Goeppertia picturata 'Argentea', a green and silver Goeppertia

Dreaming of a Goeppertia with silver foliage? No need to hop on a plane to Brazil. Goeppertia picturata 'Argentea' doesn't grow in the undergrowth or rainforests of South America. It is a horticultural variety of the Marantaceae family, created from Goeppertia picturata.

Goeppertia picturata 'Argentea' is an herbaceous, rhizomatous plant. It measures less than 50 centimetres in all directions and has a bushy habit.

Its long-stalked leaves grow in a rosette. They are oval with pointed apices. They reach 20 cm in length and 10 cm in width. Their silvery-gray upper surface is enhanced by dark-green margins. The underside of the leaf blades is purple, as in goeppertia picturata 'Crimson.

In spring, panicle-shaped flowers appear. But, white and odorless, they seem bland compared to the foliage.

Don't be surprised if, at dusk, your Goeppertia picturata 'Argentea' changes appearance. EIn fact, the plant has the particularity of folding its leaves upwards when the sun sets. In the morning, it unfolds them again. This daily gymnastics is made possible by a mechanism, the pulvinus, found in all praying plants.

Would you like to add a Goeppertia picturata 'Argentea' to your collection? There's nothing to prevent it. The species is non-toxic. It poses no danger to pets or humans who touch or ingest it.