6 in. Beauty Star Calathea

The Calathea That Lives Up to Its Name

The Beauty Star Calathea doesn't just suggest elegance — it delivers it. Long, lance-shaped leaves painted with soft silver-green brushstrokes on a deep green background, with a rich purple-red underside that flashes every time the leaves move. At 6 inches, it's a full, lush, well-established plant that brings an immediate sense of tropical sophistication to any room — and like all prayer plants, it performs a quiet daily ritual that makes it feel less like a decoration and more like a living presence.

A cultivar of Calathea ornata and part of the beloved Marantaceae family, the Beauty Star is prized among Calathea collectors for its distinctive silver feathering — a pattern that's softer and more painterly than the bold pink stripes of the Ornata, and more dramatic than the subtle markings of the Freddie. It occupies a beautiful middle ground: refined enough for a sophisticated interior, striking enough to stop people in their tracks.

Why You'll Love It

• Distinctive silver feathering — soft, brushstroke-like silver-green markings on deep green leaves; a painterly pattern that's unique among Calathea varieties
• Living leaf movement — leaves rise and fold with the light cycle, revealing the rich purple-red underside each evening in the signature prayer plant ritual
• Full, lush presence at 6 inches — a well-established plant with multiple leaves that makes an immediate visual impact from day one
• Pet friendly — non-toxic to cats and dogs, a safe and stunning choice for pet-friendly homes
• Air purifying — helps filter indoor air pollutants for a cleaner, healthier living environment
• Collector's variety — the Beauty Star is a sought-after Calathea among enthusiasts; a meaningful addition to any serious plant collection

Care Guide

• Light: Bright to medium indirect light is ideal and will keep the silver feathering most vivid and the growth most vigorous. Tolerates lower light, though the markings may become less pronounced over time. Avoid direct sun, which will fade and scorch the delicate silver portions of the leaves
• Water: Keep soil consistently moist but never waterlogged — water when the top inch feels dry. Use filtered, distilled, or rainwater whenever possible; like all Calatheas, the Beauty Star is sensitive to the fluoride and minerals in tap water, which cause brown leaf tips. Allow excess water to drain fully after each watering
• Humidity: Loves high humidity (60%+) — mist regularly, use a pebble tray, or place near a humidifier for the most lush, vibrant growth. In dry conditions, leaf edges will brown and curl. A bathroom with good indirect light is an ideal home
• Temperature: Prefers 65–85°F (18–29°C); keep away from cold drafts, air conditioning vents, and sudden temperature changes, which stress the plant and cause leaf curl
• Fertilizer: Feed monthly during spring and summer with a diluted balanced liquid fertilizer; avoid over-fertilizing, which causes leaf burn and inhibits healthy growth
• Soil: A well-draining, moisture-retentive mix is ideal; our Premium Potting Soil is an excellent match when it's time to repot
• Repotting: Repot every 1–2 years when roots begin to crowd the pot, moving up one size at a time

The Beauty Star Among Calatheas

If you're building a Calathea collection — or already have one — the Beauty Star is an essential addition. Its silver feathering sits in beautiful contrast to the bold pink of the Calathea Dottie and the subtle green stripes of the Calathea Freddie, making the three a natural, complementary trio that showcases the full range of what this extraordinary plant family can do. Together, they create a display that's genuinely hard to walk past without stopping.

Tip: Brown leaf tips are almost always caused by tap water minerals or low humidity — switch to filtered water and increase misting frequency for crisp, clean edges. And keep those beautiful silver-feathered leaves gleaming with our Leaf Shine Spray; at 6 inches with multiple large leaves, the difference between dusty and polished is immediately and strikingly visible.