Calathea warscewiczii (Velvet calathea)
- Regular price
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€29,95 - Regular price
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- Sale price
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€29,95
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Frequently asked questions
Can Calathea warscewiczii grow in a low-light room? Yes, it is one of the most shade-tolerant Calatheas — it remains decorative in spaces away from windows, where most other Calatheas would struggle to thrive.
What is the difference between Calathea warscewiczii and Calathea Orbifolia? The warscewiczii has elongated, velvety dark green leaves with purple undersides and complex patterns, while the Orbifolia features large, round light green leaves with wide silver stripes — two opposite aesthetics within the same family.
Shipping & packaging
Shipped within 24/48 hours via DPD
- Delivery in 2 to 5 working days
- Eco-friendly packaging: recyclable boxes and biodegradable materials
- Special protection so your plant arrives in perfect condition
- Tracking link sent by email as soon as your parcel ships
- Shipping costs and the free-shipping threshold depend on your country — see our delivery page
ZEN ARRIVAL GUARANTEE
We guarantee that your plants will arrive in perfect condition. If your plant arrives damaged or in poor condition:
- Contact us promptly at hello@verdeia.eu with photos
- We will find the right solution for your situation
- No return needed — we trust you
The guarantee covers: damage in transit, plants severely weakened on arrival, and order preparation errors.
CARE TIPS ON ARRIVAL
To help your plant settle in for the long term:
- Unpack your plant immediately and inspect it
- Let it acclimatize for 24-48h in a bright spot out of direct sunlight
- Check the soil moisture before watering (dry surface = light watering)
- Wait 2-3 weeks before repotting, if needed
- Keep it away from heat sources and drafts
- Gently wipe the leaves to remove dust
Need help? Contact our team at hello@verdeia.eu or via chat.
🌿 Dark green velvety foliage • 💜 Deep purple underside • 🌙 Leaves fold at night • ☀️ Partial shade to indirect light • 🐾 Non-toxic • 🏙️ 2 sizes available
The Calathea warscewiczii, also called the velvet calathea, is a tropical plant native to the South American forests with exceptional foliage — its large elongated leaves have a dark green velvety top with elaborate patterns and a deep purple underside that creates a striking contrast. Like all Calatheas, its leaves fold up at night and open at dawn.
Non-toxic to pets, it is one of the few large graphic tropical plants that can be freely placed in a home with cats or dogs — a valuable quality in the Calathea & Maranta family where several species are mildly toxic.
Which Calathea variety to choose?
The Calathea genus comes in a wide variety of patterns and textures — here are the most distinct profiles from the Calathea collection:
- Calathea warscewiczii (this plant) — dark green velvety foliage with elaborate patterns, deep purple underside, 2 sizes. The most velvety and contrasting in the range.
- Calathea Orbifolia — large round leaves striped light green and silver, very generous habit. The brightest and largest.
- Calathea Medallion — green, purple, and silver medallion patterns, compact habit. The most classic and colorful.
- Calathea Ornata — dark green foliage with very precise fine pink stripes. The most elegant and graphic.
- Calathea Makoyana — complex translucent patterns, unique stained glass effect. The most artistic of the family.
- Calathea zebrina — wide light and dark green stripes, very graphic foliage. The choice for a highly contrasting zebra pattern.
Exposure & placement
Calathea warscewiczii is one of the most low-light-tolerant Calatheas — this is its main advantage over other species in the family, which generally require stronger indirect light to maintain their colors and their light-humidity balance.
- Ideal exposure: partial shade to indirect light — away from windows with direct sunlight.
- Tolerates: low light better than most Calatheas.
- Avoid: direct sunlight that burns and discolors the velvety leaves, and drafts.
- Temperature: 18 to 25 °C, without sudden changes.
- Humidity: high humidity recommended — mist regularly or place it in a bright bathroom where natural humidity replicates tropical conditions.
Do not touch the velvety top of the leaves with bare hands — repeated contact damages the characteristic texture. Handle only by the stems.
Watering & care
Like all Calatheas, the warscewiczii is very sensitive to water quality — limescale causes characteristic brown tips on the leaf edges, often mistaken for a watering problem. Filtered water or rainwater is the key to beautiful foliage, as with all lime-sensitive tropical plants.
- Watering: regular — keep the substrate slightly moist at all times without ever waterlogging it.
- Frequency: about once a week, slightly reduced in winter.
- Water: must be lime-free — filtered water or rainwater at room temperature.
- Drainage: pot with drainage holes required — never let water stagnate in the decorative pot.
- Humidity: mist 2 to 3 times a week, especially in dry winter air.
- Fertilizer: a diluted liquid foliage plant fertilizer, once a month in spring and summer.
Gently wipe the leaves with a slightly damp cloth, working on the underside rather than the velvety top — the velvet texture is damaged by repeated contact and does not regenerate.
Decor ideas & plant pairings
The velvety foliage and purple underside of the Calathea warscewiczii make it a plant that deserves to be seen up close — place it at eye level to fully enjoy its texture and the contrast between the two sides of its leaves.
- For a pair of large Calatheas with complementary textures, pair the warscewiczii with a Calathea zebrina — both species share the same generous shape and velvety texture, but the very graphic zebra-like patterns of the zebrina contrast with the more elaborate and darker patterns of the warscewiczii for a very rich composition.
- In a matte purple or anthracite ceramic decorative pot, the dark tones of the ceramic complement the deep purple underside of the leaves and unify the composition in a very sophisticated style — choose a matte dark ceramic decorative pot without a pattern so that the velvety foliage is the only decorative accent.
- For a tropical arrangement at different heights, place the warscewiczii in the foreground in front of a Calathea Orbifolia — the large silver round leaves of the Orbifolia in the background and the elongated velvety leaves of the warscewiczii in the foreground create two very distinct layers in a complementary green palette.
- In a bright bathroom, the warscewiczii benefits from the natural humidity after showers to keep its dense foliage and velvety texture intact — it is one of the few large graphic tropical plants perfectly suited to this environment.
Verdeia tips
- Switch to filtered water or rainwater from the first week: limescale is the number one cause of brown edges on Calathea leaves — changing the water alone is often enough to stop the problem without altering watering or light.
- Maintain high ambient humidity in winter: in heated apartments, dry air causes brown tips even with perfect watering — mist the foliage 2 to 3 times a week or place a bowl of water near the plant to compensate.
- Repot every 2 years in spring in a light, well-draining substrate: Calathea warscewiczii develops its root system gradually — wait until roots come out of the bottom of the pot before repotting and follow the steps in the indoor plant repotting guide.
Technical characteristics
- Botanical name: Calathea warscewiczii
- Common name: Velvet calathea, jungle velvet calathea
- Family: Marantaceae
- Origin: Tropical forests of South America
- Dimensions at delivery: 🏙️ 2 sizes available — H50 cm | Pot Ø14 cm or H70 cm | Pot Ø19 cm
- Exposure: Partial shade to indirect light, tolerates low light
- Watering: Regular, keep the substrate slightly moist, lime-free water essential
- Humidity: High humidity recommended
- Temperature: 18 – 25 °C
- Care: Moderate
- Toxicity: Non-toxic for pets and children
- Decorative style: Velvety / Elegant / Tropical
Each plant is unique: the photos show a representative example. The intensity of the velvety texture and the density of the foliage naturally vary depending on light, humidity, and season.
Your plant, delivered with care
Every plant is hand-packed in a box specially designed for plants — secured, protected, ready to travel. It arrives in perfect condition, roots intact and foliage preserved, ready to take its place in your home.
Our Verdeia commitments
FAQ – Everything to know before adopting your Verdeia plant
How are my plants prepared before shipping?
All our plants are selected from our European partner nurseries. Before shipping, they are watered, cleaned, and protected with breathable, secure packaging. Each package is designed to ensure your plant arrives in perfect health, without any transport-related stress.
Will the plant look exactly like the photo?
The photos accurately represent the variety and the stated size. Since each plant is unique, slight differences in shape, foliage, or color may occur — and that’s part of their charm.
What are the delivery times and conditions?
Orders ship within 48 working hours, with tracked delivery in 2 to 5 working days via DPD. Shipping costs and the free-shipping threshold depend on your country — see our delivery page. You receive a tracking link as soon as your parcel leaves.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
Open your package as soon as you receive it and carefully remove the plant from its packaging. Let it acclimate for 24 hours in its new environment before watering. If it has been slightly stressed during transport, it will recover its shape after one or two days in the light.
What should I do if my plant arrives damaged?
Contact us within 48 hours with a photo of the issue. Our team will assess the situation and offer you the best solution: replacement, partial refund, or recovery advice.
Can I return a plant?
Since plants are living beings, standard returns are not possible. However, we guarantee good health upon delivery: if the plant arrives damaged, it will be replaced free of charge. For any other cases (order error, decorative pot, accessory), returns are possible within 14 days.