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, shade, pH 5.5–7.
- USDA zones
- 11–12
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Sun
- Shade
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Frost-kill temp (growing season)
- 50°F
- Growable Ground Plant Database
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.
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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.
How to grow Calathea
Calathea grows in USDA zones 11 through 12. Calathea does best in shade — at least 2 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 7, on well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
11-12
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5.5 - 7
Growable Ground Plant Database
Sun
Shade
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
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.
Growable Ground Plant Database
Mature Height
2.5 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant calathea in shade with at least 2 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.
Match the soil
Calathea prefers pH 5.5 to 7 (Growable Ground Plant Database). 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. 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
Good news for pet owners — calathea isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
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 exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether calathea actually takes — we score it against the real 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.
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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•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Calathea in my zone?
Calathea grows in USDA hardiness zones 11 through 12 (USDA PHZM 2023). 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 is shade-tolerant — it gets by on as little as 2 hours of direct sun, so it earns a place most vegetables can't use. A north-facing strip or the ground under a leafy canopy is right where it belongs. A Growable Ground report shows which corners of your land stay shaded through the day, turning those dim spots into planting spots.
What soil does Calathea need?
Calathea prefers soil pH 5.5 to 7, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual 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.
Is Calathea safe for pets?
Calathea is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)
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.