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Calathea Warscewiczii, also known as Jungle Velvet Calathea or Calathea Jungle Velvet, is a Calathea species known for its striking, dark-green leaves. Learn about Calathea Warscewiczii care and propagation in this post!
Where can I buy a Calathea Warscewiczii?
You can buy a Calathea Warscewiczii on Etsy! Check out this gorgeous Warscewiczii from one of my favorite Etsy shops.
How do you care for Calathea Warscewiczii?
Here is a basic care summary for Calathea Warscewiczii. Be sure to read on for more details!
- Provide it with bright to medium, indirect light
- Keep the potting mix consistently moist – If possible, use rainwater, distilled water, or filtered water because Calatheas are sensitive to the chemicals in tap water and might develop crispy edges
- Keep the humidity high – Again, if possible, use rainwater, distilled water, or filtered water instead of tap water
- Use well-draining potting mix
How much light does Calathea Warscewiczii need?
Calathea Warscewiczii needs bright to medium, indirect light. Do not place this plant in direct light or it can damage the leaves.
No sunlight? No problem! Grow lights are a HUGE game-changer for houseplants. In fact, I keep nearly all of my plants under grow lights.
This set of grow lights is one of my absolute favorites. I’ve had my plants under them for years now and they totally thrive!
When do you water a Calathea Warscewiczii
Water this Calathea when the top inch of the soil dries out. Your plant should remain consistently moist, but not wet, so don’t let it dry out too much and do not overwater it.
I know, sounds tricky! To maintain proper soil moisture, always stick your finger down into the soil first to feel how dry (or wet!) it is. That way, you’ll only be watering if you need to.
What kind of soil does Calathea Warscewiczii need?
Calathea Warscewiczii needs a well-draining potting mix. Although they like to remain moist, your medium also needs to be well draining in order to prevent root rot.
To achieve this, you can use a general houseplant potting mix with a few handfuls of perlite.
Temperature
Native to parts of Central and South America, this Calathea does prefer warmer temperatures. It should be fine in normal household temperatures, too, just don’t let it get below 65 degrees Fahrenheit (around 18 degrees Celcius).
Should I mist my Calathea Warscewiczii?
Calatheas LOVE humidity. They are known for being finicky plants and getting brown, crispy leaf tips in dry air. Some people choose to mist their Calatheas to create a more humid environment around the plant. Personally, I don’t find this method to be that effective.
I prefer to use a humidifier, which is a very easy and effective method to provide humidity to a room full of plants. This is one of my favorite humidifiers because it can run up to 25 hours!
Calathea Warscewiczii Fertilizer
Use a balanced houseplant fertilizer, diluted by half, once a month during the growing season (spring and summer). Be very mindful not to overdo it with the fertilizer or it could cause more harm than good.
When should you repot Calathea Warscewiczii?
You should repot your Calathea Warscewiczii when it’s rootbound. Other than that, there is no need to unnecessarily repot it since they are sensitive plants. You can tell if your Calathea is rootbound by checking for:
- Roots coming out of the drainage holes
- Roots coiled around the outside of the soil/bottom of the pot when you slip the plant out of its pot
Choose a pot one size up from its current pot that has good drainage. Try to repot during the growing season (spring and summer).
Pruning
You can prune your Warscewiczii to get rid of any dying leaves. Just use a clean, sharp pair of scissors to snip off the leaf at the base (if you can’t gently pull it away by hand).
Other than that, you can prune to control the shape and size of your plant…but why would you want to do that?!
Flowers and Foliage
Calathea Warscewiczii is known for its velvety leaves. Hence its nicknames, Velvet Calathea, Calathea Velvet Touch, Jungle Velvet Calathea, and a few other velvet-related names!
Its large leaves are deep green in color with a lighter green color towards the center and reddish-purple undersides.
A mature plant will occasionally bloom a white cone-shaped flower. The flower is very unique looking, although you usually won’t get to see it on an indoor plant.
Cleaning the Leaves
Plants with larger leaves tend to collect dust and grime more easily. Periodically wipe down your Calathea Warscewiczii’s leaves with a damp cloth, supporting the underside of the leaf when you do so.
Keeping the leaves clean will help your plant photosynthesize better!
Problems, Diseases, and Pests
How do I revive Calathea?
This all depends on what is killing your Calathea in the first place. But in general, to revive a dying Calathea, make sure you are following proper care requirements.
Provide it with bright to medium, indirect light. Direct light will harm the leaves. Keep the potting mix consistently moist. Provide your Calathea with high humidity. Be sure to use a well-draining potting mix.
Here are a few more common Calathea Warscewiczii problems:
- Why is my Calathea Warscewiczii drooping?
- Your Calathea is most likely drooping because it’s in need of water. Be sure to feel the potting mix first with your finger in order to confirm, and then give it a thorough watering!
- Crispy leaves
- Calatheas are humidity-loving plants, and lack of humidity will often cause crispy leaf tips or edges. Set up a humidifier near your plant to help it out. Another possibility is the chemicals in your tap water are making it unhappy, so try using filtered, distilled, or rainwater instead to water and humidify your plant.
- Curling leaves
- Your Calathea is too dry and needs to be watered!
- Yellow leaves
- This is usually caused by overwatering or underwatering. Be sure to feel the potting mix with your finger in order to confirm the cause.
- Pale leaves
- There are a few reasons why you might see pale leaves, but they are often caused by too little light. Too much light can sometimes cause this too, so make sure your plant is not sitting in direct sunlight.
- Root rot
- This is a common problem for plants that like to remain moist because it’s difficult to distinguish wet vs. moist soil. To help avoid this, always feel the soil first and water your plant once it starts to dry about an inch down. See my post on root rot for more help.
- Pests
- Spider mites, fungus gnats, mealybugs, and scale are all potential pests for Calathea Warscewiczii. For general pest prevention and control, I like using Bonide Systemic Houseplant Insect Control and a gentle insecticidal soap.
How to Propagate Calathea Warscewiczii
You won’t be able to propagate your Calathea Warscewiczii through stem cuttings. Instead, you’ll need to propagate it through division. It’s best to do this while you’re repotting because it’ll minimize stress on the plant.
- Be as gentle as possible since Calathea Warscewiczii can be sensitive. Remove it from its pot and locate one or more sections of the plant that have their own root systems and at least one healthy leaf each.
- Separate the section from the mother plant, being careful with the roots. If you can’t untangle the roots by hand, use clean, sharp scissors to cut them away from each other. Try to keep most of them intact, though.
- Repot the newly divided section into an appropriately sized pot.
- Keep the potting mix moist but be careful not to overwater it. Place it in medium, indirect light for now.
- Give the cutting extra humidity by putting a clear plastic bag over the top, using a humidifier, or another method of your choice. If you use the plastic bag method, make sure to remove it for a little every other day or so to let in fresh air.
- Now, just give your plant some time to adjust and start growing again. It may take over a month, so be patient! Once it adjusts and starts growing again, you can increase the light level to bright, indirect light if you wish.
Note that the mother plant may be in a state of shock, too, and will need some time to adjust.
Additional Information
Goeppertia vs. Calathea
Calathea Warscewiczii’s correct scientific name is actually Goeppertia Warscewiczii. This Calathea, in addition to around 250 other Calathea species, was reclassified under the genus Goeppertia about a decade ago.
Most are still usually referred to as “Calathea” even though they are actually “Goeppertia”!
Is the Calathea Warscewiczii toxic?
Calathea Warscewiczii is non-toxic. However, I personally feel it’s best to keep all plants out of pets’ and kids’ reaches, regardless of toxicity level.
Calathea Warscewiczii growth rate
In optimal growing conditions, Calathea Warscewiczii is a moderate grower and can reach over three feet in height.
Calathea Warscewiczii vs. Zebrina
Calathea Warscewiczii and Calathea Zebrina look very similar, but they are two different species of Calathea (or, technically Goeppertia). The Zebrina is lighter in color and the leaf pattern is slightly different in that it has wider stripes than the Warscewiczii.
Calathea Warscewiczii pronunciation
Warscewiczii is a Polish name, so the pronunciation can be a bit tricky for some of us! I have heard this plant pronounced two slightly different ways: “war-seh-zek-ee-eye” and “war-seh-wik-ee-eye.”
Are calathea plants prayer plants?
“Calathea” and “Maranta” are sometimes used interchangeably, and often the nickname “prayer plant” is used for Calatheas. However, Calatheas and Marantas are not the same plants.
“Prayer plant” is another name for Marantas—not Calatheas. Calatheas and Marantas are in two separate genera, but they are both a part of the Marantaceae family.
Shop the Calathea Warscewiczii here!
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