americas.

🌸 Flowers

Yes, you may see your Zebra Calathea bloom with the right amount of sunlight and water.

Zebra Calathea Flowers →

⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

Zebra Calathea is a clumping plant, meaning new growth will emerge from the soil around the parent plant.

How and When to Prune Zebra Calathea →

🌦️ Growing Outdoors

USDA Hardiness Zone
Zebra Calathea can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 10a-12b. Find your local hardiness zone here.

Zebra Calathea Temperature Tolerance →

🌱 Propagation

Zebra Calathea can be propagated by division into new individual plants.

Check to see if there is more than one plant. In some cases they may still be beneath the soil surface. If you feel confident, you may remove the soil to check for baby plantlets below!
If there are multiple plants growing, unpot the plant and gently tug the plants apart, being careful not to disturb too many of the roots. They may be connected by large root segments which you may need to break to free the plantlet.
Pot up the new plant in well-draining soil
Repot the parent plant back into its original pot

How to Propagate Zebra Calathea →

🍂 Yellow Leaves

Yellow leaves aren’t always a reason to panic, and can be a normal part of a plant’s life cycle. Unless brand new leaves are turning yellow or all the leaves change color at once, it’s likely just your plant shedding old leaves.

Overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause of problems in Zebra Calathea, since they are sensitive to wet soil. The leaves may also appear to be curling or drooping. Less often, yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, or pests.

Replace soggy soil with fresh, dry soil and download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!

🧐 Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.

Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.

Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.

Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.

Care Summary for Zebra Calathea

Zebra Calathea

Greg recommends:

Water

0.5 cups every 9 days

Placement

< 3ft from a window

Nutrients

Repot after 2x growth

Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say

Browns easily 18

Large, lush leaves 10

Fast grower 5

Pest magnet 4

Survivor 3

@@MkayBuds

9 Plants

260 XP

12/21/2021

This is a temperamental plant, as all calatheas are. But it gives me the most problems. On a positive note I get new leaves maybe once every 2 weeks or so, however… I can not keep her happy. No amount of humidity, watering (or lack there of) sunlight (direct or indirect) keeps my leaves from yellowing, browning and or dying. The plant itself is beautiful and exotic looking but it is a challenge

Browns easily

Zebra Calathea plant photo by @MkayBuds named Zeah on Greg, the plant care app.

@@BJoyce

57 Plants

10,343 XP

Orlando, FL

11/29/2021

Needs humidity - no tap water

Large, lush leaves

Zebra Calathea plant photo by @BJoyce named Cindy on Greg, the plant care app.

@@Megan

29 Plants

14,740 XP

Washington, DC

11/24/2021

Love this plant. Easy to tell when it needs water - the leaves start curling up.

Large, lush leaves

Zebra Calathea plant photo by @Megan named Your plant on Greg, the plant care app.

@Amber

4 Plants

56 XP

Glen Gardner, NJ

11/16/2021

Grows best when you wipe down the leaves with a cloth every time you water, it is perfect for me because it’s pet friendly!

Large, lush leaves

Zebra Calathea plant photo by Amber named Sage on Greg, the plant care app.

@@Uknowsomethingidont

9 Plants

151 XP

08/14/2021

Temperamental but i love it, bring it in the shower with me every few days and to help give it the humidity it’d usually get. Found that a warm vaporiser a few feet away has done wonders at keeping it both warm and humid enough

Zebra Calathea plant photo by @Uknowsomethingidont named Marty on Greg, the plant care app.

@@Mummyplantmum

79 Plants

3,238 XP

Oxfordshire, England

07/13/2021

Love this plant! It’s such a statement plant and so easy to care for!

Large, lush leaves

Zebra Calathea plant photo by @Mummyplantmum named Zabrina on Greg, the plant care app.

@@catlopera

0 Plants

4,001 XP

06/30/2021

She's so fussy!! Leaves brown super easily and even though I do everything to keep humidity up, her leaves always have yellow spots or brown tips. Agh!

Zebra Calathea plant photo by @catlopera named Mollie on Greg, the plant care app.

@@Tessmentis

19 Plants

234 XP

Forestville, New South Wales

06/26/2021

While it’s beautiful, this plant is a PEST MAGNET, like most calatheas it finds a way to attract all types of bugs all the time. I’ve had to repot her three times due to caterpillars in her soil, and I’ve had to soap spray her a few times. Honestly she’s a pain, just stick with monsteras

Pest magnet

Browns easily

Zebra Calathea plant photo by @Tessmentis named Luna ✨ on Greg, the plant care app.

@Alexa

0 Plants

72 XP

Surrey, British Columbia

06/14/2021

I find this plant to be picky, i always think its getting what it needs but the leaves die easily and turn brown around the edges

Survivor

Browns easily

Zebra Calathea plant photo by Alexa named Steve on Greg, the plant care app.

@Jess

2 Plants

34 XP

Porirua, Wellington

06/08/2021

Can get droopy throughout the day then perks back up overnight

Fast grower

Browns easily

Large, lush leaves

Zebra Calathea plant photo by Jess named Michael Douglas on Greg, the plant care app.

@@7smithcc

5 Plants

88 XP

Portage, MI

06/02/2021

she's a lil spicyyyy. doesn't like to be watered a lot but rather wants to be misted everyday and the humidifier HAS to be on at all times or else she'll curl up. 😩

Browns easily

Pest magnet

Zebra Calathea plant photo by @7smithcc named Foxxy on Greg, the plant care app.

@@brooke

7 Plants

2,346 XP

Denton, TX

05/29/2021

Maybe I just haven’t had much luck with this plant, but I can’t seem to keep it from getting crispy. I’ve used a pretty regular watering system + using only distilled water + placed the plant right next to a humidifier.. no luck. :(

Browns easily

Pest magnet

Zebra Calathea plant photo by @brooke named Sofia on Greg, the plant care app.

@@jessjc_

18 Plants

534 XP

San Diego, CA

05/17/2021

i have had it in an area of 50%+ humidity with medium/bright indirect light. i have a setosa and treat them both the same and my setosa is thriving but this zebrina is stagnant and crisping. i started to cut back on watering so hopefully i can rehab my mistakes. things i’ve learned with this plant:
- only water with room temp, distilled water
- careful on the fertilizer, may be prone to burn
- water when almost dry (prone to root rot. calatheas need constant ‘wet’ soil, never soggy)
- KEEP HUMIDITY UP or leaves WILL curl (literally starting curling at 40% humidity once, a real drama queen)

Browns easily

Zebra Calathea plant photo by @jessjc_ named pain in the ass on Greg, the plant care app.

@@riversong

36 Plants

1,278 XP

05/17/2021

Gorgeous foliage patterning but delicate; very sensitive to low humidity. Due to the leaves being prone to browning due to lack of humidity, you have to watch close for pests as browning caused by pests can easily be missed.

Browns easily