The Calathea Wavestar is a visually striking houseplant, admired for its unique foliage and tropical appeal. It’s a favored choice for indoor plant enthusiasts adding lush, living decor.
Meet Calathea Wavestar
The Calathea Wavestar (Goeppertia rufibarba ‘Wavestar’) belongs to the Marantaceae family, known as “prayer plants.” Originating from Brazil’s tropical rainforests, it thrives on the forest floor. This plant features slender, wavy leaves with ruffled edges, growing up to 3 feet tall. Its foliage is vibrant green on top, with a fuzzy, maroon or purple underside. Calathea Wavestar exhibits nyctinasty, a circadian rhythm where its leaves move upwards at night and lower during the day.
Calathea Wavestar Care Essentials
Caring for Calathea Wavestar involves mimicking its native tropical environment. Consistent attention to its needs for light, water, and humidity helps it thrive indoors.
Light Needs
Calathea Wavestar flourishes in bright, indirect light. Place it in a sunny room, away from direct sunlight. Direct sun exposure can scorch delicate leaves, causing fading patterns or brown spots. Insufficient light hinders growth and causes yellowing leaves. A north- or east-facing window, or a few feet from a brighter window with sheer curtains, provides suitable illumination.
Watering Practices
Maintain consistently moist, but not waterlogged, soil for Calathea Wavestar. Water when the top 1-2 inches of soil begin to dry, typically every 1-2 weeks, though frequency varies with light. Filtered, distilled, or rainwater is preferred, as Calatheas are sensitive to chlorine, salts, and minerals in tap water, which cause browning leaf tips. Ensure the pot has drainage holes to prevent root rot.
Humidity Requirements
High humidity is crucial for Calathea Wavestar, as it naturally grows in humid rainforests. Low humidity causes leaves to curl, become crispy, or develop brown edges. Increase ambient moisture using a pebble tray with water, a nearby humidifier, or by grouping with other humidity-loving plants. Misting offers only a temporary boost. Aim for humidity levels between 60% and 70%.
Soil and Potting
A well-draining yet moisture-retentive potting mix is ideal for Calathea Wavestar. A good mix includes peat moss, coco coir, pine bark, and perlite, providing aeration while holding adequate moisture. Proper drainage is essential to prevent soggy conditions and root issues. When repotting, choose a pot with drainage holes to allow excess water to escape.
Temperature Considerations
Calathea Wavestar thrives in warm, consistent temperatures, ideally 65-85°F (18-30°C). It is sensitive to cold drafts and sudden temperature fluctuations, which cause stress and damage. Avoid temperatures below 55-60°F (13-15°C). Keep the plant away from open windows, air conditioning vents, or heating sources that create drafts or extreme temperature changes.
Fertilizing Your Plant
During the active growing season (spring and summer), Calathea Wavestar benefits from light fertilization. Apply a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer, diluted to half strength, every two to four weeks or monthly. Avoid fertilizing in fall and winter when growth naturally slows. Over-fertilization can lead to salt buildup in the soil, causing leaf browning.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
Even with careful attention, Calathea Wavestar can exhibit signs of distress. Understanding common issues and their solutions helps maintain plant health.
Pest Management
Calathea Wavestar can be susceptible to common houseplant pests like spider mites, mealybugs, and aphids. Spider mites often appear as tiny webs between leaves and stems, especially in dry conditions. Mealybugs are small, soft-bodied insects found on stems and leaf undersides. Regular foliage inspection aids early detection. If pests are found, isolate the plant and treat it with insecticidal soap or neem oil to eliminate the infestation.
Leaf Discoloration
Several factors can cause leaf discoloration in Calathea Wavestar. Yellowing leaves often indicate overwatering or insufficient light. Overwatering leads to soggy soil and root rot, preventing nutrient absorption. Browning tips or edges frequently signal low humidity or sensitivity to tap water minerals. Faded leaf patterns suggest too much direct light exposure. Adjusting watering habits, increasing humidity, or relocating the plant to a spot with appropriate light resolves these issues.
Drooping Leaves
When Calathea Wavestar leaves droop, it indicates moisture-related stress. Underwatering causes plant cells to lose water, leading to a limp appearance. Conversely, overwatering can also cause drooping by leading to root rot, which prevents efficient water absorption. Cold temperatures or drafts can also stress the plant, resulting in drooping foliage. Checking soil moisture and ensuring consistent, appropriate watering is the first step to reviving a drooping plant.
Growing Your Collection
Expanding a Calathea Wavestar collection involves specific propagation techniques. Understanding when to repot the plant is also crucial for its continued growth.
Propagating New Plants
The primary method for propagating Calathea Wavestar is division, ideally performed during spring or early summer. This involves carefully separating a mature plant’s root clumps into smaller sections, ensuring each new section has healthy roots and at least one stem. After division, pot new plants in fresh soil and keep them in a warm, humid environment with indirect light to encourage establishment and new growth. The process can be delicate due to the plant’s fragile roots.
When to Repot
Calathea Wavestar needs repotting every one to two years, or when root-bound. Indicators include roots growing out of drainage holes, slowed growth, or the plant appearing too large for its current container. Repotting is best done in early spring before the active growing season, allowing the plant to recover and establish quickly. When repotting, select a pot only slightly larger (1-2 inches in diameter) to prevent overwatering issues.