Calathea makoyana is a houseplant suitable for removing formaldehyde indoors

Calathea makoyana: Marantaceae, Calathea genus, perennial evergreen herbaceous plant. The plant is upright and can reach 60 cm in height. The petioles are purplish red, and the leaves are thinly leathery, ovate-elliptic, with feather-like markings of dark green alternating with white or pale yellow on the leaf surface, just like the pattern on a peacock's tail feathers, hence the name. The leaves also have a special trait: they spread out during the day and fold up at night. Calathea makoyana is native to Brazil and has been introduced and cultivated in China. Calathea makoyana is a typical foliage plant of the Marantaceae family, graceful in appearance and uniquely charming.

Calathea makoyana

The Calathea makoyana plant grows in dense clumps and is upright, reaching 20-60 cm in height. The petioles are purplish red and grow from the rhizome. The leaves are thinly leathery, ovate-elliptic, 10-20 cm long and 5-10 cm wide, yellow-green, with a faint metallic sheen over the green surface of the leaf, bright and vivid. On both sides of the main vein they alternate, with feather-like dark green elongated oval velvety markings, and the side opposite the markings, called the underside, is purple, arranged alternately left and right. The leaves have a "sleep movement," that is, at night the leaf folds upward from the leaf sheath along the leaf, clasping the stem, and reopens the next morning after sunlight exposure.

Calathea makoyana

Pest and disease control:

Calathea makoyana has relatively few pests and diseases, but under conditions of dry air and poor ventilation, it is prone to scale insects, whiteflies, and others, which can be sprayed and killed with 25% phosmet emulsion at 1000 times dilution or 40% omethoate at 1500 times dilution.

Landscape greening:

This species has rich and colorful leaf colors and extremely strong ornamental value, and it is mostly a shade plant with strong shade tolerance and relatively strong adaptability. It can be planted in courtyards, under the shade of trees in parks, or along roadsides. In South China, more and more species have been used in landscape greening. Planting methods can use block planting, clump planting, or arrangement in combination with other plants. In northern regions, it can be cultivated in ornamental greenhouses for landscape viewing.

Calathea makoyana

Indoor arrangement:

Because this species has strong shade tolerance and beautiful leaf color, it can be planted directly in corner areas of public places such as hotels, shopping malls, and large venues as a permanent arrangement. However, during cultivation and management, light should be supplemented appropriately and water should be sprayed on the leaves regularly to increase air humidity.

Edible and medicinal uses:

The rhizome contains starch and is edible, and has effects such as clearing lung heat and promoting urination.