Exotic Calathea Plant AKA The Rattlesnake Flower

The Calathea plant is usually grown for its highly intricate leaves and its exotic unique looking flowers that are a staple for unique and exotic tropical flower arrangements, and are used as examples in several exotic flower guide books.

With this flower I know of only two species, and they are desired by exotic flower collectors and gardeners who grow them because and appreciate their rareness and beauty of the exotic flowers the most nottice is the calathea crotalifera known as the rattlesnake flower.

The leaves are green and large, they are quite a show stopper.

As I spoke of a moment ago there are only two species and Calathea burle-marxii is the other one that is from Brazil, they kind of look as if they could be related.

As an evergreen perennial once only found in tropical Americas and brazil are now being grown in many places around the world that can accommodate its tropical environment.

Marantaceae can be spotted for striking green foliage and its unusual flower spikes.

I have found it to be difficult to get consistent and information on the unique and exotic flower even in my books there are conflicting information for the calathea plant including its close relative the C. Burle Marxii or AKA Blue Ice. So I hope what I provide for you will help in growing them or just admiring them.

The other popular Plant with a similar name is the calathea zebrina which gets it's name from the comon strips similar to a Zebra.

This is a very popular house plant that is very tropical and full of deep green leaves striped with deeper green and white stripes

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Truely Exotic flowes and deserving to be on the list of exotic flowers, Pictures compliments of Forest and Kim Starr

Calathea Burle Marxii or blue ice

Like most tropical’s the Calathea are native to tropical Americas. You may see some species as house plants, and have the other names like the Prayer Plants or Zebra Plants.

Calathea to me is very tropical and like other tropical flowers they need warmth, lots of humidity and sunlight should never fall directly on this plant.

In the evenings, these Calthea Prayer Plants leaves fold together upwards which looks like hands cupped together as if in prayer.

The blue and white Calathea flower kind or resembles a football, even though they look so exotic and seems as if they would be difficult to grow, you will be surprised how easy you could grow these Calathea tropical flowers yourself.

Pollination is done for these beautiful Calathea flowers mostly by bees and some other pollinating bugs are pollinated mainly by bees and other bugs.

The Calthea fruit is desired by Hummingbirds whom are a big help in spreading the seed around the forest or garden to create new plants.

The beautiful bracts of the Calathea flowers developed different shapes from the familiar rattlesnake’s tail shape to the intricate Beehive shape.

Very Important to remember

Both species are tender plants preferring shade the sun will burn these beautiful exotic flowers and moisture is a necessity as will as drained rich soil.

Propagation is by root division.

Below are the Calathea Plant, calathea zebrina a tropical house plants for sale

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