Calathea ornata 'Meili' - Plante paon, Calathéa

The Goeppertia ornata 'Mieli' is a variety of peacock plant, most often sold under the names Calathea 'Mieli' or 'Meili'. This houseplant captivates with its large, striped foliage, dark green, traversed by cream and pinkish stripes, with a purple underside. Bushy and rather compact, this calathea forms an elegant and well-filled bouquet of leaves. Placed in filtered light, it lends a refined, tropical touch to a living room, office, or bright bathroom.

Native to the humid tropical forests of northern South America, more specifically southeastern Colombia and southwestern Venezuela, Goeppertia ornata grows naturally in the shaded undergrowth, on humus-rich, consistently moist soils. The species, long named Calathea ornata, also has a few older botanical synonyms (notably in the genus Maranta), but Goeppertia ornata is now the accepted name.
The cultivar 'Mieli' is a compact horticultural selection. This rhizomatous plant forms a dense clump, 30 to 40 cm in height and 30 to 35 cm in width. The leaves, borne on long petioles emerging from the soil, are ovate to obovate and can reach 15 to 20 cm in length. Their upper surface is medium to dark green, crossed by lighter bands and fine cream or pinkish stripes running from the central vein towards the edge of the lamina. The underside displays a very pronounced purplish violet. Like all prayer plants, the foliage unfolds during the day and closes up in the evening: these nastic movements give the impression of a living plant reacting to the room's atmosphere. Indoors, flowering, consisting of small whitish to yellowish flowers grouped in spikes, remains rare and quite discreet; this plant is primarily grown for its leaves.
Goeppertia ornata is considered non-toxic to humans and pets.

Indoors, the Calathea 'Mieli' appreciates soft light without direct sun, a humid atmosphere (at least 50% humidity), and stable temperatures between 18 and 27°C. Overall, it is a somewhat demanding plant, rather suited to already somewhat experienced enthusiasts, as it reacts quickly to air that is too dry, hard water, or overwatering.

The Calathea 'Mieli' is well-suited to quiet spaces where one wishes to create a soft tropical ambiance. It particularly thrives in a living room or a bright bedroom, a bathroom with a window, or a temperate conservatory, sheltered from cold draughts. Place it in a ceramic planter, on a low piece of furniture or a bench near an east-facing window, to enjoy its striped leaves at eye level. It pairs particularly well with other Marantaceae like the Calathea makoyana 'Peacock', the Calathea roseopicta 'Rosy', the Calathea ‘Dottie’ or the Ctenanthe ‘Golden Mosaic’. Their foliage variegated with green, cream, or pink together creates a very expressive green corner, suited to a contemporary living room, a restful bedroom, or a bright bathroom.