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Species library › Calathea › Calathea similis
Other Partly documented

Calathea similis

Calathea similis is a Central American lowland species described by Helen Kennedy in 1975, well recorded from Nicaragua to Panama. It grows mostly below 300 m in very wet Caribbean-slope rainforest, so it wants heat, humidity and constant moisture.

At home, aim for
Day Warm-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Humid airBand in Plantistry
Light ShadeDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest periodGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

A terrestrial herb of lowland rainforest understorey and edges on the Caribbean slope.

Records span 50–800 m, median 100 m (68 records with elevations).

NicaraguaCosta RicaPanama

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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More Calathea

Calathea lutea Calathea crotalifera Calathea lateralis Calathea utilis Calathea guzmanioides Calathea ischnosiphonoides Calathea lasiostachya Calathea platystachya Calathea erythrolepis Calathea timothei Calathea latrinotecta Calathea anulque All 78 →

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.