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Species library › Maranta › Maranta disticha
Other Partly documented

Maranta disticha

Maranta disticha Buc'hoz (1783) is an old name for Calathea lutea, the cigar calathea or bijao, a 2 to 4 m giant of open wet lowlands from Mexico through Central America and the Caribbean to the Amazon and Bolivia. Unlike the shade-loving prayer plants it grows in sun or light shade in swamps, ditches and riverbanks, so it wants bright light, constant moisture and plenty of room.

At home, aim for
Day Warm-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest periodGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Terrestrial, clump-forming herb of open marshy ground, stream banks, wet pasture and forest edges in the humid lowlands, usually below 1000 m.

Lowland, mostly 0 to 1000 m.

MexicoBelizeGuatemalaHondurasNicaraguaCosta RicaPanamaCubaHispaniolaColombiaVenezuelaEcuadorPeruBoliviaBrazil NorthGuianas

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