Calathea rufibarbaVelvet Calathea

The Calathea rufibarba, or Velvet Calathea, is a Brazilian understorey perennial grown for the texture of its leaf backs. The long wavy-edged blades are dark green above and deep burgundy beneath, and the undersides and stems carry a fine felted fuzz that gives the plant its name.

Like the rest of its genus it folds its leaves upward at dusk and lowers them again at first light, which makes it a plant people notice in an interior scheme.

Specifications

• Height0.5 to 1 metre
• Width0.4 to 0.6 metres
• Native toBrazil
• FoliageLong, wavy-margined lance-shaped leaves, dark green above with burgundy velvety undersides; evergreen
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilPrefers a rich, free-draining, moisture-retentive medium; dislikes lime
• LightPartial shade to bright indirect light; direct sun bleaches the leaf
• WaterModerate to high; keep evenly moist and use rain or low-mineral water where possible
• ClimateThrives in humid tropical conditions and in conditioned interiors

Additional Features

• FormClumping upright rosette; the leaves lift at night and lower again by day
• UsesIdeal for interior planters, atrium understorey, and sheltered shaded borders
• SpacingPlant 0.3 to 0.4 metres apart for a continuous textured mass
• Low MaintenanceStraightforward once humidity and water quality suit it; remove ageing leaves at the base and divide congested clumps
• Pest ResistanceGenerally sound, though spider mite follows dry air
• VersatilitySuits planters, understorey beds and vertical green wall pockets

Velvet Calathea gives a shaded planter something worth looking at closely rather than merely filling it.