Calathea Warscewiczii

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

This calathea is sometimes known as Jungle Velvet, because its leaves have a soft, velvety feel. It’s a pretty luxurious plant all round, with a dramatic green pattern on the top of its leaves and a deep purple colour on the underside. Choose this plant if you live for drama. 

This plant is part of the calathea family. They mostly come from Brazil, where you’ll find them growing in the shade of big trees in tropical rainforests. They’re often known as prayer plants, because their  leaves curl up at night, like praying hands, then unfurl in the morning to catch all the rays they can. 

It will be happiest if you try to mimic those jungle conditions at home. Put it in a spot with bright light, but not direct sun; water it regularly, so its soil stays lightly moist; and give it a regular mist to keep the air humid and prevent crispy leaf edges. It will also benefit from a feed with liquid fertiliser once per month in spring and summer. Meet those demands and it should be happy as can be.

Did you know?

In the wild this plant can grow up to a metre tall.