Introduction Rattlesnake Plant
Whether this is your first Marantaceae plant or you’re expanding your existing prayer plant collection, I’ll cover everything you need to know to successfully cultivate and maintain this species. Although we’ll be discussing the needs of only one type of prayer plant here, make sure to check out our comprehensive guide if you’re interested in learning more about how to care for prayer-plants in general. This article is about the species frequently grown indoors, not the wild Eryngium yuccifolium; I just want to make sure we’re all on the same page. This plant, often known as “rattlesnake master,” is a native of the Eastern and Central United States and is a deciduous perennial with thistle-like flower heads. This is a popular plant due to its brilliant yellow flowers and wide, unpatterned leaves that are oval. The inflorescence of this calathea, unlike that of the rattlesnake, is shaped like a rattle.
Exactly what does a Rattlesnake Plant Entail?
Long, smooth, glossy, lance-shaped leaves with striking patterns characterize the rattlesnake plant, a tropical, evergreen, herbaceous perennial. This calathea has a reptile air to it due to its long, narrow leaves and intricate design. The leaves are pale green overall, with a pattern of alternating large and small dark green splotches between the leaf’s midrib and its border. Small leaflets can be seen in this pattern of dark splotches. A horizontal closeup of the leaves of the rattlesnake plant, Goeppertia insignis.
The leaves are slightly wavy, especially at the margins, and they are surrounded by a dark green border. When the plant opens its leaves at night, the purple to burgundy undersides stand out. The rattlesnake calathea has a rounded, fountain-like form and can reach a height of three feet. Each leaf petiole instead grows from underground rhizomes, as there is no main stem. Rhizomes are responsible for the emergence of new leaves, which are wrapped up tightly and reveal their purple undersides as they unroll.
Flowers, if a Rattlesnake plant is flowering, will appear on a slender stem near the plant’s base. They’re about the size of a human and white. But it’s unusual for indoor-grown specimens to bloom. One of the most interesting things about this type of prayer plant is that, like other prayer Rattlesnake plant relatives, it raises and lowers its leaves in response to the changing of the day and night. A houseplant’s purple leaves become more apparent at night when the plant vertically raises its leaves to expose its undersides. This Calathes’s leaves will slowly begin to droop downward again in the morning, revealing the plant’s distinctive green pattern in all its glory.
Culture and Background
This species is endemic to the southeast Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, where it is found as an understory plant in moist tropical woods with partial shade. The prayer plant, or Marantaceae, includes the likes of the stunning Stromanthe thalia ‘Tristar,’ the zebra calathea, the pinstripe plant, the peacock plant, and the red-veined maranta. Goeppertia insignis is a member of this family. A horizontal close-up of three prayer-plants on a wooden table. Calathea insignis is the correct name for this species, yet it is still widely called that. The Goeppertia name hasn’t caught on just yet, not even in the scientific community or among avid gardeners. You can include G. insignis among the nontoxic houseplant selections that are safe to have around pets and children.
Rattlesnake calatheas are best propagated through division due to the difficulty of sourcing and germinating calathea seeds. New leaves should begin to emerge from the rattlesnake your plant around the end of winter or the beginning of spring. The timing is right to start spreading the word.
Check the Calathes’s stems to see if there are distinct clusters; if so, the specimen can be split up into multiple plants. You may also spot a shoot emerging apart from the primary group of stems.
Collect the tools you’ll need for repotting, such as sterilized pots, growing material, and a sharp knife or pruner. Separate the clumps by hand (or with a knife or scissors) and then submit them for reporting as instructed in the repotting portion. If you want to find out more, read on.
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Ways to Expand
Even though rattlesnake calathea requires more attention than the average houseplant, it can be kept healthy and flourishing with only the bare minimum of effort:
Selecting a Veggie
If you want to have any luck cultivating a calathea, picking out a good specimen is the first step.
Don’t pick flowers or Rattlesnake plants that look like they’re about to die.
Snapshot of rattlesnake plants in a plant nursery, taken horizontally from a close range.
And unless you have a burning desire to be a houseplant rehabilitator and a place to confine the specimen until it is healthy, you should reject any specimen that shows signs of disease or insect infestation.
Later in this post, we’ll go through some of the ways you might look for symptoms of illness and pests.
Light
The rattlesnake calathea is a native of semi-shaded tropical woodlands and thrives in medium indirect light. This indoor plant prefers indirect light and should be moved out of direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day. Its leaves are susceptible to being burnt by prolonged exposure to bright sunlight and may eventually lose their distinctive patterns as a result. This rattlesnake plant can tolerate indirect, dim lighting, though development will be sluggish.
Temperature
When it comes to temperature, G. insignis is most comfortable in a comfortable middle ground. For the greatest results, maintain this species between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Place it where it won’t be affected by temperature extremes (hot air from central heating vents or cold air from windows and doors). While its relatives can withstand much higher temperatures, the prayer plant cannot. It is best to water your houseplant more frequently and position it in the shade on the hottest side of your home throughout the summer if you must leave it out in the heat.
Water
- insignis, like many of its kin, thrives in consistently moist but not drenched soil and responds well to regular irrigation. Since this species is sensitive to contaminants like fluoride in tap water, you should only utilize pure water sources like rainwater, distillate, or filtered water. When it’s time to water your houseplant, take it out of its pretty container and put it in a bowl, sink, or even the tub. Sprinkle water uniformly over the soil’s surface; a system designed for indoor rattlesnake plants will make this much simpler. Run water into the pot until it begins to drain out of the bottom. During my weekly watering schedule, I like to do this twice. When you’re done, transfer the pot back to its beautiful saucer or pot. It’s also possible that this houseplant would benefit from the bottom-watering technique.
Humidity
- insignis, like other prayer rattlesnake plants, thrive in conditions with a constant humidity of at least 50%. You may not need to do anything special to give this plant the humid air it likes if you already reside in a humid region. There are several methods to boost the relative humidity if you live in a drier environment or if you heat your home during the winter. A calathea tray can be used to increase the humidity around the plant. Carefully avoid letting the rattlesnake plant absorb water through its pot by placing it on a plate filled with pebbles and water. This will serve as your humidity tray
Polished Pebble Humidity Tray, 7" x 9"
However, if making your humidity tray out of pebbles isn’t high on your to-do list, you can always buy one already created, like the 7×9-inch one sold by 9GreenBox on Amazon. Grouping your calathea with other houseplants can also produce a more humid environment, which will help it thrive. Mini greenhouses like this one from Ikea are available on Amazon and can be used for more than just arranging houseplants.
Small-scale Greenhouse
Finally, a humidifier placed next to your calathea might assist keep the air humid if your specimen is too big to fit in a terrarium or mini-greenhouse. Keeping your Calathes’s leaves wet will go a long way toward keeping their tips and edges from turning brown. The most prevalent cause of brown tips is not enough humidity, but there are other reasons as well. In this essay, we’ll go through some of the most common causes of browning leaves on prayer plants.
Finding a great potting medium is one of the most challenging components of raising prayer-rattlesnake plants. You should already know that G. insignis thrives in wet soil and that a peaty growing medium is typically recommended to achieve this. Praying plants do require proper drainage, however. In addition to these needs, the houseplant should be grown in a medium that does not contain perlite because the fluoride in perlite might induce tip burn. Soil pH between 6.1 and 7.3 is optimal for this species’ growth, but it is also tolerant of a wider range of acidic and alkaline conditions. Furthermore, studies have shown that humic acid, biochar, and compost all aid in the development of this species. To meet the needs of my peat-free calathea, I use a mixture of one part coconut coir and one part De La Tank’s Houseplant Soil Mix for houseplants. The coconut coir offers peaty water retention, and the pumice and chunky coconut husks in De La Tank’s Houseplant Soil Mix, along with the compost, charcoal, and humic acid, will allow this species to thrive. Coconut coir, or cocopeat, is a versatile gardening product that can be purchased in a compacted form for easy storage and quick access.
Hints for Cultivation
Lighten the room moderately and indirectly.
Maintain a consistent moisture level in the soil without making it soggy, and make sure it drains well.
Stay out of the cold and the hot.
Caring for and Pruning
Once the initial care needs have been addressed, rattlesnake garments don’t need much in the way of upkeep. But here are a few more things you can do to ensure the well-being of your houseplant:
Pruning
Unfortunately, prayer rattlesnake plants like G. insignis are prone to having their leaf tips and margins turn brown no matter how much we water them. You can cut them off if you find them distracting. Leaves that turn brown from lack of water will never turn green again, but new leaves will grow to look healthy and vibrant as long as the problem is fixed. First, disinfect your scissors or garden shears by cleaning them down with some rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide before using them to trim away any unwanted leaves. Remove the brown area, or lop off the entire leaf and slice as deeply into the stem as feasible.
Fertilizing
Fertilizing prayer rattlesnake plants should be done carefully. I make my own with worm compost tea. Worm compost tea bags are available for purchase from the Earthworm Technologies Store on Amazon if you don’t have a vermicompost bin set up in your home. Earthworm Technologies’ Teardrops is a general-purpose fertilizer for houseplants. When it’s time to water your houseplant, simply soak one of these sachets in water at room temperature. Always refer to the manufacturer’s guidelines.
Scrubbing Leaves
Clean the leaves of your Calathea plant gently when you water it. All you need is a few drops of water and a paper towel or clean rag to do this.
Keep your houseplant looking fantastic and feeling healthy by regularly wiping off the leaf to remove dust that may have settled there.
Repotting
Since Calathes mature at a leisurely rate, they can go without being repotted for a few years at a time. Instead of setting a firm date on your calendar to break open that bag of potting soil, just keep an eye on your calathea and repotted it when it looks like it’s time. If you need to water it more than twice a week to keep it from drying out, it’s time to get started! Beyond that, repotting your calathea in the spring when you first notice new growth is ideal. In addition, it’s best to wait until the day following watering your houseplant. When it appears to be time to repot your houseplant, gather the necessary materials. Needed items include a container slightly bigger than the one you’re currently using, potting media, and a surface you don’t mind getting dirty (I use a baking sheet). Take the plant out of its container and brush your palm along the soil’s edge to help the roots spread. Fill the new container with some soil. Place the rattlesnake plant in the new pot, making sure there is about half an inch to an inch of space between the top of the soil and the lip of the pot. Carefully fill in the space with potting soil, making sure not to bury the rattlesnake plant’s crown (the part where its stems emerge from the soil). Lightly tapping the container on the counter can help the plant settle into the dirt, and you can always add extra potting soil if necessary. You can now return your newly potted houseplant to its previous position and water it.
Store Locations for Purchasing
Since rattlesnake clothes grow so slowly, you should pick a size that will make you happy for several years if you decide to add one to your home.
Small
Choose a small specimen in a three- or four-inch pot if you intend to maintain your houseplant in a terrarium.
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Medium
If you want your calathea to make a statement on a table next to your couch or your desk, a six-inch potted rattlesnake plant is a perfect size. This square picture is a closeup of a prayer plant that is growing in a six-inch pot on a wooden tabletop.
Large
Look for a calathea in a pot no less than eight inches in diameter if you want it to function as a centerpiece on the floor.
Taking Care of Insects and Germs
The rattlesnake calathea doesn’t have a lot of trouble with parasites and other diseases. But here’s what you need to keep an eye out for, especially when bringing a new rattlesnake plant into your home:
Be wary of these insects if you have just bought a new plant or have put your indoor plants outside for the summer.
Mealybugs
A mealybug infestation is easy to see from across the room. The problem is that unless you know what to look for, you could not recognize the signs of a bug problem. The best way to describe a mealybug is as a small white fuzzy. They cluster together on plant stems and the bottoms of leaves.
Horizontal closeup of a mealybug on a leaf, with the insect in focus.
This image was taken by David Short and posted to Wikimedia Commons under the Creative Commons Attribution-Shar alike license.
Your houseplant will suffer from malnutrition if these pests get a hold of it and feed on the plant’s leaves and stems. Honeydew deposits left by mealybugs might exacerbate the situation by encouraging the growth of pathogens. Mealybug infestations have multiple potential resolutions. If you’re looking for advice on getting rid of mealybugs, our article should provide all the information you need.
How big is it, roughly? The stems and leaf undersides of your Calathes may have small, smooth, round or oval-shaped spots. Scale insects can range in color from brown to black to tan to beige to green.
Scale insects, like mealybugs, can increase the likelihood of fungal infection by sucking rattlesnake plant nutrients and leaving a honeydew deposit on the host plant. Read this post about scale insects to gain knowledge on how to recognize and eliminate these pests.
Sarcoptic mites
Due to their diminutive size, spider mites often go unnoticed until a full-blown infestation has occurred. Stippling on leaves is caused by small arachnids that feed on them and will eventually encase your houseplant in webs.
Disease
Calathea disease is uncommon and simple to avoid. What you need to know is as follows.
The Mosaic Virus of Cucumbers
Leaves of your houseplant may develop a mosaic pattern of yellow spots if the rattlesnake plant is infected with the cucumber mosaic virus. Due to the lack of a cure, the best course of action is prevention. Always sterilize your tools and wash your hands in between handling different samples to avoid spreading the disease. The good news is that if your houseplant does get sick from this, the damage will be superficial and easily repaired. However, if you want to keep the disease from spreading to the rest of your houseplants, it’s best to get rid of the afflicted rattlesnake plant as soon as possible.
Leaf Spot Caused by Helminthosporium
Have you seen any brown or tan lesions with yellow halos on the leaves of your calathea? If that’s the case, it could be because of the Helminthosporium leaf spot. It’s caused by fungi, which thrive in damp areas with moderate temperatures. The best course of action is prevention, so take care not to water the leaves of your Calathes while it’s cool outside. Fungicides, such as the natural, nontoxic fungicide neem oil, are effective at managing infections when preventative measures have failed.
Deterioration of the Roots
Root rot could be the cause of your Calathes’ yellowing leaves and withering appearance, even though the soil is moist. Fungi in the soil cause root rot, and they flourish in damp, humid environments.
By not allowing your houseplant to sit in a saucer of water, by using a container that is not too small, and by making sure there is adequate drainage, you may avoid root rot from occurring.
The soil or other growing medium you use must be able to drain adequately, so make sure your container has holes in the bottom and follow the recommendations in the soil portion of this article.
If you suspect root rot is the problem with your houseplant, finding out what caused it will help you avoid it happening again. There are a few possible solutions to this problem: a smaller nursery container, a different growing media, or less frequent watering. Although pests and diseases are the most common causes of yellowing leaves on calathea, there are other reasons for this discoloration as well. Read this article to understand how to investigate and treat yellowing leaves on prayer plants.
Potentially Useful Applications
If you have a spot in your home where you want to showcase its eye-catching patterned leaves, consider bringing in a rattlesnake calathea.