Rattle Shaker
4.5 out of 5 (21 experiences)
Large, lush leaves
Browns easily
Also known as
Rattlesnake Plant, Rattlesnake Ginger, yellow rattle shaker and Calathea Lutea
Taxonomy
Calathea crotalifera
Calathea
Marantaceae
Zingiberales
How to care for Rattle Shaker
Water
How often to water your Rattle Shaker
every 9
Rattle Shaker 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
Light
Check the growing potential in your area
A plant's growing potential is determined from its location, the time of year, and current local weather.
Select a city to check sunlight intensity
Finding light for Rattle Shaker in your home
a window
Rattle Shaker 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 Rattle Shaker in your home 🏡.
Nutrients
How to fertilize Rattle Shaker
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 Rattle Shaker after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
FAQs
Rattle Shaker can be challenging to care for, according to some plant parents. Check out the reviews down below to learn from their experiences!
Water Needs
Rattle Shaker 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.
Sunlight Needs
Rattle Shaker 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 🏡.
Soil
Rattle Shaker does best in well-draining soil. A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!
Fertilizer
Rattle Shaker is a fast growing plant and may deplete the nutrients in its soil over time. Replenish them with a gentle organic fertilizer or compost every 1-2 months depending on your location and season. Fertilize more often during the growing season and in warmer and brighter climates.
Growth Pattern
Rattle Shaker is a clumping plant, meaning new growth will emerge from the soil around the parent plant.
Growing Outdoors
USDA Hardiness Zone
Rattle Shaker can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 11a-12b. Find your local hardiness zone here.
Propagation
Rattle Shaker 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
Care Summary for Rattle Shaker
Rattle Shaker
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
Large, lush leaves 11
Browns easily 10
Fast grower 9
Survivor 6
Pet friendly 5
Blooms easily 1
06/06/2021
This plant doesn’t need a ton of light to thrive, I keep it about 3 ft from a north facing window and it’s regularly making mew leaves. It loved humidity between 50-60%. I water it with distilled water about once a week.
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
06/02/2021
Beautiful, eye catching plant! It grows fast and adds such a cool vibe to the room.
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
Survivor
05/14/2021
Such a fussy plant IMO.
Browns easily
05/11/2021
we love this plant! it’s super fun to watch it move through out the day, and is a survivor. we always kill plants and this one is 6 months strong
Survivor
Pet friendly
05/06/2021
NEEDS LOTS OF LOVE AND HUMIDITY NO COLD FOR HER
Blooms easily
Fast grower
Survivor
Browns easily
05/01/2021
I absolutely adore my rattlesnake plant, the leaves are stunning and won’t brown as much if well cared for! I take mine in the bathroom with me when I shower so it can spend some time in the humidity. Make sure you water it with filtered water- hard tap water can make them kind of moody.
Personally, I keep mine out of direct sunlight and just pretty close to a window, and it maintains its pattern well. It grows quicker than I expected, but not too fast!! My absolute favorite.
Pet friendly
Browns easily
Large, lush leaves
04/25/2021
I love how it reacts to the light
Browns easily
Large, lush leaves
02/15/2021
Theyre brats to take care of, they need no drafts, purified water, n water pretty often. theyre beautiful but a pain in the ass
Browns easily
