19 Best Calathea Types | Calathea Varieties List

Learn all about 19 Best Calathea Types! This genus has some of the most stunning varieties for your houseplant collection!

Calathea is a popular houseplant famous for its beautiful leaves. It comes in many varieties to choose from, each one of them distinct on its own! Regardless of which you’re going to pick from these Best Calathea Types, their eye-catching foliage is sure to turn many heads in your home!

Check out our article on the best croton varieties here! 

Best Calathea Types to Grow

1. Round-Leaf Calathea

Botanical Name: Calathea orbifolia

This variety has 8-12 inch wide, leathery leaves with creamy and light-green stripes. It prefers humid conditions and well-draining soil. Keep it under partial shade.

2. Rattlesnake Plant

Botanical Name: Calathea lancifolia

Rattlesnake calathea features long and narrow, light-green leaves with edges in dark green marks. Place the plant in bright filtered light and use rich, well-draining soil.

3. Furry Feather

Botanical Name: Calathea rufibarba

Also known as velvet calathea, it has lance-shaped green foliage with velvety purple undersides on long burgundy stems. It is tolerant to lower light conditions.

4. Corona

Botanical Name: Calathea roseopicta

Corona or Rose painted calathea has large glossy foliage with bright green to creamy patterns. It thrives in well-draining soil. Protect the plant from cold drafts.

5. Dottie

Botanical Name: Calathea roseopicta ‘Dottie’

Dottie has deep-green foliage that looks almost black, with fuschia pink outlines on each leaf. Keep it in bright, indirect sunlight and mist regularly to maintain humidity.

6. Rosey

Botanical Name: Calathea roseopicta ‘Rosey’

Rosey features large oval-shaped leaves with green edges and a pink center with purple undersides that fold during the night. Grow it in well-draining soil and protect it from cold drafts.

7. Jungle Velvet

Botanical Name: Calathea warscewiczii

It grows in lance-shaped, velvety dark green leaves with light green patterns. Grow the plant in high humid conditions or use a humidifier.

8. Peacock Calathea

Botanical Name: Calathea makoyana

This beautiful calathea has thin dark green to purple foliage with peacock markings having lime feathering on red-pink stems. Keep it in bright, indirect sunlight and high humidity.

9. Eternal Flame

Botanical Name: Calathea crocata

Eternal Flame’s ruffled lance-shaped dark green leaves retain their color for a long and look magnificent with yellow flowers! It thrives well in bright indirect sunlight; exposure to bright morning sun is beneficial.

10. Pin-stripe

Botanical Name: Calathea ornata

Pin-stripe offers foot-long oblong dark green leaves patterned with pink-white stripes on long green stems. Grow this calathea in well-draining and slightly moist soil.

11. Zebra Calathea

Botanical Name: Calathea zebrina

The dark to mid-green patterns on its velvety leaves resembles a Zebra’s skin. It also grows purple-white flowers in spring. Place the plant in filtered sunlight for optimum growth.

12. Sanderiana

Botanical Name: Calathea ornata ‘Sanderiana’

Sanderiana has glossy dark green leaves with rose-cream pinstripes and purple bottom sides. The plant thrives in indirect sunlight, so keep it in a bright spot.

13. Freddie

Botanical Name: Calathea ‘Freddie’

Freddy looks quite stunning with its light green long narrow leaves patterned with dark-green feathery veins! Place the plant in bright indirect light, and follow these steps to maintain humidity.

14. Network

Botanical Name: Calathea musaica ‘PP0005’

This stunningly textured cultivar has variegated small green leaves. The plant does well in bright indirect light, so it is ideal for keeping it by the East or West window.

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15. Fusion White

Botanical Name: Calathea ‘Fusion White’

Fusion white has a fantastic marbling of white and green on the foliage with a bright purple underside. If you love showy plants, this is the one to grow!

16. White Tiger

Botanical Name: Calathea albertii ‘White Tiger’

The white tiger has a charming white pattern in the shape of waves on the dark green leaves. Pair it with other varieties on this list for a splash of colors.

17. Misto

Botanical Name: Calathea ‘Misto’

A hybrid variety features dark green foliage with a light and bright green center with serrated variegation.

18. Beauty Star

Botanical Name: Calathea ‘Beauty Star’

If you love green, then you will absolutely adore this plant. The foliage has a bright green feathering from the center that flows towards the dark green ends of the leaves.

19. Medallion

Botanical Name: Calathea roseopicta ‘Medallion’

The plant’s foliage has a certain sheen on the surface with hues of silver and emerald green on the green base. The back of the leaves is in the shade of purple.