Juno

Calathea Zebrina

Zebra Plant

• 
  Most light conditions
• 
  Easy care

• Calathea Zebrina likes...
  • 
    Light watering

    Check her weekly and water her when the top two inches of her soil are dry. Don’t be tempted to overdo it.

  • 
    Medium light

    She’s fine in light shade but loves bright, indirect light. She doesn’t like direct sun. It’s too harsh on her leaves.

  • 
    Humidity

    She’s a tropical type and likes plenty of moisture in the air. She’ll adore a steamy bathroom or regular misting.

• Quick facts

  Botanical name

  Calathea zebrina

  Nickname

  Zebra plant

  Plant type

  Evergreen perennial, indoor

  Air purifying

  Yes 

  Plant height (including pot)

  70-80cm

  Pet/baby safe

  Yes

  Nursery pot size

  19cm

• About calathea zebrina

  For more care advice about Juno, check out our complete guide to calathea care.

  This beauty is native to Brazil, where you’ll find it growing in the shade of big trees in tropical rainforests. Its broad striped leaves can grow as long as 45cm in its natural habitat. They curl up at night, then unfurl in the morning to catch all the rays they can. 

  If you think about where it’s from, it’s easy to remember how to keep it happy. It’s used to living in dappled light, so it doesn’t like direct sun. And it needs lots of rainforest-like moisture. That will mean it needs either a humid room or misting every few days. It will also benefit from a feed with liquid fertiliser once per month in spring and summer. Meet those demands and it’s a really striking houseplant.

  Did you know?

  The name calathea zebrina roughly translates as ‘zebra-striped basket’, which makes sense if you look at its leaves.