What is Arrowroot Peacock?
Arrowroot Peacock, also commonly known as a prayer plant, is a perennial plant in the Marantaceae family. The plant has green or purple petals with beautiful patterns. The plant can grow upto 2ft tall. Usually, the plants' leaves have a green upper side, a purple-maroonish underside, and white or pinkish stripes. The leaves may appear feathered from the middle to the outer edge. The combination of the brilliant colored patterns and the appearance of the leaves hints why the name Peacock plant. Here's more about the plant.
Intro of Arrowroot-Peacock and FAQs Plant Care
Native of Brazilian tropics, the Arrowroot-Peacock plant is also known as Calathea Makoyana. The plant is popular among gardeners and homeowners due to its colorful petals with a mixture of white and purple patterned petals. The plants are fancied for their foliage. Calatheas are perennial plants, and you don't need to plant a new plant every year. All you need is to trim them or pinch back the leaves to grow new ones for an even more bushy plant.
The peacock plant is a bit demanding to care for, but with a bit of help, the care routine is easy to master, and it will be worth the effort.
The Calathea plants are non-toxic to humans and pets. For this reason, most cultures use them for wrapping food.
Types of Arrowroot-Peacock you can find in Hong Kong
- Medallion Calathea
As their name suggests, the Calathea plant, also known as Calathea veitchiana, has wide, Medallion-shaped leaves with a white pattern on top and deep burgundy or purple color underneath. The plant loves moisture and humidity. With the proper care and growth conditions, the plant can grow upto 60cm tall. The medallion plant loves warmth and well-draining soil.
- Rattlesnake Calathea
The Rattlesnake calathea (Calathea lancifolia) is native to the Brazilian rainforests. Unlike most of the varieties, their leaves are relatively narrow and long and mimic the shape of a rattlesnake with their wavy pattern. They are evergreen foliage indoor plants but can bloom in late spring to give you yellow flowers. The indoor plant rarely blooms, but the purplish-red underside tones are more than rewarding.
The plant grows best during the summer as they love warm and high humidity.
- Calathea Dottie
Dottie Calathea is a bold foliage plant with low maintenance. The plant thrives in indirect sunlight. Its leaves are dark green with burgundy undersides. The pink markings on both sides make the plant more eye-catching, and its tendency to clump together when it grows makes it a perfect choice for making your space livelier.
It grows upto 12 inches wide and tall and may bloom into white flowers.
- Pinstripe Calathea
Also known as Calathea ornate, the pinstripe plant is an evergreen indoor plant with the ability to purify the air. Its striking characteristics are the oval-shaped leaves with stripes that give it a feathery look. The plant is native to the rainforests in Africa, West Indies, and Thailand, making it easy to grow as an indoor plant. Keep your plant away from direct sunlight to maintain the color of its distinctive stripes.