Species · genus Goeppertia · Marantaceae
Pin-stripe Calathea
Goeppertia ornata (Linden) Borchs. & S.Suárez
Cultivars of G. ornata
The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.
No named cultivars catalogued under G. ornata 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.
A striped calathea
Goeppertia ornata, once classed as Calathea ornata, is the pin-stripe calathea, an evergreen clump-forming perennial grown for its patterned foliage. It belongs to the Marantaceae family and reaches up to about 90cm in height as a houseplant or conservatory subject.
Source: RHS
Native to South America
This species comes from a native range stretching from southeastern Colombia to southwestern Venezuela, where it grows within the wet tropical biome. Its genus, Goeppertia, was formerly folded into Calathea, and the plant carries a long list of historic synonyms dating back to its first description as Maranta ornata in 1848.
Source: Kew
Warmth, shade and steady moisture
Grow this calathea under glass or indoors in bright indirect or filtered light, in peat-free compost that stays moist but well-drained. It wants high humidity, shelter from draughts, and a fairly constant temperature of at least 16°C. Water freely through the growing season, feed monthly with a general houseplant fertiliser, and ease off on watering once winter arrives.
Source: RHS
Divide in late spring
Propagation is by division, best carried out in late spring. Newly divided pieces need warm, humid conditions to settle back in before treating them as established plants.
Source: RHS
Pin-striped, colour-shifting leaves
The broad oval leaves start bright green and are marked with paired pale pinkish-white bands radiating out from the midrib, giving the pin-stripe effect. With age the leaves deepen to dark green above while taking on a purple flush beneath. Occasionally, in summer, the plant sends up spikes of white flowers, though this is not a frequent event indoors.
Source: RHS
Whitefly and red spider mite
Keep an eye out for glasshouse whitefly and glasshouse red spider mite, the two pests most likely to trouble this plant. Beyond these, it is generally free of disease problems.
Source: RHS
Tidy spent flower spikes
Once flowering has finished, cut down the spent flower spikes. Suited to houseplant, sub-tropical, and conservatory or greenhouse settings, it typically takes two to five years to reach maturity.
Source: RHS
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
Bright, indirect
≈ every 10 days
High
18–27 °C
Airy, moisture-retentive mix of peat/coir with perlite
Division of the rootball at repotting
Diluted balanced feed monthly through the growing season
Moderate
Rarely flowers indoors; grown for its pinstriped foliage
Non-toxic to cats & dogs
Prayer-plant family (Marantaceae). ASPCA lists Calathea insignis (= Goeppertia insignis) non-toxic; the genus is uniformly safe. 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.
Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ASPCA
Kept true by its growers
Every fact here carries its source. Grow Pin-stripe Calathea yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.
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