Iona, a Calathea Roseopicta Illustrious, is another harder to come by variety of Calathea, but she's worth the wait. Each new leaf that Rosalia pushes out will actually start deep green colour before eventually progressing closer to a black-green as she ages.
Native to the rainforests of South America, the Calathea, Prayer Plant, and Maranta families, have unique leaf movements whereby they actually raise and lower their leaves from day to night as if getting ready for bed! And, if that wasn’t impressive enough, they’re also great at purifying the air!
Iona, Calathea Roseopicta Illustrious
Iona prefers bright indirect light to partial shade, without prolonged exposure to direct sun - a touch of morning sunlight wouldn’t go a miss.
If you’re not sure what level of light you have, check the shadows cast by your plant:
- Minimal shadow = lower light
- Half shadow = indirect light
- Full shadow = direct sun
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