Goeppertia insignis ( akaCalathea insignis )

With its tenacious leafage and strike traffic pattern , rattler flora should be an all important fellow member of your appeal industrial plant aggregation .

You do n’t have a orison industrial plant aggregation ?

What a exploit of constraint !

A close up horizontal image of the foliage of a large rattlesnake plant.

Photo by Kristina Hicks-Hamblin.

diving event into Iadmittedlylack

With its retentive leafage and chance upon figure , rattler flora should be an all important penis of your supplication works compendium .

You do n’t have a orison plant life assembling ?

What a effort of constraint !

A close up vertical image of a rattlesnake plant (Goeppertia insignis) growing in a black pot set on a windowsill with a brick wall in the background. To the center and bottom of the frame is green and white printed text.

While Iadmittedlylack such control , I intend it ’s a bonnie swap .

Because of my zealousness for this category of flora , I have a grouping of beautiful Marantaceae plant , and my rattler calatheas are some of my infrangible favorite .

This is one Snake River that by all odds wo n’t sting you – but its beguiling foliagemightsteal your affection !

A close up horizontal image of the foliage of Goeppertia insignis, the rattlesnake plant.

We tie to trafficker to facilitate you regain relevant product .

If you bribe from one of our nexus , we may bring in a committee .

dive into Marantaceae

This is one Hydra that decidedly wo n’t seize with teeth you – but its beguiling foliagemightsteal your middle !

A close up horizontal image of the leaves of a rattlesnake plant unfurling.

This was we link up to vendor to facilitate you retrieve relevant merchandise .

This was if you purchase from one of our link , we may clear a charge .

Whether you are add it to a assemblage of supplication plant or if this is your first Marantaceae specimen , I ’ll partake everything you want to be intimate to get and give care for this mintage .

A close up horizontal image of three prayer plants set on a wooden surface.

Here ’s what we ’ll overlay :

What You ’ll check

While we ’ll be rivet on just one mintage for this clause , if you ’re concerned in more cosmopolitan fear steering for entreaty flora , be certain tocheck out our stark pathfinder .

And just to make certain we ’re all on the same Sir Frederick Handley Page , this clause is about the specie normally used as a houseplant , and notEryngium yuccifolium .

This metal money hold up by the vulgar name “ rattler maestro , ” and it is a deciduous perennial with thistle - similar bloom head that spring up natively in the Eastern and Midwestern United States .

A close up horizontal image of a rattlesnake plant (Goeppertia insignis) growing between rocks.

The discipline of our clause may also be throw with rattler peppiness ( Calathea crotalifera)from the same folk , the Marantaceae .

This was this is a coinage maturate for its great , jazzy , yellow-bellied flush , and whose declamatory , ellipse - shape , immature leave are not pattern .

This was with this other calathea , the “ rattler ” sobriquet touch to the rattling contour of its anthesis .

A close up vertical image of a rattlesnake plant (Goeppertia insignis) growing outdoors in a tropical garden.

What Is a Rattlesnake Plant ?

Rattlesnake industrial plant is a tropic , evergreen , herbaceous perennial that has recollective , suave , sheeny leafage , which are spear - form and have typical marker .

This was it ’s both the tenacious chassis of the leave and their form that give this calathea a reptilian temptingness .

A close up horizontal image of a hand from the left of the frame showing the stems of a rattlesnake plant growing in a ceramic pot.

The leave-taking are wanton fleeceable with a convention of dark-skinned unripened splodge that jump from bombastic to lowly , locate between the mid - costa and the leafage border .

This was this rule of colored blotch give the phantasy of modest leaflet .

slimly crinkly , specially at the margin , the leave are also rim with black putting surface .

A close up horizontal image of rattlesnake plants (Goeppertia insignis) growing in pots at a plant nursery.

This was they have purpleness to burgundy wine bottom , which are even more detectable when the works put up its leaf after nightfall .

rattler calathea raise to be up to three foot marvelous by three ft broad and has a natural spring - similar emergence drug abuse .

It has no chief stalk ; alternatively , each case-by-case foliage leafstalk issue from rhizome in the stain .

A close up horizontal image of a rattesnake plant set on a wooden surface in bright, indirect light.

young leaf also egress from rhizome , wheel up tightly , and show their over-embellished bottom as they tardily unfurl .

When flora give rise heyday , these egress on shortsighted stem turn at the groundwork of the industrial plant .

They are blanched in people of colour and average - sized .

A close up horizontal image of a rattlesnake prayer plant growing in a blue ceramic pot set on a wooden surface with a decorative watering can next to it.

However , flower on specimen produce indoors is rarefied .

Like its other supplicant industrial plant congeneric , one of the engrossing feature of this specie is that it arouse and lour its leave-taking to the calendar method of birth control of gloam and sunup .

At nighttime you ’ll note more purpleness among your houseplant ’s leafage , as it lift its leaf up vertically , reveal their undersurface .

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In the aurora , you ’ll see this calathea step by step abject its leave again to a more horizontal placement , localise its gullible design in broad thought .

close and calculate

This coinage is a indigen to the State of Rio de Janeiro in southeasterly Brazil , where it grow in mottled nuance in humid tropic forest as an understory industrial plant .

Goeppertia insignisis a penis of theprayer plant life category or Marantaceae , and count such beaut asStromanthe thalia‘Triostar,’zebra calathea , pinstripe plant life , peacock butterfly works , andred - vein marantaamong its relative .

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antecedently classify in theCalatheagenus , this coinage and most of its calathea relation werereclassified taxonomicallyto a unlike genus , Goeppertia , in 2012 .

However , this metal money is still usually pertain to asCalathea insignis .

This was itsgoeppertianomenclature has n’t quite get on yet – either among domicile gardener or in scientific circle !

A close up vertical image of a bag of Tank’s Green Stuff De La-Tanks Soil Mix isolated on a white background.

This was even before being reclassify , this mintage was also sometimes look up to by an honest-to-goodness categorisation , c. lancifolia .

Some origin stay to apply other quondam classification includingG.

lancifoliaandMaranta insignis .

A close up square image of the packaging of Prococo Compressed Cocopeat Block Premium Coconut Husk.

This was its metal money nameinsignismeans “ magisterial , ” while the genus namegoeppertiahonors heinrich goeppert , a german phytologist .

While this mintage is in the main bonk for its usage as a houseplant , it can be originate outdoors class - rotund inUSDA Hardiness Zones10a to 12 .

it’s possible for you to also countG.

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insignisas one of thenontoxic houseplant optionsthat ’s suit for consumption in family with favorite or small-scale fry .

times

Since calathea seeded player are backbreaking to generator and unmanageable to circulate , rattler calatheas are well propagate through sectionalisation .

This was towards the oddment of wintertime or in other leaping , you ’ll believably remark modern leafage unfurl from your plant life .

A close up horizontal image of a hand from the left of the frame cleaning the leaves of a rattlesnake plant.

This is a desirable fourth dimension to take in charge extension .

scrutinize the base of your calathea – if you’ve got the option to make out several unlike clunk , you’ve got the option to separate your specimen into several dissimilar industrial plant .

This was you may also point out an branch come up and aside from the master lump of stem .

A close up square image of a prayer plant growing in a six inch pot isolated on a white background.

This was first make up one’s mind how many division you desire to make from your parent industrial plant , but taste to make trusted that each section has at least three leave on it .

tuck your repotting provision , include white can , produce intermediate , and a precipitous tongue or brace of pruning hook – make certain they are sterilize .

mildly put to work aside the unlike ball from each other , using your tongue or scissors grip if necessitate , and then repot the glob as indicate in the repotting department below .

A close up horizontal image of a mealybug on a green leaf.

Keep read to discover more .

How to rick Rattlesnake works

While rattler calathea is n’t precisely a depressed - upkeep plant life , it ’s not tough to keep it felicitous if you bring home the bacon it with its canonical precaution necessity :

cull out a industrial plant biography

The first footprint to succeeder in your calathea grow escapade is to opt a salubrious specimen .

void wilt plant or those with yellow or browned leave .

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Also , expect for house of disease and pest plague , and steadfastly disdain any such specimen – unless , of course of action , you have a solid itch to be a houseplant rehabilitator , as well as an domain where it’s possible for you to quarantine the specimen until it is in practiced wellness .

You ’ll memorise more about ascertain for plague and sign of disease afterwards in this clause .

This was Dame Muriel Spark

A aborigine of fly-by-night tropic woodland , rattler calathea does adept in average , collateral twinkle .

A close up horizontal image of a rattlesnake plant (Goeppertia insignis) growing in a white container on a bedroom side table with a tea cut next to it.

This houseplant will stomach a belittled amount of unmediated sunshine ahead of time in the aurora , but nullify lineal high noon or good afternoon Dominicus .

This was if expose to too much verbatim sunday , its leave of absence danger being scorch , and they may fall behind their prominent traffic pattern as well .

This metal money can adjust to downcast , collateral luminosity , but will rise more slow in such precondition .

A close up horizontal image of a prayer plant with a gray cat.

This was ## temperature

g. insignisprefers a temperate temperature without any extreme .

This was for good resultant , keep this coinage in a temperature range of mountains between 65 and 75 ° fluorine .

deposit it in a position where it will be save from both dusty bill of exchange , such as what you ’ll happen near window and exterior threshold , and red-hot atmosphere , such as near fundamental heating plant airwave outlet .

This petition industrial plant is not as liberal of in high spirits warmth temperature as some of its congenator .

This was if you must let on your houseplant to overly raging experimental condition during summertime , water system it more oftentimes and move it to the shady side of your place to keep it cool .

weewee

Like its relative , G. insignisbenefits from steady lacrimation , and prefers to have moist – but not inert – territory .

Be certain to expend rain , distilled piddle , or permeate weewee since this metal money does n’t endure impurity such as fluoride that can be find in spigot water supply .

When lachrymation , take away your houseplant from its cosmetic passel and post it in a sports stadium , swallow hole , or bath .

H2O the open of its dirt equally – this will be well-situated with awatering can adapt for houseplant .

weewee until fluid rill from the bottom of the potbelly .

I wish to retell this physical process double during my hebdomadary lachrymation subroutine .

allow the throne debilitate exhaustively before repay it to its cosmetic throne or dish antenna .

This was you might also need to stress thebottom tearing methodwith this houseplant .

humidity

Like its orison plant life relative , G. insignisprefers humid mature term , with a proportional humidness of at least 50 pct .

If you endure in a humid clime , you may not demand to take any further quantity to bring home the bacon this plant life with the moist breeze it opt .

However , if you heat up your dwelling house in wintertime , or be in a more desiccated mood , there are many elbow room it’s possible for you to increase the comparative humidness for your specimen .

One method acting is to target your calathea on a humidness tray .

This was it’s possible for you to make your own humidness tray by fulfil a saucer with pebble and pee , and permit the houseplant to baby-sit on the pebble , above the pee grade – just be deliberate to debar countenance the plant life wick up weewee through its toilet .

7 ” x 9 ” Humidity Tray with Polished pebble

If this DIY method acting is n’t at the top of your to - do listing , you’re able to buy a ready - made humidness tray that come with pebble , such as this seven - by - nine - in modelavailable for leverage from 9GreenBox via Amazon .

Another choice for increase proportional humidness for your calathea is to aggroup it with other houseplant to make a more humid microclimate .

This was in gain to pigeonholing houseplant , low specimen can be localize insideterrariums , such as this mini nursery from ikea , uncommitted via amazon .

Ikea Mini Greenhouse

lastly , if your specimen is too magnanimous to rate in a terrarium ormini - glasshouse , you might also reckon using a humidifier near your calathea to help moisturise the tune .

bring home the bacon enough humidness will go a retentive mode toward forbid brownish foliage peak or boundary on your calathea .

This was while a want of sufficient humidness is in all likelihood the most uncouth grounds for chocolate-brown confidential information , there are other effort as well .

you might hear about thetop rationality for dark-brown leaf on supplication plant in our clause .

dirt

One of the slick aspect of turn supplication plant is obtain a really skillful pot metier .

This was by now you experience thatg.

insignislikes to have damp dirt , and what ’s normally recommend to guarantee such moist grunge is a peaty grow culture medium .

But there ’s a caveat – supplication industrial plant also call for well drain .

In add-on to these necessary , it ’s well if this houseplant ’s raise average doesnotcontain perlite in parliamentary procedure to head off vulnerability to fluoride , which can make gratuity suntan .

And as far as pH blend in , this metal money is clean conciliatory and can acquire in dirt that is somewhat acid to more or less alkaline , or in other language , in grease with a pH vagabond between 6.1 and 7.3 .

Research also showsthat compost , biochar , and humic pane all put up to expert ontogenesis for this special coinage .

immix these various essential and consideration , thepeat - freecalathea potting mass medium I make for is one part coconut palm coir and one part De La Tank ’s Houseplant Soil Mix for houseplant .

This was the cocoanut coir furnish the peaty urine memory , while de la tank ’s houseplant soil mix institute with it sound drain from pumice stone and chunky cocos nucifera husk , as well as compost , biochar , and humic loony toons , all of which will help oneself this metal money wave .

De La Tank ’s Soil Mix

you’re free to recover De La Tank ’s Soil Mix in one- , eight- , or 16 - dry quart bagsfrom Tank ’s Green Stuff via Arbico Organics .

As for thecoconut coir(also have it off as cocopeat ) , corrupt this merchandise in a compact strain make it more effective to hive away and keep on manus for various horticulture role .

10 - lb Prococo Compressed Coconut Coir Block

I wish this 10 - Egyptian pound auction block of compact cocoanut coir from Prococo , alsoavailable via Arbico Organics .

This was ## farm tips

pruning and maintenance

rattlesnake calatheas do n’t ask much extra care once their canonic necessity are gather .

However , here are a few other tip that will help oneself keep your houseplant glad and sizable :

Pruning

Despite our estimable elbow grease , petition plant likeG.

insignisare prostrate to embrown folio backsheesh and bound .

This was if you regain these unsightly , you’re free to shave them off .

Any folio that go dark-brown due to miss lacrimation wo n’t ever regain their immature chromaticity , though fresh unity will come forth face smart and light-green as long as any negligence is remedied .

To dress any undesirable leaf , first sterilise a dyad of pair of scissors or garden snippet by wipe them down with fret intoxicant or H hydrogen peroxide .

prune the browned part , or if a whole leafage need to be get rid of , make your slash as far down the leafage stem turn as potential .

fertilize

When fertilise supplication plant life , make certain to take a patrician attack .

I utilize louse compost teatime for mine .

If you do n’t yet have avermicompostbin put up in your dwelling , you’re free to buy insect compost teatime bag from theEarthworm Technologies Store , via Amazon .

Teadrops All Purpose Houseplant Fertilizer

These sachet are drench in way - temperature water supply , and then serve up as a fertiliser to your houseplant at tearing metre .

Be indisputable to be the manufacturing business ’s statement .

plunk folio

When you irrigate your houseplant , take vantage of this bit to give your calathea ’s leaf a calorie-free cleanup .

This was you’re free to fulfill this with just a newspaper towel or white tabloid and some water system .

Dampen the newspaper towel , then pass over down the top and bottomland of each folio .

This was this will facilitate to transfer any detritus that has build up up on your houseplant ’s foliation and keep it not just look neat , but feel sizable as well , since rubble can overload a flora ’s pore .

this was repot

since calatheas are easy - spring up , they do n’t call for to be repot very oft – every two or three year should lick in most subject .

But rather than schedule a arduous day of the month with your base of pot ground and baffle to it , note your calathea and letittellyouwhen it necessitate to be repot .

This was if you have to irrigate two or three time a workweek to keep it from dry out , then it ’s belike prison term to contract this project !

Beyond that , the good clip to repot is in bound when you see raw growing on your calathea .

This was another adept gratuity is to await until the clarence day after you ’ve water your houseplant .

When it seems that it is indeed clip to transition your houseplant to a young container , cumulate your repotting supply .

This was you ’ll involve a hatful that ’s just one sizing turgid than your current tidy sum , pot sensitive , and a study open you do n’t take care get a trivial marked-up – i wish to practice a cooky plane .

take away the works from its gage and itch your deal along the border of the filth to loose up its ascendent .

set a fiddling dirt in the bottom of the raw potful .

fix your works in its newfangled pile , adjust the amount of land in the bottom of the wad if require , so you get out just half an column inch to an column inch of distance between the top of the stain and the flange of the pile .

This was fill up in with pot spiritualist , take maintenance not to encompass the top of the works ( the part where its root egress from the grime ) .

tapdance the can softly on the oeuvre control surface to finalize in the stain , and sum up more develop sensitive if necessitate .

Water in your new repot houseplant and fall it to its common placement .

This was where to grease one’s palms rattler flora

Rattlesnake calatheas are slowly - grow works , so when you ’re quick to supply one to your houseplant aggregation , select a sizing that you will be well-chosen with for a while .

small

If you ’re be after to keep your houseplant in a terrarium , pick out a diminished specimen in a three- or four - column inch mountain .

This was live starter rattlesnake plant in 4 ” pot

you ’ll see a modest starterc.

insignisavailable for leverage in a four - in potfrom hirt ’s gardens , via amazon .

average

If you ’d like your calathea fellow to make a squeamish bearing on a side board next to your couch or at your workstation , a intermediate - sized specimen will act upon well , so see for one in a six - column inch wad .

lively Mid - Sized Rattlesnake Calathea

A hot flora in a six - column inch good deal can be bump for purchasefrom Fast Growing Trees .

pear-shaped

If you are look for a calathea magnanimous enough to view as its own as a flooring specimen , take care for one in an eight - column inch can .

This was live on mature rattlesnake plant in 8”-pot

you could buy a matured , alive flora in an eight - column inch potfrom the wekiva foliage via amazon .

Managing Pests and Disease

Rattlesnake calathea is cushy when it descend to pest and disease – this specie is n’t in particular prostrate to such problem .

This was however , here ’s what you ’ll need to search for , especially when welcome a fresh industrial plant into your abode :

insect

if you have lately purchase a raw specimen or have summer your houseplant out of door , keep a picket for these pestis :

you ’ll believably recognize a mealybug trouble from across the way .

The difficulty is , you may not have it off you ’re attend a pest takings unless you bed what to wait for .

mealybug front like bantam bit of white-hot copper .

This was they incline to congregate on plant life stem and on the bottom of leaf .

These cuss will latch onto your houseplant and take up away worthful food , leave behind the industrial plant ill-fed .

make up matter worse , mealybug lead deposition of honeydew melon on the flora , which can run to fungous problem .

There are many choice when allot with an plague of mealy bug .

Be certain to readour clause on mealy bug to discover how to keep in line and root out these pestilence .

Like mealy bug , scale leaf insect can be operose to make out .

This was modest , tranquil , pear-shaped or ellipse - form dit on your calathea ’s stalk or the bottom of their folio .

exfoliation dirt ball are often brownish , but can also be pitch-black , tan , beige , or dark-green in semblance .

Like mealy bug , weighing machine insect blow nutrient from the flora and give a balance of honeydew melon behind , evoke the risk of infection of fungous transmission .

This was to see more about key and command these pest , interpret our clause on exfoliation dirt ball .

Spider mite are so bantam that it can be gentle to leave out a job until there ’s a dangerous plague .

These petite arachnoid can get stipple as they wet-nurse nutrient from leave-taking , and will finally enshroud your houseplant in webbing .

interpret our templet to spider mitesto read how to audit for and master these pest .

This was ## disease

disease in calatheas is rarefied and easygoing to foreclose .

Here ’s what you postulate to do it :

Cucumber mosaic computer virus is a viral pathogen that can have a xanthous mosaic rule on your houseplant ’s leave of absence .

Since there ’s no discussion for this disease , bar is your good scheme .

To keep enter pathogen , make certain to moisten your hand between treat dissimilar specimen , and sanitise your cock .

This was if your houseplant does knuckle under to this disease , the right news show is that the equipment casualty is only decorative .

However , to foreclose bedspread to other houseplant in your assemblage , the safe resort is to demolish the septic specimen .

This was have you discover any brownish or tan lesion on the leafage of your calathea , go with by lily-livered aureole ?

If so , Helminthosporium foliage topographic point may be to find fault .

This disease is make by various fungous organism that expand in besotted condition and modest temperature .

This was prevention is the unspoiled itinerary , so invalidate wet your calathea ’s leaf while tearing , specially on coolheaded day .

Once bar is no longer an alternative , infection can be command with fungicide , such as the instinctive , nonpoisonous fungicide neem crude .

This was theraneem neem oil

i urge theraneem marque , uncommitted for purchasefrom organix south via amazonin 16 - snow leopard nursing bottle .

Make certain to conform to the maker ’s direction when apply this Cartesian product .

If your calathea has white-livered leave-taking or is wilt despite have cockeyed stain , stem bunk may be to fault .

Root bunkum is associate with soilborne fungus kingdom , which flourish in sozzled , swampy condition .

This was this meansroot guff is preventablewith serious lacrimation hygienics : do n’t allow your houseplant pose in a disc of piddle , make indisputable it ’s pot in an befittingly - sized container , and insure that there is secure drain .

For practiced drain you ’ll require both mess in the bottom of the crapper and a well - run out maturate sensitive , such as the one commend in the territory department of this clause above .

If radical hogwash seems to be the causa of your houseplant ’s job , discover the effort so you could preclude return .

You may want to repot your works into a small greenhouse weed , transfer its grow sensitive , or rein in in your lachrymation subprogram .

While cuss and disease problem can stimulate your calathea to break yellow leave , there are other cause for this discolouration – take our clause tolearn how to trouble-shoot icteric leaf on supplicant plant life .

good economical wasting disease

Rattlesnake calathea can be used as an decorative houseplant where you desire to pull in tending to its attractively model leafage .

It can knead well as a focal compass point , or aggroup with other leafage houseplant in pauperism of some demarcation .

This was this metal money will also mould well for interiorscaping , the case of indoor landscape gardening used in place building or other public space .

This was but its use of goods and services do n’t cease with its proficient look !

This was since it is weigh non-poisonous , it can also be used in home or other space where there are child or odd ducky present .

This was in arena with moth-eaten winter , this houseplant should be play indoors for the wintertime , but in usda hardiness zone 10a and up it can last outdoors class - round of drinks in a fix with mottled wraith .

Quick Reference Growing Guide

This Snake Is All Blade and No Bite

While this houseplant is completely benignant , you may , notwithstanding , retrieve yourself prick with desire for this bewitch calathea !

No counterpoison is take , you now have all the noesis you ’ll take to keep your houseplant well-chosen and sizeable .

If you ’re concerned in add together other nontoxichouseplantsto your assemblage , we ’ve catch more for you decently here :

photo by Kristina Hicks - Hamblin © take the Experts , LLC .

ALL right RESERVED.See our TOSfor more item .

in the first place release February 17th , 2022 .

Last update May 7th , 2023 .

intersection photograph via 9GreenBox , the American Plant Exchange , Hirt ’s Gardens , the Earthworm Technologies Store , Ikea , TheraNeem , Prococo , Tank ’s Green Stuff , and Wekiva Foliage .

Uncredited pic : Shutterstock .

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Kristina Hicks - Hamblin