Did you know that there are several types of maranta? It is a type of herbaceous tropical plant that has beautiful leaves of two or more colors depending on the variety, a characteristic that many of us love.
But if you want to expand your collection, you should know their names first. So let’s start now so you can get the ones you love the most as soon as possible.
Contents
Selection of marantas
How many types of maranta are there? About thirty different species have been described, which grow only in tropical regions where it rains frequently.. This means that they are plants that need warmth and a humid environment to grow, which is why they can do well indoors as long as the humidity is high.
Now it is very interesting to know the scientific names of the plants, because in this way we can know more about each of them. For it, then we will tell you which are the most known species of maranta:
maranta amabilis
Picture – stekjesbrief.nl
The Arrowroot ‘Amabilis’ It is a variety of M. leuconeura native to South America which reaches a height of about 40 centimeters for about the same width. Its leaves are light green with dark green spots on its veins on the upper side and green on the underside.. It produces small bluish-white flowers that often go unnoticed.
Maranta arundinacea
Image – Wikimedia/Yercaud-elango
The Maranta arundinacea It is a species native to tropical America, specifically Colombia and Venezuela. It is known as sago, arrowroot and obedient plant, and can grow up to one meter tall and 60 to 70 centimeters wide. The leaves are of good size, dark green, and also light green if it is the variegated form.. As a curiosity, know that the roots are edible, but they are extracted from mature plants, which are around 25-30 years old.
Maranta ‘Fascinator’
Picture – bomagardencentre.co.uk
Its full scientific name is Maranta leuconeura ‘Fascinator’‘. This means that it is a selected variety of M. leuconeura. Therefore, it is very similar to the type species, but It has a more intense and striking color.
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Arrowroot ‘Kerchoveana’
Image – Flickr/Maja Dumat
It is another cultivar of Maranta leuconeura. It differs from it in its green leaves with dark green spots of almost rectangular shape.. It grows as a creeping plant, so it can be interesting to have it in a hanging pot. It reaches a height of about 40 centimeters.
Maranta leuconeura
Image – Wikimedia/Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz
The Maranta leuconeura is a variety native to Brazil known as maranta tricolor which reaches a height of 30 centimeters by about 30-35 centimeters wide. The color of its leaves is very variable, so much so that new subtypes have been described.
Maranta ‘Lemon Lime’
Image – peaceloveandhappiness.club
The Maranta ‘Lemon Lime’ is another variety of M. leuconeura. Its leaves are green, but the veins and the center of the leaf are yellowish green., hence its name. It reaches an approximate height of 35-40 centimeters and reaches 30 centimeters in width.
Maranta ‘Light Veins’
Picture – imthenewgreen.nl
The Maranta ‘Light Veins’ is a cultivar of M. leuconeura characterized by dark red spots and the rest of a light green color, as well as yellowish nerves. It reaches 30 or, at most, 40 centimeters in height for about the same width.
What is maranta care?
Finally, surely you want to know how to take care of the maranta, right? For you to have a beautiful plant, let’s see what you need to do to make it healthy:
Light
The most important thing is to place the maranta in a room where there is plenty of light. It is a plant that needs a lot of light to grow, but be careful, because it must not be placed right in front of the window because it must not receive direct sunlight, otherwise its leaves will suffer burns.
Likewise, it should not be stored near fans, heaters, or a window that is left open for a long time. Drafts dry out its leaves, causing them to turn yellow.
Relative humidity and irrigation
relative humidity must be greater than 50%, this is what happens in houses that are on islands, near the sea or rivers or in areas where it rains very, very often. But if this is not your case, it will be necessary to water the leaves of your maranta with rainwater or clean drinking water every day so that it does not dehydrate.
As for watering, it must be watered every 4 or 5 days in summer. The rest of the year, the soil needs more time to dry out. We will use rainwater or low-calcareous water; that is, one with a pH of 6 or less, but should never be less than 4.
Pot and substrate
The pot can be plastic or clay, but there must be yes or yes for the maranta to last us a long time it is another hole in its base for the water to pass through them. It is a mistake, and also a very serious one, to have it in a pot without holes, because it is not a plant that tolerates excess water in its roots. For this reason, it is also strongly recommended to plant it in a spongy and quality substrate, such as the universal one from brands such as Flower or Westland.
In addition, it must be planted in a larger pot – it must be about 7 centimeters taller, at least – every 2 or 3 yearsor whenever we see that the roots come out of the holes, or if when trying to remove it from the container, the bread of earth does not collapse.
We hope you enjoyed it.