Identity & taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Goeppertia makoyana (E.Morren) Borchs. & S.Suárez
- Family
- Marantaceae
- Genus
- Goeppertia
- Order
- Zingiberales
- IUCN status
- Least Concern (LC)
- Wikidata
- Q5008115
- Calathea makoyana E.Morren
- Maranta makoyana (E.Morren) Petersen
- Peacock planten
- Cathedral windowsen
- Påfågelblommasv
- Påfuglblomstno
- Påfuglblomstda
- Riikinkukkokalatheafi
- Pfauen-Korbmarantede
Eastern Brazil (Atlantic coastal rainforest, Bahia and Espírito Santo)
How to identify it
Growth habit. Compact clumping rhizomatous perennial. Long-petioled leaves rise individually from a slowly spreading underground rhizome and arrange themselves in a loose cluster. The clump expands by 2–4 new leaves per growing season indoors. Leaves rise upright in the evening and lay nearly horizontal during the day — the 'prayer plant' motion driven by a thickened pulvinus joint where the petiole meets the blade.
Leaves. Oval to broad-elliptic leaves 15–20 cm long and 8–12 cm wide on long slender petioles 20–35 cm. Upper surface is pale silvery-green with translucent windows ('cathedral windows'); a feathery dark-green axis runs the length of the midrib with parallel oval dark-green markings on either side, exactly resembling a peacock's tail. Leaves are paper-thin and translucent — held to light, the dark ovals appear as silhouettes from beneath. Underside is dark pinkish-magenta with the same pattern in deeper red. Both surfaces are smooth and slightly waxy.
- Peacock-feather pattern: feathery dark-green axis with paired oval markings.
- Translucent paper-thin leaves; dark pattern visible from underneath.
- Pinkish-magenta underside flashes when leaves move at night.
- Long thin petioles 20–35 cm — leaves stand well above soil.
- Nyctinastic 'prayer' movement: leaves rise vertically at night.
Commonly confused with
Pinstripe calathea
Pinstripe calathea has dark green leaves with thin pink or white stripes parallel to the side veins — narrow lines, not peacock ovals. Same care needs.
Rose-painted calathea / 'Medallion'
'Medallion' has a roughly oval pale band inside the leaf margin and a deep green centre — single concentric pattern, not feathered ovals. Often more rounded leaves.
Calathea orbifolia
Round leaves with broad silvery-green and dark-green concentric stripes radiating from the midrib. Bigger leaves (20–25 cm), no magenta underside, and a much hardier reputation than makoyana.
Rattlesnake plant
Long lance-shaped leaves with wavy margins and dark green markings on lighter ground — narrow leaf shape rather than round-oval. Maroon underside. The toughest of the popular Goeppertia.
Care
Light
Medium indirect light; never direct sun.
An east window, a north-bright window, or 1.5 m back from a south or west window with a sheer curtain. Goeppertia makoyana is an understorey rainforest plant — direct unfiltered sun bleaches the pattern, fades the magenta underside, and crisps the paper-thin leaves within days. Conversely, very low light (under 3,000 lux) causes the peacock pattern to fade as the plant produces less of the contrasting pigment.
Seasonal: Nordic latitudes above 55°N: the dim winter is actually fine for makoyana — it's the dry indoor air from heating that kills it, not low light. Avoid moving closer to a window in winter; the cold draught is worse than dim light.
Water
Top 1–2 cm dry — every 5–7 days; use rainwater or distilled.
Goeppertia makoyana is fluoride-sensitive. Tap water in many regions causes brown leaf tips and edges within weeks. Use rainwater, distilled water, or filtered water at room temperature. Water thoroughly until runoff, then let only the top 1–2 cm dry before watering again. The rhizome should never sit in waterlogged soil but should never dry out completely either — a delicate balance that catches many beginners out.
Seasonal: Reduce frequency by about a third in winter when growth slows.
Soil
Light, peat-free, moisture-retentive aroid mix with extra perlite.
Two parts peat-free houseplant mix, one part fine bark, one part perlite, plus a handful of fine sphagnum moss. The mix should hold even moisture without staying soggy. Avoid heavy clay-loam mixes — drainage is critical given the plant's sensitivity to root rot.
Humidity
60 %+ required; below 50 % causes leaf crisping.
This is the make-or-break factor for Goeppertia makoyana. Indoor humidity below 50 % produces brown crispy leaf edges within days, regardless of watering or light. A humidifier running near the plant during heating season is effectively required. Pebble trays and grouped plants help marginally but are usually not enough alone in a heated apartment.
Temperature
18–24 °C; damage below 13 °C.
A warm-room plant. Cold draughts from windows or cool floor positions in winter cause leaf yellowing and dropping. Keep away from doors that open to outside in winter; below 13 °C the plant rapidly declines.
Fertilizer
Quarter-strength balanced feed monthly in growing season.
A light feeder. Quarter-strength balanced NPK monthly April–September; over-fertilising shows as crispy tips and salt build-up that the plant tolerates very poorly. Flush the soil with rainwater every 2–3 months to prevent salt accumulation. Skip feeding October–March entirely.
Pruning
Trim brown edges and remove fully damaged leaves.
Trim brown leaf margins with sharp scissors, following the natural curve of the leaf, leaving a thin brown line so the green tissue is preserved. Remove fully yellowed or browned leaves at the petiole base. Healthy plants produce new leaves through the growing season; old ones senesce naturally.
Repotting
Every 2 years in spring; tolerant of slight pot-binding.
Move up by one pot size in spring. Goeppertia makoyana resents heavy disturbance; if dividing, do so cleanly with a sharp knife and expect a 2–3 month sulk while the divisions re-establish. Avoid repotting during winter when the plant is least able to recover.
Division of the rhizome
moderate~Immediate; recovery 6–12 weeksAt repotting time, lift the clump and tease apart into 2–3 sections, each with several healthy leaves and a section of rhizome. Pot each into its own pot with fresh moisture-retentive mix. Water in lightly, cover loosely with a clear bag for 2 weeks to maintain humidity, and resume normal care once new leaves emerge. The only reliable propagation route — Goeppertia does NOT root from cuttings.
Common problems
Brown crispy leaf edges
Symptom
Leaf margins go brown and dry, often with a thin yellow line between green tissue and brown edge.
Cause
By far the most common Goeppertia complaint. Three usual causes: (1) low humidity below 50 %, (2) fluoride or chlorine in tap water, (3) salt build-up from over-fertilising. Often all three at once.
Fix
Move humidifier next to plant; aim for 60 %+. Switch to rainwater, distilled water, or filtered water. Flush soil with 3× pot volume of rainwater. Cut feeding to quarter-strength monthly. New leaves should emerge clean within 2–4 weeks once conditions stabilise.
Leaves curling and rolling tightly
Symptom
Leaves curl inward along their long axis and stay rolled even at midday.
Cause
Severe underwatering, root damage, or extreme low humidity. The plant rolls leaves to reduce surface area and conserve moisture.
Fix
Check soil 5 cm down. If bone-dry, water thoroughly with rainwater and consider bottom-watering by sitting the pot in a shallow tray for 30 minutes. Raise humidity. If soil was wet but leaves curl, suspect root rot: unpot and inspect.
Pattern fading or new leaves plain green
Symptom
Older leaves look washed out; new leaves emerge pale or without the peacock ovals.
Cause
Light too low — below ~3,000 lux the plant cannot produce enough contrasting pigment.
Fix
Move to medium indirect light (east window or 1.5 m from a south window with sheer curtain). New leaves emerge with full pattern within 6–10 weeks; existing washed-out leaves will not regain pattern.
Yellow leaves with black-blotched petiole bases
Symptom
Lower leaves go yellow rapidly; pulling on a leaf reveals a soft, blackened petiole base.
Cause
Root rot from overwatering or poor drainage.
Fix
Unpot, cut away black or mushy roots, dust with cinnamon, repot in fresh free-draining mix. Reduce watering frequency. If more than half the rhizome is rotted, salvage the healthy section as a division.
Spider mite webbing under leaves
Symptom
Fine webs on leaf undersides; tiny pale stippling on upper leaf surface.
Cause
Spider mites thrive in dry indoor air — exactly the conditions makoyana hates anyway.
Fix
Shower the plant under tepid water, then treat weekly with neem oil or insecticidal soap for 4 weeks. Raise humidity to 60 %+ to prevent recurrence. Spider mites cannot establish in genuinely humid conditions.
- Spider mites in dry air
- Thrips on leaf undersides
- Fungus gnats in damp soil
- Root rot from overwatering
- Leaf-spot fungal infection in stagnant humid air
Toxicity & safety
No reported toxicity in humans.
Goeppertia makoyana — Missouri Botanical Garden Plant FinderASPCA classifies peacock plant (Calathea/Goeppertia makoyana) as non-toxic to cats. Safe for cat households.
Peacock Plant (Calathea makoyana) — ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic PlantsASPCA classifies peacock plant as non-toxic to dogs. Safe for dog households.
Peacock Plant (Calathea makoyana) — ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic PlantsWhy Goeppertia makoyana is harder than any other 'calathea'
Goeppertia is famous for being demanding, but among the popular species, makoyana is the most demanding. The reason is the leaf itself — paper-thin, translucent, with a delicate cuticle that loses water faster than the thicker leaves of orbifolia or lancifolia. Drop indoor humidity below 50 % and makoyana shows damage within 48 hours; the same conditions can be tolerated for weeks by orbifolia.
The fluoride-sensitivity is also more pronounced than in some other species. Tap water that is borderline tolerable for orbifolia will brown-out makoyana within a few waterings. Brand-new leaves emerging during a tap-water phase will already have brown edges by the time they fully unfurl, which makes the cause harder to diagnose.
If you want a calathea-style plant and live with central heating in a Nordic apartment, start with rattlesnake plant (Goeppertia lancifolia) or calathea orbifolia — both are forgiving relative to makoyana. Move to makoyana once you have humidity sorted, ideally with a humidifier running through winter.
And accept the trade-off: makoyana is slower-growing and somewhat prone to losing older leaves to gradual senescence. Even a perfectly-cared-for plant tends to show some history on its older leaves over the seasons.
Calathea or Goeppertia? Why the name keeps changing on labels
Until 2012, almost every prayer plant in cultivation with patterned leaves was called 'Calathea'. The genus had absorbed roughly 300 species over the 19th and 20th centuries. Then molecular phylogenetic work by Finn Borchsenius and Sara Suárez Acosta showed that this big-tent Calathea was actually two distinct evolutionary lineages — and the older name 'Calathea' technically belongs to the smaller (and rarer) lineage, while the bigger group containing all our popular houseplants needs a new name. They picked 'Goeppertia' (an old genus name available because of nomenclatural priority).
Result: every popular 'Calathea' in cultivation — makoyana, orbifolia, ornata, lancifolia, roseopicta — is now technically Goeppertia. The trade has been slow to update labels because consumers still search for and ask for 'calathea', so most plant labels still say Calathea makoyana even when the underlying taxonomy says Goeppertia makoyana.
Practically, this taxonomic shuffle changes nothing about how to grow the plant. If you read advice for 'Calathea makoyana' it applies directly to Goeppertia makoyana — they are the same plant. Future-proof bookmarks and notes by using both names; shopping listings still skew Calathea-heavy.
All popular 'calatheas' sold as houseplants have actually been Goeppertia since 2012, when molecular phylogenetic work by Borchsenius and Suárez split the old Calathea genus and moved roughly 200 species — including makoyana, ornata, orbifolia, lancifolia and roseopicta — into a re-circumscribed Goeppertia. The horticulture trade still uses 'Calathea' on labels because the older name is what consumers know. Genuine Calathea (in the new sense) is a much smaller genus of mostly Amazonian species rarely seen in cultivation.
Frequently asked · 5
Is Goeppertia makoyana safe for cats and dogs?+
Yes. ASPCA classifies peacock plant (Calathea/Goeppertia makoyana) as non-toxic to both cats and dogs. All popular Goeppertia species are pet-safe — one of the genus's biggest selling points for households with pets.
Why are the edges of my peacock plant turning brown?+
Almost always one of three causes: (1) humidity below 50 %, (2) fluoride or chlorine in tap water, or (3) salt build-up from over-fertilising. Often all three at once. Run a humidifier near the plant aiming for 60 %+, switch to rainwater or distilled water, flush the soil with 3× the pot volume of rainwater, and cut feeding to quarter-strength monthly. New leaves should emerge clean within a few weeks once conditions stabilise.
Is Calathea makoyana the same as Goeppertia makoyana?+
Yes. Calathea makoyana was reclassified to Goeppertia makoyana in 2012 based on molecular phylogenetic work by Borchsenius and Suárez. The trade still uses 'Calathea' on most labels because that is the name consumers search for, but the two names refer to the same plant. Care advice is identical regardless of which name you encounter.
Why are my peacock plant leaves curling up?+
Tightly rolled leaves usually mean severe underwatering, root damage, or extreme low humidity — the plant rolls leaves to reduce surface area and conserve water. Check the soil 5 cm down. If it's bone-dry, bottom-water in a shallow tray for 30 minutes and raise humidity. If the soil is wet but leaves still curl, suspect root rot and inspect the rhizome.
Does the peacock plant flower indoors?+
Rarely. Goeppertia makoyana produces small white-and-purple flowers in dense bracts at the base of the plant in nature, but they almost never appear under indoor conditions and offer no ornamental value when they do. The plant is grown entirely for its foliage.
Sources
- Goeppertia makoyana — Kew Plants of the World Online
- Calathea makoyana — Royal Horticultural Society
- Goeppertia makoyana — Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
- Peacock Plant (Calathea makoyana) — ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants
- Borchsenius, F. & Suárez, S. (2012) — Reorganization of Calathea (Marantaceae)