Last Updated on May 31, 2021 by Sophie
With its beautiful white, green, and mauve tones, the Calathea Roseopicta is a stunning addition to any indoor garden collection. Reaching a fairly large size, this space filler is a moderately easy care Calathea to grow and is also known as the Rose Painted/ Medallion Calathea thanks to its beautiful painted leaf appearance. Here’s a Calathea care guide, as well as watering requirements and how to propagate this Marantaceae family plant.
Calatheas are often referred to as prayer plants thanks to the fact that the leaves move up and down throughout the day, in of themselves. During daylight hours, the leaves will often lay flat, allowing the plant to benefit from the maximum possible amount of light.
During nighttime, the leaves will point upwards. This means that the plant is referred to as photophilic and are given the nickname ‘prayer plants’ on account of their up and down movement. If the plant does not receive enough humidity, then the leaves will curl inwards and will require higher humidity levels.
The Calathea Roseopicta originates from northwest Brazil and is an evergreen perennial, meaning that, given the right conditions, it can live for at least several years in an indoor home environment. The rose painted Calathea can grow up to around 50 cm in height and even more than this in terms of width.
There are several different varieties of Calathea Roseopicta, with the leaves being marked by cream/ white or pink stripes. In turn, each of these Roseopictas are known by their own nickname, with ‘eclipse,’ ‘medallion’, and ‘dottie’ among those you can choose from.
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Calathea Roseopicta Care Tips & Guide
Calathea roseopicta water requirements
Compared with other types of Calatheas, such as the Calathea Ornata, the Roseopicta is relatively unfussy and is perfect for those who love striking leaves with less care. For example, the Calathea Roseopicta tends to be a lot less susceptible to mineralised water, though crispy edges can occur.
If your plant suffers from crispy and browning leaf tips, be sure to check out our guide on crispy brown leaf Calathea tips for a full diagnosis as to what the cause may be. You should also note that, in comparison with many philodendrons, Calatheas are particularly susceptible to humidity levels and their natural habitat of the rainforest means that they enjoy very high humidity levels.
I personally have mine in the kitchen, where it thrives. I also mist the plant on a daily basis. Humidity levels for your Calathea can become a particular problem during the winter months when central heating can dry out the air in your home. In order to combat this, you might consider grouping similar plants together.
Best Medallion Calathea light levels
The plant enjoys moderate indirect sunlight, meaning that it shouldn’t be placed directly in front of a window. Calatheas, like many plants which originate from the jungle, and particularly susceptible to getting burnt leaves, from which there is little chance of recovery.
Conversely, if the leaves begin to lose their distinctive bright and colourful pattern, then this is a surefire sign that the plant isn’t receiving enough sunlight. If this is the case, move your Calatha plant to a brighter area in which which receives moderate sunlight and watch it flourish.
Calatheas also dislike cold temperatures and so 16 degrees Celsius is really the minimum that this tropical plant will tolerate. The Roseopicta likes being moist at all times, but won’t tolerate wet feet well as this leads to root rot. As such, be sure to use a well draining soil mix and only water the plant when the top inch or so of the soil is dry.
Rose Painted Calathea/ Medallion Calathea Propagation
Unfortunately, unlike most aroids and many species of succulent, Calatheas cannot be propagated by stem cutting. Instead, propagation is through division whereby the plant is divided at the roots into several plants during the start of the growing season (i.e. in the spring). Following division and repotting, be wary not to overwater the plants. As each individual plant is smaller than the original, they will require less water.
Calathea Roseopicta Problems & Pests
Fortunately, the Roseopicta is one of the more resilient of the Calatheas and so even new growers shouldn’t experience too many problems. With that being said, the leaves are still susceptible to high mineral concentrations in water.
Why are my Calathea roseopicta leaves browning/ curling?
Symptoms of this include browning leaf tips and so, if this occurs, consider using filtered or rain water. If you want even more tips on how to deal with browning Calathea leaf tips, check out our complete guide here. Symptoms of overwatering are limp stems, while symptoms of under-watering include leaf dropping and leaf-tips browning.
Spider mites
Spider mites is something of a misnomer as the pest that is a spider mite is not a spider at all, but is instead a small mite. They get the name from the fact that in order to eat the plant, they spin small webs, which are quite hard to see with the naked eye. Symptoms include a sticky web under the plant, as well as holes in the leaves (especially in the middle of the Calathea leaves).
However, when it comes to Calathea pests in most Calathea varieties, scale and spider mites can become a particular problem. Spider mites tend to become particularly bad when the humidity levels drop too low and the plant is stressed out. Spider mites can be treated using insecticidal soap, whereas scale can be treated using neem oil.
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