Calathea Orbifolia Care: How to Grow the Round-Leaf Calathea

What is Calathea orbifolia?

Calathea orbifolia is grown for its leaves: broad, round and glossy, dark green marked with pale silver-green stripes and pale green to silver underneath. NC State Extension says a single leaf can reach 12 in across on a mature plant. The name fits: NC State explains that orbifolia comes from the Latin orbis (a circle) and folium (a leaf).

Its accepted botanical name is Goeppertia orbifolia. Like many plants sold as calatheas, it has been moved to the genus Goeppertia, and NC State lists Calathea orbifolia and Calathea rotundifolia among its older names. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) calls it the round-leaved calathea and advises looking for plants labeled calathea until the new names catch on.

It comes from the rainforests of eastern Brazil, where it grows as an upright clump. NC State puts it at 2 to 3 ft tall and 1 to 2 ft wide in time, and the RHS at around 75 cm, about 2.5 ft. It belongs to the prayer plant family, and the RHS notes that many calatheas fold their leaves upward at night.

It's part of our Rare Plants collection: collector plants grown in small batches that can sell out. Care comes down to humid air, steady warmth, bright light without direct sun and evenly moist soil watered with distilled water or rainwater. NC State rates its maintenance as medium, and humidity is the part that takes effort.

Is Calathea orbifolia a good houseplant for you?

It's a good pick if you want a bold, leafy plant for a bright room and don't mind a small routine. Its strengths:

• Big, simple leaves. The round shape and silver stripes read from across a room.
• Quick growth in the right spot. NC State rates its growth rate as rapid.
• No direct sun needed. It wants bright, filtered light rather than sun on its leaves.
• Room to grow. NC State says it suits a tabletop or a floor planter. Ours starts small, in a 4 in pot.

It has limits. NC State asks for humidity of at least 60 percent and steady temperatures of 65 to 75°F, so plan on a humidifier or a pebble tray. It dislikes cold drafts and temperature swings, and its leaves brown at the edges in dry air or with fluoride in the water. If you've never kept a houseplant, one of our easy houseplants for beginners is a gentler start.

You may see it sold as an air-purifying plant. Read what the research says about plants and indoor air before you count on that. Skip it if your only spot is a dim corner or a hot, sunny sill, or if you're often away for more than a week with no one to check the soil.

Is Calathea orbifolia safe for cats and dogs?

It isn't on the ASPCA's plant lists by name. When we checked the ASPCA's cat and dog lists in November 2026, there was no entry for Goeppertia orbifolia, Calathea orbifolia or its older name Calathea rotundifolia.

The lists do include a general entry titled Calathea, with the scientific name Calathea spp. and no species named, marked non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. They also list a few named calatheas, such as Calathea insignis, our rattlesnake plant, as non-toxic, and NC State's page for Goeppertia orbifolia is tagged non-toxic for cats and dogs. None of these is an ASPCA entry for this plant, and we only call a plant pet safe when the ASPCA lists the plant itself, so we show the orbifolia as not on the list.

Watch out for shared common names. Calatheas sometimes go by peacock plant or zebra plant, and the ASPCA lists both as names for Calathea insignis, but on its lists the same names also point to a ginger (Kaempferia) and a bromeliad (Cryptanthus zonatus). Check any plant by its botanical name.

If pets are your main concern, the rattlesnake plant is a calathea the ASPCA does list by name as non-toxic, and our guide to pet-safe houseplants covers the others in our range. Whatever you choose, keep plants out of reach of a chewer. If your pet eats some and seems unwell, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. A consultation fee may apply.

How much light does Calathea orbifolia need?

Bright, indirect or filtered light. NC State recommends bright, indirect light or partial shade, and the RHS suggests bright indirect or filtered light. For calatheas in general, the RHS suggests a spot near a north- or east-facing window in summer. Keep it out of direct sun: NC State warns that direct sun can scorch the leaves.

It copes with less, up to a point. UF/IFAS Extension says calatheas tolerate indoor light as low as 75 foot-candles but do best at 150 to 200. A spot a few feet from a bright window suits it far better than a dark corner: the RHS lists weak growth from low light as a common problem, especially in Goeppertia, and NC State says the leaf color fades without enough light. If your home runs dim, our low-light houseplants guide covers plants that cope better.

Keep it warm and steady. NC State asks for consistent temperatures of 65 to 75°F, and the RHS says it needs at least 16°C (61°F). UF/IFAS warns that temperatures below 55°F can cause chilling injury in calatheas, so keep it away from cold windows, drafty doors and heating or air conditioning vents.

How often should you water Calathea orbifolia?

Keep the soil consistently moist but never wet or soggy, NC State says. In practice, feel the soil every few days and water when the surface just starts to dry; UF/IFAS suggests letting the surface dry slightly between waterings. The RHS says to water moderately in spring and summer, then in fall and winter to let the surface dry before watering again, without letting the soil dry out completely. A small pot dries out faster than a large one, so check a 4 in pot often.

When it's time, water like this:

• Pour slowly at the base of the plant, not over the leaves. NC State says wetting the foliage when watering can cause leaf spot.
• Water thoroughly, until the soil is evenly moist all the way through. Clemson Extension notes that most roots sit in the bottom two-thirds of the pot.
• Never leave the pot standing in water. Tip out anything that collects in a saucer or cover pot; NC State warns that overwatering can cause root rot.
• Use room-temperature water. Clemson suggests 62 to 72°F.

The water you use matters. NC State prefers distilled water or rainwater, since fluoride in tap water can brown the leaf tips, and UF/IFAS names fluoride as the cause of dead spots near calathea leaf margins. The RHS says calatheas tolerate tap water left to stand for 24 hours so the chlorine can escape; that helps with chlorine, not fluoride. Skip softened water, which Clemson says adds sodium and chloride to the soil.

Too much and too little water can look alike. NC State says leaves curl when the plant is short of water, while Clemson notes that rotting roots make a plant wilt because it can't take up water. Feel the soil before you water. More in how to water houseplants.

Everyday care: humidity, feeding, cleaning and repotting

Humidity is the main need. NC State asks for at least 60 percent, and UF/IFAS says calatheas keep their looks best indoors at 40 to 60 percent. NC State suggests a humidifier or a tray of wet pebbles under the pot; keep the water below the tops of the pebbles so the roots never sit in it. The RHS adds grouping it with other plants or keeping it in a bathroom, where the air is moister; choose one with a window. Go easy on misting, since wet leaves can develop leaf spot.

Feed once a month in the growing season, as NC State and the RHS both suggest. The RHS means April to September with a balanced liquid fertilizer and none from October to March. NC State's notes on the genus suggest half strength. More isn't better: UF/IFAS links excess fertilizer to brown leaf tips and edges.

Those big leaves collect dust. NC State says dust can interfere with photosynthesis and suggests wiping the leaves gently with a damp cloth on a regular basis. Cut away dead leaves at the base of the stalk as needed, as the RHS suggests.

There's no rush to repot. The RHS says a new plant can usually stay in its pot through its first growing season, then be repotted every few years once the clump fills the pot, in spring or summer, into a pot one or two sizes larger. NC State recommends a moist, well-drained, slightly acidic potting mix. To make more plants, divide the clump: NC State recommends spring, and the RHS profile suggests summer. Give each piece several leaves and keep the divisions warm and humid until they grow again, as the RHS advises.

What to do when your Calathea orbifolia arrives

It arrives already potted at the greenhouse in a recycled eco pot, in terracotta or black, so there's nothing to assemble. A few small steps in the first week help it settle:

• Open the box the day it arrives. Lift the plant out by its pot rather than its leaves, and take away all the packing, including any winter protection added for a cold-weather trip.
• Feel the soil. If the surface is dry, water until the soil is evenly moist and tip out any extra. If it's still damp, check again in a day or two.
• Put it straight into its long-term spot, in bright, indirect light and away from vents, drafts and cold glass. NC State says it needs steady temperatures, so try not to move it around while it settles.
• Give curled leaves time. After a few days in a dark box, some leaves may be curled or creased. Cut off any that are torn or badly bent at the base of the stalk.
• Leave the pot alone. It can stay in the pot it came in through its first growing season, and if it arrives in fall or winter it won't need feeding until April.

If it arrives damaged or declines in its first 30 days, we replace it. Our shipping page explains delivery times and the guarantee.

Calathea orbifolia problems and how to fix them

Most problems trace back to dry air, water or light. Find the symptom:

• Brown edges and tips: low humidity or fluoride in tap water, NC State says. Raise the humidity and switch to distilled water or rainwater. Brown edges won't recover, so judge progress by the next new leaf.
• Dead spots near the leaf margins: fluoride, according to UF/IFAS. Avoid water and fertilizer that contain it.
• Curling leaves: lack of water or low humidity, NC State says. Feel the soil, water if the surface is dry and raise the humidity.
• Faded leaf color: not enough light, according to NC State. Move it somewhere brighter but still out of direct sun.
• Scorched patches: direct sun. Move it back from the window or add a sheer curtain.
• Spots on the leaves: often from wetting the foliage, NC State says. Water at the base and keep the leaves dry.
• Yellow leaves: UF/IFAS lists too little fertilizer, too much water and too much light as causes. Check the soil first, then the light, then when you last fed it.
• Limp stems and soggy soil: root rot, which NC State links to overwatering. Let the surface dry before you water again and never leave the pot standing in water.
• Patchy, water-soaked areas on the leaves in winter: edema, which the RHS links to soil kept too wet in winter. Water less often until spring.
• Fine webbing, cottony clusters or tiny flies around the soil: spider mites, mealybugs or fungus gnats. NC State also lists aphids and scale, and the RHS whitefly. Wipe or rinse pests off the leaves, and for gnats let the top of the soil dry more between waterings, as the RHS suggests.

If you'd like one of your own, Calathea orbifolia comes potted at the greenhouse in terracotta or black, with our 30-day guarantee. It's part of our Rare Plants collection, grown in small batches, so it can sell out.

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