Calathea 'Stella', delicately marbled leaves

Sometimes I find a dime left on the sidewalk and consider myself lucky. Tiam Yam, who works in an exotic plant greenhouse, has discovered a new variety of Goeppertia: Calathea 'Stella'. It appears to have appeared spontaneously in the middle of a Calathea 'White Fusion plantation Calathea 'White Fusion

How to recognize Goeppertia lietzei 'Stella'?

Calathea 'Stella' is a rhizomatous perennial. It grows to a height of 60 centimetres and has a compact habit.

The lanceolate leaves grow at the end of a long, violet-accented stalk. Coriaceous, they are also wavy. The upper surface has dark green margins. The rest of the blade is entirely covered with light-green and white mottling. The underside is an almost translucent violet. At the base of the leaf is a slight bulge. This is the pulvinus. This organ enables the plant to fold its leaf blades at dusk and unfold them again in the morning.

Goeppertia lietzei 'Stella' closely resembles Calathea 'White Star Yet you can tell the two species apart without looking at their labels. If the top of your Calathea has pink accents, it's a Calathea 'White Fusion In the case of 'Stella', the stripes are only white and green.

It doesn't matter whether you've brought home a Goeppertia lietzei 'Stella' or a Calathea 'White Fusion Both species are non-toxic. According to some scientists, they even have depolluting properties.

Our maintenance tips

Not very demanding, your Goeppertia lietzei ‘Stella’ is content with a location without direct sunlight and plenty of humidity.

Watering

Keep the soil in your Calathea 'Stella always fresh. When the substrate is one to two centimeters dry, you can water.

Use room-temperature, non-calcareous water. What's best? Recovered rainwater. If you don't have any, you can use filtered water. You can also use tap water, provided you let it stand for a while.

After watering, empty the water stagnating at the bottom of the dish. It may rot the roots.

Spray

In nature, goeppertia lietzei 'Stella benefits from a high degree of humidity. Spray your Calathea 'Stella withrainwater to improve humidity and prevent pest infestation.

Don' t use hard water, such as tap water. It leaves white spots on the foliage.

Repotting

Every spring, repot your Goeppertia lietzei ‘Stella’ to give it more space.

Obtain a pierced pot of a larger size than the previous one. Don't hesitate to choose a ceramic or plastic model. These materials retain moisture and allow you to space out watering. Your Calathea 'Stella also prefers a wide pot to a deep container to give it room to grow.

Line the bottom with gravel or clay balls for drainage. Then pour in potting soil for green plants. You can lighten it by adding perlite.

Plant your subject in the middle and fill in with substrate. Water for the first time to eliminate air bubbles and encourage rooting.

Fertilization

To promote the growth of your Goeppertia lietzei ‘Stella’, apply fertilizer in spring and summer.

Apply a liquid fertilizer for green plants. Respect the doses indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging. Too high a dose will damage foliage.

Cleaning

Dust prevents the plant from photosynthesizing. Clean the leaves of your Calathea 'Stella with a soft, clean cloth.

Prune

To remove yellowed, damaged or wilted leaves, cut them off at the base with a sharp, clean tool.

Cutting

Cutting is carried out during the strong growth phase, generally in spring and early summer.

Take advantage of repotting to divide your Calathea 'Stella. Once your plant has been dug up, locate a rhizome with one or more stems. Each stem should have at least three leaves.

Using your hands or a clean, sharp tool, separate the rhizome from the rest of the plant.

Pour a drainage layer (gravel, clay balls, pozzolan, etc.) of one to two centimeters into a bucket or small pierced pot. Add a draining substrate, such as universal potting soil mixed with sand.

Make a pilot hole and plant the cutting. Do not bury the leaves. Press lightly and water.

Diseases / Threats

Red spiders

Mealybugs

Information

Family	Marantaceae - Marantaceae
Type	Goeppertia - Goeppertia
Species	Goeppertia lietzei - Goeppertia lietzei
Lifecycle	Perennial
Foliage	Evergreen
Exposures	Half-shade Shade
Substrat	Humus soil
Planting method	In pots
Categories	Interior Rhizome Herbaceous
Tags	Fritillary Soiffarde
Origin	South America
Hardiness (USDA)	11b
Leaf color
Flower color