All About Calathea makoyana ‘Peacock Calathea’

The Calathea makoyana steals the show with its alternating, elongated pattern and brushed stripes. At night, it comes alive, revealing its brilliant pattern with a pinkish tinge on the bottom of its leaves. As a Prayer Plant family member, the Calathea makoyana is non-toxic to humans and pets, and requires medium care, making it an easy addition to your home!

Meet Your Match:

• Nickname: Peacock Plant, “Cathedral Windows”
• About the Family: The Calathea makoyana is a relative of other Calathea varieties, such as the Calathea lancifolia and Calathea ornata. They are “cousins'' to the traditional Prayer Plant: the Maranta. 
• Understanding the Family Tree: Marantaceae (Family), Calathea (Genus), Calathea makoyana (Species)
• Hometown: The under-canopy of warm, humid rainforests of Eastern Brazil.

How to Care for Your Calathea makoyana:

• Watering: Keep the soil moist—water when the topsoil is crumbly.
• Humidity: Average to high. 
• Soil: Your Peacock Plant prefers well-draining soil. 
• Fertilizer: Every 2-4 weeks during the growing season. Do not fertilize during dormancy.
• Environment: Keep your Calathea makoyana in bright, indirect light.
• Propagation: The easiest method is division during repotting.
• Toxicity: Non-toxic to pets and people.

The Best Unboxing Practices:

• Watering: Exotic Forest ships freshly watered plants. Do not water your Calathea Lancioflia until it exhibits the proper signs.
• Repotting: Do not immediately repot your plant, which would likely result in shock and leaf-loss. Allow it to acclimate to its new environment for at least one week. 
• Lighting: Place your Rattlesnake Calathea in filtered, low light for a few days to acclimate. Relocate your Calathea makoyana to your desired location that fits its care needs afterward. Do not ever place a freshly un-boxed plant in direct sun.

What You’re Getting:

• You will receive a carefully selected, quality evaluated 6” diameter plant, based on your selection. All Exotic Forest plants are rooted and thriving. 

What Makes Us Special:

• Shipment Methods: Plants are precious, and we want yours to arrive safely! We ship our plants via UPS, with a maximum of 4-day shipping. 
• Our Packing: Have you received ‘squished’ plants from other companies? Our solution to this common issue is bamboo stakes and biodegradable packing peanuts (starch), which securely holds your plant in place during shipment. 
• Chemical-free: We are committed to keeping our plants and customers safe. We never treat our plants with chemical pesticides. 
• Quality Standards: Exotic Forest strives to meet stringent quality standards and evaluates each plant we resource from our nursery. Pest-free, healthy plants are a requirement!
• Customer Service: Your satisfaction is our priority. If you are experiencing issues with or have questions about how to care for your Calathea makoyana ‘Peacock Calathea’, reach out to us at support@exoticforest.com or via our social media accounts. Are you tired of receiving pre-written responses? We believe that plant parents want to talk to people, not robots. A knowledgeable team member reads and replies to each individual concern: no cookie-cutter answers here!
• Returns: While we do not accept returns at this time, you can contact us at support@exoticforest.com with photos of your plant and receipt to discuss the specific plant care issues you’re experiencing with your Calathea makoyana ‘Peacock Calathea’ and possible resolutions.
• Your Personal Plant-Care Resource: Do you love your new addition? We couldn’t be happier! Join our mailing list to receive exclusive offers, updates, and care tips.

Common Care Issues:

• Why do Calathea's leaves close at night? Your Calathea makoyana opens and closes according to the light cycle, a process called nyctinasty. Sunlight (or a lack of it) changes your Calathea’s Phytochrome chromoprotein to either an active or inactive state. At night, your plant becomes inactive; the protein signals for each stem’s joint to swell with water, pulling its leaf vertical.
• Can you propagate a Calathea from a leaf? No, (sadly) Calatheas cannot be propagated from a leaf. These plants are best propagated by division, at repotting.
• Should I mist my Peacock Plant? To care for them properly, Calathea makoyanas require high humidity levels. Do not mist any of your plants at night, however, because setting water will pose a health threat. Mist your Peacock Plant in the morning and early afternoon, so that the moisture can evaporate before nightfall.
• Does a Peacock Plant need light? Yes, it does. In fact, all plants need light (even those labeled as ‘low light’). The Peacock Plant requires bright, indirect light. Never place your Calathea in a room with no windows or a closed black-out curtain.
• How do you water a Calathea Peacock? Most watering methods are suitable for the Calathea Peacock, including overhead and bottom watering. For the best results, use distilled water or tap water that has set out for 24-hours. Calathea makoyanas and Calatheas, in general, should be cared for with distilled water or tap water that has sat out for 24 hours.