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Calathea plants are famous for their striking variegated foliage, and the cultivar Calathea setosa 'Compact Star' is no exception.
If you plan to add this species to your houseplant collection, they will be an eye-catching show stopper, but bear in mind they could need a lot of space. The 'Compact Star' can easily reach up to a meter in height if you provide them with the right conditions.
Calathea Setosa Care Guide & Presentation
Medium to bright indirect light. Never direct sunlight.
Enjoys being on the moist, but not soggy side.
Enjoys high humidity. Spritz occasionally.
Avoid any sudden temperature changes. Keep humidity high in warmer temperatures.
Outside: Grow in morning light, partial shade (4-6 hours) where nights are above 45°F.
Indoors: This plant prefers bright, indirect light for at least six hours in a southern, eastern and western windows.
Trim off any dead or damaged stems to keep energy moving to the healthy leaves. Shower the leaves using a watering can with filtered or rainwater to remove dust. Remove any debris on the soil and replenish soil if needed.
When receiving the plant, do not repot immediately but wait at least 6-12 months. Repot in the spring, using a 2" wider pot. (Too large of a pot could cause the soil to dry slower, which is not helpful.) Use a well-draining indoor potting mix with perlite to help with drainage or an African Violet potting mix.
Water your plant in the old pot and let them sit an hour before transferring. Place a piece of screening at the bottom of the container over the drainage hole to secure the soil and allow to drain. Add soil to the bottom to elevate the root ball. Lift the plant and release the roots against the existing planter. Use a clean knife or garden trowel to wedge between the pot and the soil to loosen. Inspect the root ball. Notice if there are any dead or rotting roots and trim off with sterile pruners. If the plant is rootbound, cut through the roots to alleviate continued encircling.
Ensure the plant is sitting about 1" below the edge of the pot to avoid water spillage. Add more soil and backfill around the sides by tamping down. Fill up to the soil line but not over. Water thoroughly, leaving the soil damp but not soggy. If settling occurs, add more soil. Enclose the new plantings in plastic bags, mist and keep them in medium light. Remove the plastic bag when the roots are established. You may observe some leaf changes as they acclimates to their new environment. They may suffer some transplant shock depending on how tight the roots were intertwined together. Trim off any declining leaves as they regains their energy and gets rooted into the soil over time.
Trim off any dead or damaged stems to keep energy moving to the healthy leaves. Shower the leaves using a watering can with filtered or rainwater to remove dust. Remove any debris on the soil and replenish soil if needed.
Indoors: Propagate and divide in the early spring when emerging from dormancy. Pull from the container and brush or wash away the soil carefully. Carefully divide and repot in a rich, indoor potting soil mix or African violet mix. Use a container that has drainage and is deep enough for the roots to grow. Set them in medium to bright, indirect sunlight while they are rooting. Check the moisture and humidity each day and add misting to keep the soil moist while the roots establish. After 6-8 weeks, roots will begin to establish. You can tug onto the stem to ensure the roots are anchoring well. Outdoors: Carefully loosen the soil and dig the roots up and separate the plant in new locations in your garden. Add rich, damp, and loamy soil in a part-shade morning sun location. Water with filtered or rain water at soil level.
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Calathea Setosa Compact Star: Overview
Calathea Compact Star (Calathea setosa 'Compact Star') is a prayer plant with elongated leaves marked by a beautiful striped pattern of dark green and silver; the undersides of the leaves are wine-red to purple. A tropical plant native to South America, the Compact Star Calathea is suitable for hardiness zones 10-11, where it can grow on the porch or patio as long as the night temperatures are above 45°F. In other areas, it’s best to grow Setosa Calathea indoors. These spectacular plants can grow about 3 ft. high and need plenty of space when mature.
The Calathea Setosa plant belongs to the prayer plant family Marantaceae. Like other prayer plant varieties, Calathea Setosa folds its leaves like hands in prayer in the evening and lowers them during the day. Calatheas prefer medium to bright indirect sunlight that mirrors their natural rainforest floor habitat; direct sunlight can burn their beautiful leaves.
In addition, Calethea plants are non-toxic and completely safe for pets, making them ideal for households with animals and young children. These beauties symbolize new beginnings, personal growth, and devotion. In Feng Shui, they’re used for harmonizing and attracting positive energy.
Calathea plants are known for their striking variegated foliage, and each variety offers unique beauty, be it the Calathea Orbifolia with its gently striped, round leaves or the boldly patterned Calathea Rattlesnake.
Calathea Plant: Benefits
- Purifies the air, removing harmful toxins
- Pet-safe plant, perfect for pet owners
- Eye-catching, exotic foliage
- Reduces stress and promotes relaxation
- Perfect home and office plant for attracting positive energy according to Feng Shui
Calathea Setosa: Care Guide
Calatheas are more sensitive to their surroundings than the more easy-care plants. Here are some Calathea care tips to help your plant flourish:
Watering and Humidity
Keep the soil moist, but don’t let it get oversaturated and soggy. It’s best to use filtered or ‘overnight’ water, as Calatheas can react negatively to the chlorine and fluoride in tap water. This plant loves humid environments, so keep the humidity high around your Calathea Setosa. Place a pebble tray underneath the plant’s pot, mist it regularly, or use a humidifier if necessary.
Light and Temperature
The best lighting for your Calathea Prayer plant is medium to bright indirect light from a southern, eastern, or western window. Your plant needs about six hours of bright sunlight per day. If you’re growing your plant on the porch, place it in partial shade so it only receives bright light in the mornings. Calatheas grow best in evenly warm temperatures from 60℉ to 75℉. They don’t like temperature swings and cold drafts.
Soil, Feeding, and Repotting
Use well-draining potting soil mixed with perlite for your Prayer plant; you can also use soil for African violets, as it’s designed for moisture retention and good drainage. Feed it every month during the growing season with a balanced liquid fertilizer. Repot once in two years into a 2-inch larger container. The best time for repotting your Calathea is spring.
Propagation
Prayer plants are not hard to propagate. The easiest way to multiply your Calathea Compact Star is by division. Gently separate the root clump and set aside several healthy plants with roots attached. Then, repot them into well-draining soil. Keep the moisture high while the new plants are adjusting.
Pruning, Cleaning, and Common Issues
You can prune your Calathea to keep the desired shape and size of the plant. Clean the leaves with a damp cloth once in a while to remove accumulated dust. Remove dead leaves, stems, and debris from the soil.
Wilting leaves with brown tips indicate underwatering and a lack of sufficient humidity. Yellowing, leaves on your prayer plant usually indicate overwatering. Also, Calathea’s foliage can sometimes curl when the plant isn’t receiving enough moisture.
Calathea Compact Star: Placement, Companion & Alternative Plants
Place your Compact Star plant where you can make the most of its vibrantly colored leaves, either as a single centerpiece plant or as part of your indoor oasis.
Best Locations & Uses
- Great plant for bedrooms due to its stress-reducing and air-cleansing properties
- Thoughtful gift plant because of the positive Calathea symbolism of new beginnings
- Ideal for homes with pets
- Excellent porch plant for warmer climates
- Perfect for spaces with high humidity, like bathrooms
Companion Plants
Placing plants in the same area can help increase humidity around them, which is important for Calatheas; moreover, the various foliage colors and shapes can look stunning together:
- Alocasia Bambino (Alocasia amazonica 'Bambino'): A compact Alocasia variety, Alocasia Bambino has dramatic dark green leaves with pronounced white veins and thrives in high humidity.
- Dwarf Cavendish Banana Tree (Musa acuminata): The Dwarf Cavendish Banana Tree is a beautiful tropical plant with large leaves that makes a wonderful patio plant for warmer climates and might even produce edible fruit!
- Zebra Plant (Aphelandra squarrosa): Easily recognized by its striped leaves, the Zebra Plant loves humid environments and produces bright yellow flower spikes.
Alternative Plants
If you are looking for plants with eye-catching foliage, consider some of these fabulous plants for your indoor jungle:
- Calathea Makoyana Cathedral Windows (Goeppertia makoyana (syn. Calathea makoyana)): With gorgeously colored leaves that resemble semi-transparent stained glass, the Calathea Makoyana Cathedral Windows can be a stunning addition to your plant collection.
- Aglaonema Red Siam (Aglaonema commutatum ‘Red Siam’): An exciting tropical plant with colorful foliage, Aglaonema Red Siam is easy to care for and believed to bring good luck in Feng Shui.
- Petra Croton (Codiaeum variegatum 'Petra'): The hues of Petra Croton’s foliage vary from vivid to dark green with stripes of red, pink, and yellow, giving it an exceptionally exotic look.
Get Your Calathea Setosa From Lively Root Today
Brighten your interior with a dazzling Calathea Compact Star, lovingly nurtured by Lively Root!
