Calathea roseopicta Purple Rose - Rose-painted calathea

Calathea roseopicta ‘Purple Rose’ is a tropical houseplant with foliage broadly coloured in pink and edged with very dark green, whose underside reveals a magnificent plum violet. Nicknamed the "prayer plant" for its leaves that stand upright in the evening, it adds a lot of character to a living room, bedroom, or bright office. Its striking appearance works well in urban jungle or boho-chic style décors.

Botanically, Calathea roseopicta ‘Purple Rose’ belongs to the Marantaceae family; the species is now named Goeppertia roseopicta. It is native to the humid undergrowth of tropical South America, where it grows in the shade of large trees. 
‘Purple Rose’ is a horticultural cultivar selected for its strongly pink-coloured foliage. In a pot, the plant forms an upright, bushy clump, reaching 40 to 60 cm in height and about 40 cm in width. Its almost round, 15 to 20 cm long leaves are slightly wavy on the edges. The leaf has a broad, rich pink centre that can lean towards mauve, encircled by an olive green or almost black zone. Their underside is an intense purple. In the evening, the leaves rise up, displaying this dark side. The small whitish to purplish flowers borne at the heart of the clump remain very rare indoors and are not the main interest of the plant.
Like all calatheas, this cultivar is non-toxic to both humans and pets.

Indoors, this calathea likes light, but not direct sun behind a windowpane. It needs a warm and humid atmosphere, around 18 to 26 °C. It is a slightly demanding plant in terms of air humidity and water quality, which must be non-calcareous; it is suitable for enthusiasts able to provide these conditions. Place it in a bright living room or a temperate bedroom. In a heated bathroom, the natural humidity contributes to the beauty of its foliage.

Calathea ‘Purple Rose’ deserves a place in the foreground of a tropical plant display: its blocks of pink stand out next to darker foliage. Pair it, for example, with Calathea ‘Dottie’, with almost black leaves veined in pink, or with Calathea ornata. On a low piece of furniture, it pairs well with a Spathiphyllum ‘Tanni’ or with a Philodendron ‘Sunlight’ which complement this tropical décor. In a bright bathroom with a window, you can place the calathea on a piece of furniture or a stool, and hang a Platycerium on the wall or place it on a shelf. This way, you can play with volumes and textures.