Calathea elliptica 'Vittata'

Description

Calathea elliptica 'Vittata' is a beautiful plant that has large, elongated leaves. The leaves are green with white striping that creates a striking contrast. Calatheas are moderate to fast growing members of the Marantaceae family that are native to the tropical Americas. They come in many different varieties and are highly prized for their exotic, unique patterned foliage - often considered some of the most beautiful in the world! They should be planted in a well-drained soil mix but kept moist (not saturated) at all times. They require moderately low lighting to full shade and there should never be standing water on the leaves. Bright lighting will damage the leaves and fade the color. These plants need stable temperatures, preferably above 60 degrees, as they are highly sensitive to cold drafts and other temperature fluctuations. Vivariums/Animal Terrariums: Calatheas can be a great choice for vivarium use. Their leaves can make a great perch and provide shelter for your vivarium inhabitants to create potential egg laying spots for a variety of poison dart frogs. They should be planted in the substrate and will grow quite tall, so keep this in mind when planting it in your tropical vivarium. Remember that this plant requires low to moderate light and may drop leaves if lighting is too intense. Although this variety can grow to a fairly large size, at the size we sell them at, they will last for quite some time before needing to be removed from the tank.