Houseplant · Marantaceae
Peacock Plant
Goeppertia makoyana
Offer it warmth, humidity, and soft water, and the peacock plant rewards you with some of the most striking leaves you can grow indoors.
Bright indirect
65–75°F · 18–24°C
USDA 11–12
12–24 in · 30–60 cm
Overview
Every leaf shows you why this one is called the peacock plant, and that alone makes it a joy to bring home. Bold green brushstrokes spread out from the midrib over a softer ground, the underside glows a deep purple-red, and together the markings echo the eye on a peacock feather. It comes from the prayer plant family, the Marantaceae, and its roots trace back to the rainforest floor of eastern Brazil.
Like the rest of that family, it has a lovely habit of moving. Each leaf folds upward come evening and opens again at dawn, a gentle rhythm called nyctinasty that makes the plant feel almost alive through the day. Its tropical beginnings also tell you what it longs for: warm air, steady moisture, and the kind of humidity you'd feel beneath a forest canopy.
None of that means it has to be intimidating for a first try. It is honest about being picky over water and dry air, and it will let you know early with browning edges, which is really just the plant asking for a small adjustment you can easily make. Give it what it needs and few houseplants will reward you with patterning this beautiful.
Care
The short version: bright indirect light and never direct sun, soft water that keeps the soil moist but never soggy, gentle warmth in the 65°F to 75°F (18°C to 24°C) range, and humidity held at 60% or higher.
Light
Settle the plant in bright, indirect light, the sort you'd find a few feet back from a window rather than right on the sill. It is forgiving and will accept part shade or even full shade, but direct sun scorches the leaves and fades the very pattern that makes it special, so a softer spot is kindest.
Water
Keep the soil moist but never waterlogged through spring and summer, then ease back from fall into late winter. Reach for distilled or rain water, since the fluoride in tap water browns the leaf edges. Try not to overdo it, because too much water is the quickest route to root rot.
Soil
Pot it in a well-drained, humusy mix rich in organic matter, with perlite stirred through to keep things airy. Aim for a pH on the acidic side of 8.0 and make sure the pot drains freely, so the roots are never left sitting in water.
Temperature
Keep the room comfortable, between 65°F and 75°F (18°C to 24°C). As a tropical plant it has no patience for cold drafts, so tuck it away from chilly windows and air vents and it will feel right at home.
Humidity
Humidity is the part most people stumble on, so don't worry if it trips you up at first. The plant likes 60% or higher, and dry indoor air shows quickly as crisp brown edges, which is why a humidifier or a pebble tray tends to be well worth it.
Feeding
Offer a balanced fertilizer monthly through the growing season, from spring into summer. Let it rest in winter, when growth slows and the plant has no need for the extra nourishment.
Pruning
There's wonderfully little to do here. Just snip off any damaged or browned leaves as they show, and now and then wipe the wide leaves with a damp cloth so dust doesn't dull them or block the light.
Repotting
Plan to divide and repot roughly every two years, in late spring. That gives the mix a refresh and splits the rhizome in the same go, which happens to be how you grow new plants too.
Size & spacing
It stays nicely compact, reaching about 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm) tall with a spread of 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm). That modest footprint makes it an easy companion for a shelf, a desk, or a little gathering of other humidity-lovers.
Troubleshooting
Almost every worry with a peacock plant turns up on the leaves, and most come back to water or air, which is reassuring because both are easy to adjust. Look closely at the edges and the patterning and you can usually name the cause before it spreads. Find the symptom that matches yours below, then put right the condition behind it.
A drooping plant with soft stem bases in soil that stays damp
A drooping plant sitting in soggy soil feels worrying, but the trouble is root rot from too much water rather than thirst, and you can still rescue it. Gently lift it out, snip away the soft brown roots, and settle it into fresh, well-drained mix. Going forward, water just enough to keep the soil moist and never soggy, and it should find its feet again.
Fix:
- Remove from wet soil and trim rotted roots
- Repot into fresh well-drained mix
- Water only to keep soil moist, never waterlogged
Thin webs and pale yellow flecks scattered over the foliage
Dry indoor air can tempt spider mites, which leave faint webs under the leaves and dust the surface with pale specks, but they are very manageable. Give the foliage a good rinse and a wipe, then follow up with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Best of all, raising the humidity makes your plant a far less welcoming home for them.
Fix:
- Rinse foliage and wipe leaves
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Increase humidity to discourage mites
Brown, crispy edges around the leaves
Take heart, because crisp brown rims are the most common hiccup and they have a kind explanation. This is tip burn, where the fluoride, chlorine, and salts in tap water gather in the leaf tissue, and dry air only deepens it. Move to distilled or rain water and lift the humidity to 60% or higher, and feel free to trim the worst margins so the plant looks tidy again, even though those spots themselves won't green back up.
Fix:
- Switch to distilled water or rain water
- Raise ambient humidity to 60% or above
- Trim off badly browned margins for appearance
Washed-out markings and pale scorched patches on the foliage
If the lovely markings look washed out and you see pale scorched spots, direct sun is the gentle culprit, and it is an easy one to put right. Simply shift the plant back into bright indirect light or part shade, and pick off any leaves that got badly burned. You can relax knowing the pattern comes back beautifully on the fresh growth.
Fix:
- Move the plant to bright indirect light or part shade
- Remove severely scorched leaves
Toxicity
Here's some lovely news for pet owners and parents: the peacock plant is completely safe. The ASPCA lists Calathea as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, and there are no harmful compounds in the leaves for other animals or for people. You can place it anywhere in your home and never give a curious nibble a second thought.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
You can breathe easy with cats around, since the ASPCA lists this plant as non-toxic to them and a little nibble won't poison your pet. A cat that overdoes it on any houseplant could be sick from the roughage, but nothing in these leaves can hurt.
Dogs None
Dogs are perfectly fine here too. The ASPCA rates the peacock plant safe for them, so even a curious bite carries no toxic compounds to worry about.
Horses None
Horses can stand right beside it with nothing to fear, because the ASPCA and NC State Extension both call the plant non-toxic to them.
Rabbits None
Rest assured a rabbit won't come to harm from these leaves. It isn't part of their usual menu, so a stray taste is nothing to fret over while their hay and greens stay the main meal.
Livestock None
Goats, sheep, and cattle have nothing to fear from this Marantaceae plant. Being a tropical houseplant, it rarely turns up where they graze anyway, so you can set the worry aside.
Birds None
A pet bird is welcome to tug at the foliage with no harm done, since the peacock plant carries no toxins that would bother it.
People None
Families with little ones can keep this one happily, as it is safe to have at home. It is grown for its leaves rather than the table, yet a curious mouthful won't poison anyone.
How to propagate
There's only one way to make more peacock plants, and the nice part is that it doubles as routine care you're already doing. You divide the rhizome at repotting time rather than fussing with a cutting.
DivisionModerate
Late spring · Several weeks to a few months to establish new growth
Making more of these is simpler than it sounds, because the one method is dividing the rhizome, and it lines up neatly with the repotting it wants about every two years. Wait for late spring, then coax the root ball gently apart into clumps that each hold a few healthy shoots, pot them up, and keep them cozy and humid. Be patient, as new growth can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to settle, and don't bother with stem or leaf cuttings because they simply won't take.
Myths
People bring the peacock plant home for its spectacular blooms.
The little purple-to-white blooms are easy to overlook and seldom appear on a plant kept indoors, so don't feel you're missing out. The leaves are the whole point, with their markings fanning across each one like the eye of a peacock feather. That foliage is the reason people welcome it home, not any flower.
The peacock plant is toxic to pets.
The ASPCA lists Calathea as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, and NC State Extension agrees for Goeppertia makoyana. You can welcome this one into a home full of pets and let your guard down.
Calathea makoyana is still the plant's proper botanical name.
You'll still spot that name on plant tags all over the place, but it has slipped into being a synonym. Kew now lists the accepted name as Goeppertia makoyana, after the 2012 reclassification that moved many Calathea into the Goeppertia genus.