Species · genus Ctenanthe · Marantaceae

Never-never-plant

Ctenanthe oppenheimiana (É.Morren) K.Schum.

Growth habit
perennial
Native range
Brazil Northeast
Reference · C. oppenheimiana

Cultivars of C. oppenheimiana

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under C. oppenheimiana yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Ctenanthe oppenheimiana is a perennial from the tropical forests of northeastern Brazil, a Marantaceae understory plant that wants warmth, steady humidity, and bright indirect light rather than direct sun, which scorches its patterned leaves. Keep the mix lightly, evenly moist but never soggy: water when the top inch is approaching dry, and ease off in cooler or darker conditions to avoid rot. Dry air and crisping leaf edges signal it needs more ambient humidity.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified
Light
ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water
ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d)
Humidity
ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil
ai:claude-fable-5
Care
ai:claude-fable-5
Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 10 days

Humidity

High

Temperature

16–27 °C

Soil mix

Light, moisture-retentive mix with peat and perlite

Propagation

Division of the rhizome at repotting

Fertilizing

Diluted balanced feed monthly in the growing season

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Rarely flowers indoors; prized for its striped leaves

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Not yet documented

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Never-never-plant yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.

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