Bring the tropics to your home with Rattlesnake Plant, Calanthea lancifolia. An exotic looking wonder, it features long green, wavy leaves with dark decorative spots in the shape of leaves. Adding more interest are the purple undersides of the leaves. Plants grow 8-18″ tall.

Fantastic as a houseplant indoors. Outdoors it makes a wonderful stand alone specimen, or it can be added to mixed seasonal annual containers. Plants rarely bloom indoors. Easy to grow, it prefers bright, indirect light, with no direct sun. Also know as Prayer Plants, they get their name for their movement of leaves, opening in the mornings and closing at night.

Plant in well-draining, good potting soil. Fertilize plants when they are actively growing, usually April through Aug, following fertilizer manufacturer’s directions. Water consistently, keeping plants evenly moist. Let plants dry out a bit in between waterings. Plants will require less water during fall and winter months. Rattlesnake Plant likes high humidity. To add humidity, place plants on a bed of wet pebbles or mist occasionally. Plants prefer warm temperatures and should not be moved outdoors until night temperatures are at lease 60 degrees or more.