Calathea is grown for its foliage and the structure it brings to a planting. It's hardy across USDA zones 11 through 12, shrugs off deer and grows just as well in a container as in the ground.
Calathea — the short answer
Calathea: grown in zones 11–12, part sun, pH 5.5–7.
- USDA zones
- 11–12
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7
- We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Sun
- Part Sun
- Converted from NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Frost-kill temp (growing season)
- 50°F
- We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Calathea on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether calathea actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score calathea against your land's real conditions.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your parcel report in seconds — read in full free for your first 14 days
See Calathea
What Calathea is
Calathea grows as a perennial and reaches around 2.5 feet at maturity. It's also deer-resistant and well suited to containers.
Mature height, deer resistance and container suitability: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
How to grow Calathea
Calathea grows in USDA zones 11 through 12. Calathea does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 7, on well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
11-12
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil pH
5.5 - 7
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Sun
Part Sun
Converted from NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Drainage
well (dry spells)
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Frost Kill Temperature
50°F
Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Mature Height
2.5 ft
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Start the season right
Plant calathea in part sun with at least 4 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Match the soil
Calathea prefers pH 5.5 to 7. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Keep it in good form
Prune calathea to shape as it grows; the reward is its foliage and structure, not a harvest, so steady upkeep is the whole job.
Where Calathea thrives
Calathea is hardy across USDA zones 11 through 12. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 11–12 spans average winter lows from 40°F to 60°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers none outright but splits 3 down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 11–12·Where Calathea growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Calathea stands, state by state
Calathea is rated for zones 11–12 — a cold floor USDA puts at 40 to 50°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 0 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 3 more, and 48 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
The line runs through
3 states
- California · zones 4b-11a
- Florida · zones 8b-12a
- Hawaii · zones 8b-13a
Calathea’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Calathea
Growing guides for calathea
Related plants in houseplant/patio
Good to know
Calathea isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data — pair it with high-value bloomers nearby to feed bees.
Your land is one point inside Calathea's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Calathea will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether calathea actually takes. We score it against the mapped and modelled conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Calathea
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Calathea in my zone?
Calathea grows in USDA hardiness zones 11 through 12 (NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Calathea?
Most growers plant calathea after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Calathea need?
Calathea does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Calathea need?
Calathea prefers soil pH 5.5 to 7, on well-drained ground. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. Your report scores your parcel's mapped soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Calathea attract pollinators?
Calathea isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data. Pairing it with high-value bloomers nearby keeps bees and butterflies fed.
Keep exploring Calathea
Calathea state by state
Every state calathea's zone reaches — 1 link straight to that state's calathea growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.