21 Incredible Calathea Louisae Care Tips You Should Know

Calathea Louisae is a tropical plant with a unique appearance that makes it an excellent choice for indoor gardeners.

This detailed care guide will go over everything your Calathea Louisae needs to stay healthy, including the hows, whys, and when.

Continue reading to learn where you may buy this Calathea and its distinguishing characteristics and typical dangers to avoid.

What Is Calathea Louisae?

Calathea Louisae, commonly known as Thai Beauty, Thai Beauty Calathea, and C. Louisae, is popular among plant lovers for its decorative leaves.

This tropical and popular plant is recommended to be placed near an east or west-facing window to flourish indoors. Outdoors, it thrives in hardiness zones 9-11.

Origin And Family

Thai Beauty is a member of the genus Calathea and the Marantaceae family, and it comes from the Brazilian rainforest.

This Thai Beauty is also referred to as a prayer plant, like most plants from the Marantaceae family. Calathea prayer-plants respond to temperature and light by folding up and down. The term for this type of activity or movement is nyctinasty.

Most summers, you’ll get to witness it blooming.

Where To Buy

You should be able to find Calathea Louisae at your local nursery, but if you want a hassle-free experience of selecting from a wide variety of plants online and having one delivered to you, Etsy is a great option! We’ve ordered several plants there and have been delighted with the delivery and the health of the plants.

Recently renamed Goeppertia Louisae for taxonomy reasons, most online stores and local nurseries still refer to it as its Calathea name.

You can buy a Calathea Louisae for about $15 for small plants up to $30 for larger or more mature plants for very affordable prices.

Calathea Louisae Plant Size

The Calathea Louisae is a moderate-growing houseplant when placed near an east or west-facing window. It can reach an average height of 4-8 inches and an average width of 2-4 inches in homes.

Calathea Louisae Care Needs

Though it is not a complex plant to care for, growing your Calathea Louisae to its complete potential demands the fulfillment of specific requirements. The Calathea Louisae, with its decorative leaves, loves humidity and needs evenly moist soil to thrive.

Water your Calathea when the soil’s top two inches are dry. As long as your pot has sufficient drainage, don’t be afraid to thoroughly saturate the soil during watering schedules to properly hydrate the roots. This lovely plant will do best in bright indirect light regarding light requirements.

Learn about your plant’s more specific care needs by reading our in-depth guide below!

Care Difficulty

This Thai Beauty Calathea is generally moderate-to-difficult to care for. The well-draining soil and amount of light are the most important considerations for this Beauty.

Growth Rate

The growing speed of a C. Louisae is typically moderate. Indoors, it reaches a mature height of 4-8 inches.

This plant’s height can be controlled by correctly cutting it during the growing season in the spring and summer.

Potting

This plant’s optimal potting material and size is a medium-sized pot made of plastic, terracotta, or clay. The most crucial consideration is that your vessel has at least one drainage hole to allow excess water to escape. Thai Beauty does not like sitting in water as they hate soggy soil; otherwise, it may succumb to root rot.

Repotting

As your Calathea Louisae develops, you should consider moving it to a larger pot if you see roots pushing through the drainage holes. Due to its modest growth rate, you will need to repot your plant every two years.

When repotting your Calathea, use a fresh batch of soil to give its roots more nutrients to absorb. Also, take special care not to touch this plant’s roots so much during the process. Calathea plants are known to be ultra-sensitive and hate having their roots disturbed.

Soil

Thai Beauty Calathea grows well in standard commercial potting soil. Combine peat moss and perlite to make your own potting mix. This plant prefers a consistent level of moisture in its soil.

Furthermore, appropriate drainage is essential to avoid fungal diseases, root rot, and other problems.

We propose the following soil types:

pH

You’ll need a soil pH of roughly 6.5-7.5, which is neutral to acidic, for the C. Louisae. If you’re concerned about acidity, you may test your soil with essential pH testing equipment that you can buy online.

If you suspect that the pH is too high, you can lower it by adding sulfur or aluminum sulfate.

Meanwhile, if your soil’s pH is too low, you can add baking soda, calcitic or dolomitic lime, or wood ash.

Water

Your Thai Beauty will want the soil to keep evenly moist between watering sessions. With your finger, feel the dirt to see if the top two inches are dry. If this is the case, thoroughly saturate your plant until water oozes out of the pot’s bottom.

Calatheas can be a bit choosy when it comes to their water choice, and they don’t respond well to chemicals like fluoride and calcium, compounds found in tap water. If you must use tap water, leave it to sit overnight for up to 24 hours to allow the contaminants to dissipate. Use distilled, rain, or filtered water.

Too much water will kill your plant. In most cases, under watering Thai Beauty is preferable to overwatering Thai Beauty. To keep your plant’s roots from drowning, use well-draining soil and a pot with drainage holes.

Light

Coming from the tropical rainforests of Brazil, this plant is used to receive bright indirect light. In an indoor setting, 6-8 are the recommended hours of exposure for your Calathea Louisae.

Too much light will cause your plant’s leaves to burn. Move your plant away from the window or use drapes and shades to block off the intense light when this occurs.

On the other hand, if your Louisae is not getting as much light as it needs, it may lose its beautiful color. You can position your plant near a window and supplement it with grow lights in this situation. The following artificial lighting products are recommended by us:

This plant may also grow in medium-light and partial shade, and it can be placed in any low-light area of your home. Avoid exposing your Calathea Freddie to direct sunlight for extended periods, as this can severely harm or even kill it.

Fertilizer

Feed your Calathea Thai Beauty if you want to give it some extra nutrient boost. Apply a water-soluble fertilizer once a month during the spring and summer growing seasons.

Here are some plant food alternatives to consider:

When growth naturally slows down during the winter season, you don’t need to fertilize.

Fun fact: calatheas aka prayer plants are called such bc at night their leaves “pray”

one of the many reasons why i love them 💚

in the pic: Calathea louisae (Maui Queen), Calathea makoyana (Peacock Plant), Calathea albertii (Emerald Feather) pic.twitter.com/pVJztdrBMB

— ☽ Sidney ☾ (@sidneemeow) July 25, 2021

Propagating Calathea Louisae

If your Calathea Louisae has grown too tall, you can trim it back and save the cuttings for replication! Below are step-by-step instructions for several propagation strategies.

Division

C. Louisae can be handed down during the division process. This method is most suited for vegetables with bulbs, tubers, stolons, rhizomes, and suckers, but it can also be used for houseplants with clumping stems.

1. Dig up. Remove the plant from its container. When working with plants and dirt, always wear gardening gloves.

2. Separate. You should observe where the roots and stems parted on their own. Pull them apart gently with your fingertips, and cut the hearts where the portions meet.

3. Repot. Place each portion in fresh pots filled with the same soil as before.

Humidity And Aeration

Calathea Louisae is a popular plant that loves high humidity. Keep the humidity at 70% or above.

Check the humidity in your Calathea Louisae’s area with a simple hygrometer. If the value is too low, you can increase the moisture by:

• Houseplants benefit from each other’s transpiration, keeping them close together.

• Put a pebble tray and water under the pot. The evaporating water feeds the plant.

The plants will release steam and raise the humidity in the space if you buy a humidifier.

Temperature

Generally, warm temperatures are best for your C. Louisae plant, and this can range between 65-85 degrees Fahrenheit.

The most crucial factor for this plant is consistency. C. Louisae can be severely harmed by sudden temperature fluctuations. Protect your plant from cold drafts by closing windows and sealing any openings in cold weather. Keep it away from heat vents, which can cause the leaves to dry up.

Flowers

If you can provide the best conditions for your plant and keep it at its happiest, you might be able to see insignificant white flowers. However, you must know that most plants generally bloom in an outdoor environment.

Non-Toxic

Children and pets won’t be poisoned by Thai Beauty Calathea. According to the ASPCA, ingesting it will not hurt dogs or cats, and there are no toxic components in the plant.

Pests, Diseases, And Other Problems

Is your Calathea Louisae acting strangely? Most people believe that this is not a resistant plant to pests, illnesses, and other issues.

I’ve listed the most frequent diseases and concerns that affect this popular plant in the categories below. Use this website to diagnose and treat Calathea.

Spider Mites

Spider mites are unfortunately fairly common, and C. Louisae is particularly sensitive. Spider mite damage appears as little brown or yellow patches on the plant’s leaves. When the infestation is severe, you may also notice fine silk webbing.

Begin by saturating your C. Louisae with water using a sink nozzle or a pressure sprayer. This essentially removes the spider mites from the plant. If the first method does not work, an organic pyrethrin spray will come in handy.

If you prefer a more natural option, releasing ladybugs in your indoor growing space will help reduce spider mite populations. The “Spider Mite Destroyer” beetle may be challenging to obtain, but the name speaks for itself!

Fungus Gnats

If you notice your Thai Beauty suddenly wilting, yellowing, or growing slower than usual, it may signify that your plant has fungus gnats. These gnats look like a tinier version of mosquitoes that lightly flutter about your plant.

When you spot these moisture-loving pests, keep the topsoil dry by switching to bottom-watering instead of pouring water from above. Another approach is to cover your topsoil with diatomaceous earth, dehydrating the larvae and dissuading the adults from laying more eggs.

Fungus gnat larvae can be killed by soaking the soil in four parts water and one part hydrogen peroxide if the infestation is severe.

White Flies

Whiteflies are gnat-like pests that feed on the sap of your houseplants. Having them on your Thai Beauty can be a significant inconvenience. They deposit eggs which will hatch into larvae that eat the undersides of your plant’s leaves.

You can get rid of Whiteflies using a general pesticide. You may either buy it online or make one using the recipe below:

• To create your base, mix these ingredients together: 5 drops of dish soap (no bleach!) + 1 cup of vegetable or olive oil

• For every cup of water, add 1.5 tbsp of the prepared mixture

• Shake the solution well and then transfer it to a spray bottle.

• Spray all surfaces of the infected plant, especially on the underside of leaves.

LOVE this variegation of the Calathea Louisae ‘Maui Queen’ Beautifully elegant 💚🪴 #calathea #calatheamauiqueen #calathealovers #houseplants #plantsplantsplants #plantlovers #fortheloveofplants #plantsmakepeoplehappy pic.twitter.com/LSTdr67fXf

— Valleyview Gardens (@ValleyviewG1970) November 6, 2021

Scale Insects

Adult scales are sedentary and have a waxy coating on their bodies, yet they can give birth to tiny crawling bugs.

Armored scales may be scraped off, but you must do so gently with an old ID card or your fingers. Take care not to rip your Calathea Louisae’s leaves.

Use insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, or neem oil to suffocate scale insects. If you see active crawlers, spray with a comprehensive pesticide. After a week, repeat the process with a second application. We propose the following products:

Aphids

Aphids are especially drawn to new shoots, flower buds, and new growth areas. They will leave behind ugly black and white splotches as they feed on the sap.

If you see these disgusting crawlers, segregate your poisonous plant from the others right away. Spray your plant with water to expel the aphids, but remember to cover the soil with plastic to collect any falling bugs and eggs. Dispose of the plastic at a location that is not in your garden.

It may take numerous applications of insecticidal soap, neem oil, or horticultural oil to entirely eliminate the aphid population.

Mealybugs

Your most effective weapon against mealybugs is rubbing alcohol. On touch, it kills mealybugs and turns them a translucent brown color. Spray the pests with a diluted solution of alcohol and water.

Brown Leaf Tips

Low humidity, underwatering, root injury, and soil compaction can create brown leaf tips on your Thai Beauty.

Occasionally, flushing excess minerals, salts, fertilizers, and chemicals from the soil with water for a few minutes may be required. Using a fast-draining substrate and a pot with drainage holes won’t accidentally drown your plants’ roots.

Foliage Friday 🌿 (Calathea Louisae) pic.twitter.com/4ARSPuOQqp

— Plant Buddy Vlogs 🇳🇬 (@KhalidLately) August 14, 2020

Drooping Leaves

A wilting, droopy appearance on your Calathea Louisae indicates distress. Possible causes of drooping leaves of a Calathea plant are overwatering, underwatering, excessive light exposure, lack of light, and low humidity.

Yellow Leaves

If you see yellowing leaves on your Thai Beauty Calathea, you might need to consider several factors to determine the culprit.

Of course, yellowing bottom leaves can also signify that your plant is expanding and that the leaf’s energy has been depleted. Simply remove the fading leaves in this scenario so that the plant may concentrate on growing new green leaves.

Root Rot

Root rot is a widespread killer of the C. Louisae. Some indoor gardeners might get overzealous with their watering or forget to provide adequate drainage for their plants, and these two mistakes are the two leading causes of root rot.

Use pots high in porosity (such as clay, unglazed ceramic, and concrete) to allow excess moisture to escape from the sides. Give your plant a well-aerated soil mix to let its roots breathe and grow freely.

Similar Plants

Love Thai Beauty? Here are some other plants that are similar that you should try:

Calathea Ornata: The “Pinstripe Plant” or the “Peacock Plant” is another common name for the Calathea Ornata, a plant for the vibrant and multicolored stripes adorned its leaves.

Calathea Makoyana: As one of the most stunning interior Calatheas, Calathea Makoyana is a show-stopper. Its long, slender stem and perfectly sculpted leaves will enthrall everyone, even those who aren’t interested in plants.

Calathea Beauty Star: Beautiful dark green foliage with silvery lines and brilliant purple undersides make Calathea Beauty Star a standout in the garden. Its name says it all.

Calathea Orbifolia: Big, white/silver-green banded leaves star this evergreen perennial. It’s excellent for giving vitality and filling up the voids in any indoor space.

Conclusion

Calathea Louisae is a gorgeous plant for your home with its decorative leaves. You’ll be able to grow this plant with ease if you follow our maintenance instructions.

Do you have a Calathea Louisae? We want to see it! Please send pictures to [email protected], and we might share them on our blog.

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