Calathea Network

This plant does best in medium to bright indirect light, matching the filtered light it gets on the jungle floor. Direct sun is the enemy here, harsh rays will bleach that green mosaic pattern and scorch the edges.

Its sturdier leaves let it handle medium-low light better than a lot of other Calatheas, but too much shade for too long will slow growth and dull that network pattern. Put it a few feet back from an east or north-facing window for the best results.

This plant needs a careful balance to keep the soil evenly damp, never soggy. Don't let it dry out completely, that stresses the leaves fast.

Use room-temperature distilled, filtered, or rainwater to keep the leaves looking clean. Regular tap water has chlorine, fluoride, and minerals that can turn the edges dry, crispy, and brown. Let water run freely out the bottom, and empty the saucer right away.

This plant wants humidity, ideally 60% or higher, to match its Brazilian roots. Low humidity will crisp up the leaf tips fast.

Group it with other tropical plants, put it on a pebble tray, or run a humidifier nearby. Keep the room between 65°F and 80°F. Keep it away from freezing winter drafts, sudden temperature shifts, and heating or cooling vents.

Use a peat-rich mix that holds moisture without clogging. Mix in coarse perlite and orchid bark for good airflow and drainage.

Feed it monthly during spring and summer with a standard liquid fertilizer, diluted to half strength. Stop feeding entirely in fall and winter.

This plant is propagated through root division, not stem or leaf cuttings, best done during spring repotting. Slide the plant out of its pot and shake off loose soil to see the roots.

Find a healthy section of stems with its own strong roots. Use a clean knife to separate it carefully, doing as little damage as possible. Pot the new division right away in fresh, damp, peat-rich soil, and keep it warm, humid, and shaded until new growth starts.

Repot this plant every 12 to 18 months in spring to refresh the soil and give the roots room to grow. Choose a pot with drainage holes, just 1 to 2 inches wider than the current one.

Be gentle with the fine roots during the move to avoid shock. Fill in the gaps with airy soil, without packing it too tight around the stems.

This plant is completely pet friendly and non-toxic for cats and dogs. There's nothing harmful in it at all, no toxic compounds, sap, or crystals.

You can display this rare, patterned plant on a low table, open shelf, or floor stand without worrying if a curious pet brushes against or sniffs the leaves.

Calatheas are native to the rainforest floors of Central and South America, with this particular Goeppertia bella variety concentrated in the shaded, humid forests of Brazil. Growing under a thick tree canopy, they adapted to use every bit of filtered light through leaf movement and their unique leaf structure.

That mosaic pattern on the Network's leaves is actually an adaptation to help it catch light in the dim rainforest understory. The grid-like cell structure has special light-focusing cells that channel low light straight to the plant's chloroplasts, making the most of the deep jungle shade.