My Calathea loeseneri is smiling from ear to ear during this time of the year in my tropical garden. The cool and wet weather without any constant drying wind is something quite comfortable for this plant.
To show its pleasure, this plant first doesn’t roll up its leaves anymore and what’s more obvious is that it has produced a great profusion of flowers.
Its leaves aren’t as fanciful as other foliage calatheas but are still pretty on their own. In a shady environment, the leaves are two-toned. The area near the mid rib are lighter in green which gradually turns darker as we progress towards the leaf margin.
Only with the absence of any wind, the minute, pale pink, true flowers of Calathea loeseneri are visible. These fade off quickly and will do so more quickly if the plant is grown in a windborne area. They literally dry out. What remains showy for weeks is the inflorescence consisting of hot pink bracts. There is another cultivar with bracts that are coloured darker pink.
