Nothing offers dreamy tropical vibes much like the Calathea Triostar. It’s a full and vibrant plant, perfectly suited to indoor conditions. With lush, elegant leaves this Brazilian native offers growers a care-free alternative to most common purely evergreen plants.
The Calathea Triostar has gorgeous, variegated leaves with vivid pastel stripes that make the plant incredibly alluring and appealing. Follow our growing guide for everything you’ll need to know to cultivate, care for and grow Calathea Triostar.
More...
Known to be beautiful bedroom companions, bathroom features or even an office plant, the Calathea Triostar is the perfect way to add some striking color and touch of nature to your space.
What is the Calathea Triostar?
The Calathea Triostar is an intriguing plant stemming from the Amazon regions of the Brazilian rainforest. A popular member of the prayer plant family, it really is a star attraction when grown both indoors and outdoors.
This stunning plant is prized for its leaves which are dappled in green and various shades of pink, maroon and magenta. Although quite a compact plant, it offers growers lush and dense growth.
One of the most notable features of this plant is its curious habit of folding leaves overnight, which open again in a spectacle every morning.
As it’s used to growing under the canopy of jungle trees, this plant has little light requirements and prefers the warmth of an indoor climate. Although it is fast-growing and relatively carefree, growth can be stunted when soil or light conditions don’t meet its needs.
How to Grow Calathea Triostar
The trickiest part of growth is making sure you give your Triostar everything it needs to thrive. Once established, you’ll have a stunning indoor plant that won’t need much of your attention.
However, you’ll need to position your plant in the right spot and give it the right soil and humidity to make that happen.
Sunlight
Balancing the right level of light can be a challenge. Too little light and your plant will produce limp, pale leaves. Too much and your leaves may scorch.
Many growers recommend keeping your plant near a north or east-facing window. This way your plants will receive a good level of partial sun or bright, indirect light.
A decent level of indirect light will ensure that your plant produces vivid colors across all leaves.
Soil
In general, these plants enjoy a moist, well-draining potting medium. Consider picking a potting mix which is filled with a good balance or organic material and vermiculite for the best results.
Temperature
These plants are used to growing in warmer conditions – which can make it tricky to keep plants happy if outdoors. Indoors, it’s best to keep ambient temperatures between 65-85 degrees.
If your plant is healthy and thriving, it can also withstand temperatures around 40-degrees for a shorter period of time. Notwithstanding warmth, your plants also need a decent level of humidity to thrive.
This can be tricky in rooms or apartments which are temperature controlled by heaters or air conditioners. To improve humidity, consider keeping your plants on a humidity tray or on a saucer filled with rocks.
Regularly fill the trays or saucers with water to keep them moist. Alternatively, you can also consider grouping houseplants together which will improve humidity for all the plants.
If you’re concerned that your plant is still struggling to get sufficient moisture, consider keeping it in your bathroom full-time or a few days at a time.
Calathea Triostar Propagation
Another big benefit of growing the Triostar is its ease of propagation. It offers you the chance to make plenty of new plants in the spring, or gift to friends and family.
The most successful means of propagation is by means of cutting or division at replanting. For the highest rate of success, take cuttings or divide plants during the growing season – spring and summer.
Propagating Calathea Triostar by Cutting
Cuttings can be left to root in water, which make it easy and efficient to make new plants. Here is what you’ll need to do:
- Remove a stem cutting with a healthy leaf. Take care to make the cutting beneath any budding nodes.
- Prepare a glass or jar with fresh water.
- Place the cutting into the water and leave a sun-dappled windowsill to root.
- Pay attention to the water. As soon as it starts to become clouded, pour out and replace with fresh water.
Propagating Calathea Sanguinea by Division
Calathea plants need repotting every 2 years or so, when roots have overgrown the pot, or the soil needs to be replenished. This provides the perfect opportunity to divide your healthy plants into 2 or 3 smaller plants.
- Remove the plant from its pot, taking care not to cause too much damage to roots. Gently loosen the roots with your fingers.
- Once roots are loose, carefully pull apart rhizomes into 2 or 3 smaller clumps. Do your best to ensure that each clump has a few healthy leaves and roots.
- For any roots which you are unable to separate, use a clean, sharp blade to cut it loose.
- Prepare a few, new smaller pots with a fresh potting mixture. Filling only the first 1/3 to start.
- Plant your divisions into the soil and backfill.
- Water well and keep young plants in a warm spot with plenty of bright, indirect light.
Once new leaves appear, you’ll know your plant has established itself and can be moved to your desired location or left to thrive where it is.
Calathea Triostar Care Guide
Although these vivid plants may look like they need a lot of attention, they are surprisingly simple when it comes to care. Maintaining the right level of moisture will likely be your biggest challenge.
When it comes to your watering rhythm try to keep soil evenly moist, especially in the spring and summer. Allow the top to dry out from time to time to avoid issues with fungus or rot. In water, you can cut back significantly on watering, to once every week or week and a half.
To promote new leaves and vibrance in color, it is a good idea to add a general-purpose houseplant fertilizer during the spring and summer.
Avoid fertilizing during your plant’s dormant season, autumn and winter, as the fertilizer would go to waste and potentially damage root systems.
Calathea Sanguinea Pests & Problems
As with many other indoor plants, the Calathea Triostar can become susceptible to common pests like spider mites, aphids and mealybugs.
Regularly check your leaves and if you notice an infestation, opt for a natural insecticide or neem oil. Misting plants regularly can also help to improve conditions that dispel pest issues.
Learn more on how to get rid of mealybugs here.
Browning Spots
If you’re noticing brown spots or discolored leaves, it could be a sign that your plant is receiving too much sunlight. Keep an eye on where your plants are placed, and if it does receive sunlight, it should only be the gentle, morning light rather than the harsh afternoon light.
Browning Leaf Tips
Browning leaf tips are a sign that the moisture and humidity are not ideal for your plants. To curb the issue, regularly monitor your soil and consider improving the humidity with regular misting or an air humidifier.
Root Rot
While these plants are moisture-lovers, the roots cannot be wet all of the time. Waterlogged soil will result in root rot – causing leaves to become limp and soggy.
Carefully monitor your soil and ensure you allow the top layer to dry out from time to time.
Calathea Triostar FAQs
How Fast is Calathea Triostar?
These plants are known to grow quite quickly in the right conditions. Often, these plants will reach as much as one to two feet in height. To make your plants grow faster, feed your plant every few weeks in the spring and summer.
Why Are My Triostar Leaves Curling?
If you notice leaves are curling, and not just at night, it can be a sign that the water quality is damaging your plants. Water additives like salt, fluoride and chlorine can burn roots and cause plants to become distressed.
To avoid this issue consider using rainwater or leaving tap water to stand out overnight before watering your plants.
When Do You Cut a Triostar?
Pruning is not always a necessity, but it can be done to groom and maintain shape. Be sure to use a sharp pair of shears (see our review on the best pruning shears available online) and do so in the spring for the best results. Be sure to remove leaves at the point where they are attached to the main stem.
Is Calathea Triostar same as Stromanthe?
When looking at a calathea triostar it is very common to mistake this plant for the Triostar stromanthe. Both calathea and stromanthe species are part of the marantaceae family.
While they both bear a lot of similarity, they are not considered the same plant.
Are you considering a companion for your triostar? Take a look at our Calathea growing guides:
Wrapping Up Our Calathea Triostar Growing Guide
So, there you have it. Everything you need to know to have beautiful, thriving and vibrant Triostar plants. Be sure to monitor light levels and moisture to make sure your Calathea Triostar are filled with all the colors you’re hoping for.
Add your first comment to this post