Plant Care Rattle Shaker

Rattle Shaker

4.5 out of 5 (23 experiences)

Rattle Shaker has a Large, lush leaves plant personality Large, lush leaves
Rattle Shaker has a Browns easily plant personality Browns easily

About Rattle Shaker

Rattle Shaker is a super popular houseplant 🌿 that is a fun challenge to grow and needs regular watering to thrive. They do best in abundant sunlight ☀ and should be less than 3 feet from a window.

Plant parents describe this plant as having large, lush leaves and browning easily with a whopping 3126 being grown with Greg around the world. Check out the reviews below for more details!🌟

Rattle Shaker likes soil that is good at retaining moisture. Your plant shouldn't need added fertilizers if you repot each time it doubles in size.

Taxonomy

Calathea crotalifera
Calathea
Marantaceae
Zingiberales

Also known as

Rattlesnake Plant, Rattlesnake Ginger and Yellow Rattle Shaker

How to care for Rattle Shaker

💦 Water

How often to water your Rattle Shaker

Water needs for Rattle Shaker
0.5 cups
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.

Calculate water needs of Rattle Shaker

Water 0.5 cups every
9

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

Select the pot size

5"
☀️ Light

Finding light for Rattle Shaker in your home

Light needs and placement for plant Rattle Shaker: 3ft from a window
3ft or less from
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

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Rattle Shaker: 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 Rattle Shaker after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

Browse #Calathea
💡 FAQs
⭐ Difficulty Level

Rattle Shaker 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 Rattle Shaker →

Common Rattle Shaker Problems →


💦 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.

Rattle Shaker Water Frequency →

Rattle Shaker Root Rot →


☀️ 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 🏡.

Rattle Shaker Light Requirements →

Rattle Shaker Direct Sunlight Needs & Tolerance →


🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Rattle Shaker 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.

Rattle Shaker Toxicity to Cats →

Rattle Shaker Toxicity to Dogs →

Rattle Shaker Toxicity to Humans →


💨 Humidity

Rattle Shaker 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.

Rattle Shaker Humidity Needs →


🪴 Soil

Rattle Shaker 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 Rattle Shaker →

When and How to Successfully Repot Rattle Shaker →


💩 Fertilizer

Rattle Shaker 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 Rattle Shaker →


🌎 Native Region

Rattle Shaker is native to Tropical Americas.


🌸 Flowers

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

Rattle Shaker Flowers →


⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

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

How and When to Prune Rattle Shaker →


🌦️ Growing Outdoors

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

Rattle Shaker Temperature Tolerance →


🌱 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

How to Propagate Rattle Shaker →


🍂 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 Rattle Shaker, 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 Rattle Shaker

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

Rattle Shaker has a Large, lush leaves plant personality Large, lush leaves 12
Rattle Shaker has a Browns easily plant personality Browns easily 9
Rattle Shaker has a Fast grower plant personality Fast grower 8
Rattle Shaker has a Survivor plant personality Survivor 7
Rattle Shaker has a Easy to propagate plant personality Easy to propagate 1
Rattle Shaker has a Blooms easily plant personality Blooms easily 1
@evieess avatar
@@evieess
leaf-1 3 Plants
xp 133 XP
globe Durham, England
02/19/2022

the leaves close at night and droop at say and its normal so dont worry!

Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
@Megan avatar
@@Megan
leaf-1 29 Plants
xp 14,740 XP
globe Washington, DC
11/24/2021

Definitely the easiest calathea. Like the rest of the marantaceae family, the leaves fold up at night - which is SUPER cool to see.
Doesn’t like to dry out.

Survivor Survivor
@treehuggin_jess avatar
@@treehuggin_jess
leaf-1 28 Plants
xp 7,623 XP
globe Norfolk, VA
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 Fast grower
Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Jacinta avatar
@Jacinta
leaf-1 11 Plants
xp 563 XP
globe Hampton, VA
06/02/2021

Beautiful, eye catching plant! It grows fast and adds such a cool vibe to the room.

Fast grower Fast grower
Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Survivor Survivor
@Tastydonuts avatar
@@Tastydonuts
leaf-1 18 Plants
xp 1,694 XP
globe Johnson City, TN
05/14/2021

Such a fussy plant IMO.

Browns easily Browns easily
@cailyn avatar
@@cailyn
leaf-1 3 Plants
xp 42 XP
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 Survivor
@Angelhe18 avatar
@@Angelhe18
leaf-1 6 Plants
xp 56 XP
globe Moreno Valley, CA
05/06/2021

NEEDS LOTS OF LOVE AND HUMIDITY NO COLD FOR HER

Blooms easily Blooms easily
Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor
Browns easily Browns easily
@baileyrae avatar
@@baileyrae
leaf-1 2 Plants
xp 47 XP
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.

Browns easily Browns easily
Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
@elsabetts avatar
@@elsabetts
leaf-1 9 Plants
xp 1,122 XP
04/25/2021

I love how it reacts to the light

Browns easily Browns easily
Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
@Nerskine avatar
@@Nerskine
leaf-1 16 Plants
xp 3,411 XP
04/09/2021

I love him so much, but he sure does play hard to get. He’s picky and finicky and whiny when he doesn’t get his way, but damn- he sure is pretty when he’s happy! I love the challenge :)

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
@jxkie avatar
@@jxkie
leaf-1 4 Plants
xp 97 XP
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 Browns easily

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