Today we are going to talk about one of the most famous indoor plants known for having a special leaf structure. They are used for interior decoration and have somewhat more complex care that need attention. It’s about the maranta leuconeura. It is also known by the common name of Maranta tricolor. This genus of plants comes from the tropical forests of the areas of the Brazilian territory. Within this genus there are specifically about 42 plants, which makes this species quite attractive.
Therefore, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you everything you need to know about maranta leuconeura its characteristics and its care.
Key features
The maranta leuconeura It is native to the tropical forests of the vast territory of Brazil. Therefore, being tropical plants, in Spain they grow almost only indoors, except for frost-free areas in the South, the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands. They don’t even survive in these areas where there is no frost and they are free from low temperatures. It has very little resistance to low temperatures, so it is very likely to die below 10 degrees.
This plant offers several advantages as it tried for interior decoration. The first attraction it has is the design of the blade. It has a quite attractive design, striking for many people and a very velvety touch. It does not grow too fast, although it can be accelerated if a fertilizer is used properly. The height is low and can serve as a hanging plant. The advantage it offers over other indoor plants is that not much is usually left from its pot and from the initial configuration when it begins to grow.
Caring for the maranta leuconeura
Although this plant has numerous requirements for proper care, it must be borne in mind that there is one of them that is key. It’s all about the humidity. As long as the humidity factor is not neglected, the rest of the needs are somewhat easier to cover. We are going to classify by parts what are the care of the maranta leuconeura.
Lighting and temperature
It must be borne in mind that when caring for a tropical plant indoors we must try to recreate the conditions of its natural habitat as much as possible. In this case, the plant comes from the tropical jungles of Central America and grows in shady understory areas. In these areas there is a great density of trees that do not allow light to pass to the ground area. This means that you need a lot of lighting but without having direct sunlight. It can also be located in a semi-shady place.
A perfect place to place this plant is near a window where sunlight is filtered through a curtain. The truth is that this plant also it can be developed in places with somewhat lower lightingbut you will notice a loss of brightness and color of the leaves. It looks much more beautiful when it is located in a bright area without direct sun.
Regarding the temperature, we have seen that he is quite sensitive to low temperatures. Therefore, the ideal temperature for its correct growth and development is 20-28 degrees. It is a warm climate plant that needs to be grown indoors where there are not too many fluctuations in temperature. She is not able to tolerate cold climates, being detrimental for her to drop below 10 degrees.
On the contrary, if it reaches temperatures above 30 degrees, it is interesting to maintain a somewhat more optimal degree of humidity at these temperatures. It can withstand high temperatures as long as the ambient humidity is adequate.
Moisture and irrigation
Another aspect to take into account in the care of the maranta leuconeura is the degree of humidity. As we have mentioned before, it is the most important point. You need a very high degree of humidity to be able to stay hydrated and healthy at all times. To be able to guarantee this humidity that it needs, we can place the pot on a plate with water and stones. In this way, the base of the pot does not come into contact with water.
With this we manage to increase the humidity and prevent the roots of the plant from becoming waterlogged. Another of the necessary practices so that the plant does not have humidity problems is spraying the leaves frequently. By doing it twice a week during the summer time and once during the winter time is more than enough. It must be borne in mind that, if during the winter the environment of your house dries up due to the heating, you must be careful to spray the leaves better according to the needs of the plant. And it is that it cannot get to notice that the humidity is diminishing.
Regarding irrigation, it is one of the most delicate points of the Maranta. It should be a moderate watering to avoid flooding and drowning the plant. During the summer we will have to ensure that the substrate is always humid and water a couple of times a week. As winter approaches and temperatures drop, irrigation must be spaced more. It is important to allow the top layer of the soil to dry out to water again. This trick is not an easy thing, but as time passes, it is much easier to recognize when the plant needs watering.
Maintenance of the maranta leuconeura
Among the care and maintenance of this plant we have the fertilizer. Being a slow growing plant, a compost can be used to accelerate development. You can use a liquid fertilizer that is applied to along with the irrigation water. Remember that it is important to pay during the growing months.
We must always be careful with the application deadlines and the amounts of fertilizer to be used, since an excess could be harmful to the plant.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the necessary care for maranta leuconeura and its main characteristics.
