Calathea Medallion Care: The Round-Leaved Prayer Plant

Calathea Medallion (Calathea veitchiana, Goeppertia veitchiana, or sometimes considered a variety of Calathea roseopicta) is one of the most stunning calatheas you can grow indoors—and that’s high praise in a family famous for jaw-dropping foliage. The leaves are large (8 to 10 inches across), perfectly round, and painted with intricate “medallion” patterns that radiate from the center like feathers or brushstrokes. The colors are rich and layered: deep forest green on the outer edges, fading to cream, light green, and sometimes hints of pink or rose in the center. The undersides are a velvety deep burgundy-purple that you see when the leaves fold up at night.

Like all calatheas, Medallion is a prayer plant—the leaves fold up dramatically at night and unfold in the morning, revealing and hiding the deep purple undersides in a slow, mesmerizing movement called nyctinasty. When the leaves fold up, the entire plant looks completely different, like a living sculpture that changes throughout the day.

Why Medallion is stunning but fussy:

The patterns are unreal: Each leaf looks hand-painted with intricate feathered medallion patterns. The combination of greens, cream, and burgundy-purple undersides is breathtaking.
Large, bold leaves: At 8 to 10 inches across, Medallion has some of the largest leaves of any commonly available calathea. The round shape and size make a dramatic statement.
Prayer plant movement: The leaves fold up at night, revealing the deep purple undersides. It’s fascinating to watch and makes the plant feel alive.
It needs high humidity: 60 to 80 percent humidity is absolutely non-negotiable. Below 50 percent, the leaf edges turn brown and crispy within days.
Filtered water is essential: Tap water contains fluoride and chlorine that cause brown edges and faded patterns almost immediately. You must use filtered, distilled, or rainwater.
Moderately to highly difficult: Medallion is one of the fussier calatheas (more demanding than Rattlesnake or Ornata, on par with Roseopicta and Ornata, though not as extreme as White Fusion). If you can maintain high humidity and use filtered water consistently, you can grow it. But it’s not forgiving of mistakes.

Medallion vs. Roseopicta: There’s some botanical confusion about whether Medallion is a separate species (Calathea veitchiana) or a variety of Calathea roseopicta. Most experts now consider it a Roseopicta cultivar. The main difference is that Medallion has larger leaves (8 to 10 inches vs. 6 to 8 inches for most Roseopicta varieties) and slightly different pattern colors (more cream and light green, less pink). The care is virtually identical.

If you’re willing to invest in a humidifier and filtered water, Medallion rewards you with some of the most dramatic foliage in the houseplant world. Let’s talk about how to grow it successfully.

Quick Care Summary

Light: Bright, indirect light (no direct sun)
Water: When top inch of soil is dry (use filtered water)
Humidity: 60 to 80 percent (high)
Growth habit: Upright, clumping
Biggest challenge: High humidity and sensitive to tap water

Light

Calathea Medallion needs bright, indirect light to maintain its intricate patterns and healthy growth. This is critical—the medallion patterns that make this plant so special will fade and muddy if the plant doesn’t get enough light. The more light (without direct sun), the more defined and contrasted the patterns become.

Best light:

East-facing window with a sheer curtain: Gentle morning sun filtered through sheer fabric, then bright indirect light the rest of the day. This is ideal.
North-facing window: Consistent bright indirect light all day without direct sun exposure. Good for Medallion, though growth may be slightly slower than in an east window.
A few feet back from a south or west-facing window: Where the plant gets bright ambient light but no direct sun rays hitting the leaves.

Why bright indirect light matters for Medallion:

Patterns stay defined: In adequate light, the feathered medallion patterns are crisp, with clear contrast between the dark green edges, light green/cream center, and all the intricate details in between. The plant looks like a work of art.
Leaf quality: New leaves emerge with strong, healthy patterns and vibrant colors.
Growth habit: The plant stays compact and upright rather than becoming leggy and stretched.
Color saturation: The burgundy-purple undersides are deepest and most saturated in bright light.

What happens in low light:

Patterns fade and muddy: This is the most obvious sign. The intricate feathered patterns become less defined, and the contrast between the different shades of green and cream diminishes. The leaves look duller overall.
Colors fade: The rich greens become pale, and the burgundy-purple undersides may fade to a lighter mauve.
Leggy growth: The plant stretches toward the light source, producing smaller leaves on longer, weaker stems.
Slower growth: Calatheas grow slowly even in ideal conditions, but in low light, growth nearly stops.

Can you use grow lights? Yes! If you don’t have a window with bright indirect light, a full-spectrum LED grow light placed 12 to 18 inches above the plant for 10 to 12 hours per day works beautifully. This is especially helpful in winter when natural light is weak and days are short.

Signs of too much light:

Faded, pale, washed-out leaves: Counterintuitively, too much light (especially any direct sun) causes the leaves to fade and look pale rather than vibrant. The patterns lose contrast and definition.
Brown, scorched edges or spots: Direct sun burns the delicate leaves almost immediately. Even an hour or two of direct morning sun can cause permanent brown damage. Calathea leaves are thin and delicate—they can’t handle direct sun.
Leaves lose their glossy sheen: Healthy Medallion leaves have a subtle satin-like sheen. Sunburned leaves look dull, damaged, and lifeless.

Bottom line: Bright, indirect light is the sweet spot. Think “bright enough to read comfortably all day, but no direct sun rays hitting the leaves.” If your patterns are fading or the plant looks dull, the first fix is always more light (but still no direct sun).

Watering

Water when the top inch of soil is dry. Calathea Medallion likes consistent moisture but is sensitive to both overwatering and tap water quality. Getting watering right is about finding the balance between keeping the soil evenly moist and avoiding soggy, waterlogged conditions that lead to root rot.

How to water:

Check the top inch of soil with your finger. If it feels dry, it’s time to water. If it’s still damp or moist, wait another day or two.
Water thoroughly with filtered, distilled, or rainwater until water runs out the drainage holes. This ensures the entire root ball gets moisture and flushes out any accumulated salts.
Let excess water drain completely, then empty the saucer. Never let the pot sit in standing water—this is a fast track to root rot.

Typical watering schedule:

Spring and summer (active growing season): Every 5 to 7 days, depending on light, temperature, humidity, and soil mix. In warm, bright conditions with good airflow, you might water every 5 days. In cooler or more humid conditions, every 7 days.
Fall and winter (slower growth): Every 10 to 14 days. The plant uses less water when it’s not actively growing, and soil dries more slowly in cooler temperatures and lower light.

The filtered water requirement is absolutely non-negotiable:

Calathea Medallion is extremely sensitive to tap water. This is one of the most important things to understand about growing calatheas. Tap water in most areas contains fluoride (added for dental health), chlorine (added as a disinfectant), and dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium (naturally occurring in hard water). These substances accumulate in the soil and in the leaf tips and edges, causing brown, crispy damage and faded patterns. Within a few weeks of watering with tap water, you’ll see brown edges, and within a few months, the plant will look terrible. This damage is permanent—once a leaf is damaged, it stays damaged.

Why tap water causes problems:

Fluoride toxicity: Fluoride accumulates in the leaf tips and edges, causing brown, dead tissue. Calatheas are among the most fluoride-sensitive houseplants.
Chlorine damage: Chlorine can burn the delicate roots and cause yellowing, brown spots, and overall stress.
Mineral buildup (hard water): Dissolved calcium and magnesium build up as white crusty deposits on the soil surface and in the root zone. This causes nutrient lockout (the plant can’t absorb nutrients even if they’re present), raises soil pH, and stresses the plant.

What water to use:

Filtered water: A simple pitcher filter (like Brita) or faucet-mounted filter removes chlorine and reduces fluoride and minerals. This is the most practical option for most people and works great for calatheas.
Distilled water: Completely pure with no minerals or chemicals. Available at any grocery store for about $1 per gallon. Perfect for calatheas and worth every penny.
Rainwater: Free, naturally soft, and chemical-free. If you can collect it (a bucket outside during rainstorms, or a rain barrel), use it. This is what the plant would get in nature.
Reverse osmosis (RO) water: If you have an RO system (often installed under the kitchen sink), this is ideal. Completely pure.

If you must use tap water: Let it sit out in an open container for 24 hours before using it. This allows chlorine to evaporate (but does NOT remove fluoride or minerals). It’s better than using straight tap water, but not as good as filtered or distilled water. If your tap water is soft (low in minerals) and not fluoridated, letting it sit might be enough. But most municipal water is fluoridated, so filtering or distilling is usually necessary.

Watering mistakes and how to diagnose them:

Overwatering signs:

Yellow leaves (starting at the bottom of the plant and progressing upward)
Soft, mushy stems at the base of the plant
Soil smells sour, rotten, or musty
Soil stays wet for 10+ days after watering
Leaf tips turn brown and feel soft/mushy (vs. crispy from low humidity or tap water)

Overwatering is the most common cause of death for calatheas. When soil stays wet too long, the roots can’t get oxygen and they rot. Once the roots are damaged, they can’t absorb water or nutrients, so the plant starts shedding leaves and declining rapidly. The fix: Let the soil dry out more between waterings, improve drainage by adding perlite to the soil mix, make sure the pot has drainage holes, and consider repotting if root rot has set in (black, mushy roots need to be cut away and the plant repotted in fresh soil).

Underwatering signs:

Curling, cupped leaves (the plant is trying to reduce water loss by minimizing the leaf surface area exposed to air)
Drooping, limp leaves
Dry, crispy brown edges (but this can also be low humidity or tap water, so check all three factors)
Soil pulls away from the edges of the pot and feels bone dry several inches down

If you’re underwatering, the fix is simple: Water more frequently and more thoroughly. Calatheas don’t like to dry out completely—they prefer evenly moist soil.

How to tell the difference between brown edges from low humidity vs. tap water vs. underwatering:

Tap water damage: Brown edges are crispy and uniform along the entire leaf margin, often starting at the tips and working inward. The damage appears relatively quickly (within 2 to 4 weeks of using tap water consistently). It looks neat and symmetrical.
Low humidity damage: Brown edges are also crispy, but they may be more random, patchy, or irregular. The damage tends to worsen gradually over weeks to months.
Underwatering damage: Brown, crispy edges plus curling or drooping leaves. The whole plant looks thirsty and stressed.
All three together: If you’re using tap water AND humidity is low AND you’re underwatering, you’ll get severe, extensive browning. Fix all three issues.

Bottom line: Water when the top inch of soil is dry, use filtered or distilled water every single time, and avoid both overwatering and underwatering. If you’re seeing brown edges, switch to filtered water and increase humidity—these are the two most common culprits.

Humidity

High humidity is absolutely non-negotiable for Calathea Medallion. This is the single most important factor in whether you’ll succeed or struggle with this plant. If you can’t provide 60 to 80 percent humidity consistently, you will have constant brown, crispy leaf edges, and the plant will never look healthy or happy.

Ideal humidity: 60 to 80 percent year-round.

What different humidity levels mean for Medallion:

70 to 80 percent (optimal): The plant thrives. Leaves are glossy, smooth, and perfect with no browning. New leaves unfurl without any damage. The medallion patterns are crisp and vibrant. You rarely see any issues. This is the humidity level in the plant’s native tropical rainforest habitat in Brazil.
60 to 70 percent (good): The plant does well. You might see occasional minor browning on older leaves, but overall the plant looks healthy and grows steadily. This is the minimum you should aim for long-term.
50 to 60 percent (tolerable short-term, but not ideal): You’ll start to see brown edges on new and old leaves. The plant is stressed and growth slows. You can keep the plant alive at this level, but it won’t look great, and you’ll be constantly trimming brown edges. Not sustainable long-term.
Below 50 percent (severe stress): Brown, crispy edges appear within days. Leaves curl inward to reduce water loss. The patterns fade. Spider mites appear (they thrive in dry air and love stressed calatheas). The plant is in survival mode and looks terrible. Most homes in winter are 30 to 40 percent humidity without intervention, which is far too dry for Medallion.

How to provide 60 to 80 percent humidity:

1. Use a humidifier (this is the only truly effective option):

A cool-mist humidifier placed near your calatheas is the most reliable way to maintain high humidity. Run it 24/7 during the heating season (fall through spring) and as needed in summer if your home has air conditioning (which dries the air significantly).
Where to place it: Within 3 to 6 feet of your Medallion. If you have multiple humidity-loving plants (other calatheas, ferns, alocasias, prayer plants), group them together and place the humidifier in the middle of the group to create a humid microclimate.
How much humidity does it add? A good humidifier can easily raise humidity from 30 to 40 percent (typical winter indoor humidity without humidification) up to 60 to 70 percent in the immediate area around your plants.
Cost: A basic humidifier costs $25 to $50 and is worth every single penny if you’re serious about growing calatheas. It’s the best investment you can make.

2. Place in a naturally humid room:

Bathrooms often have higher humidity, especially if you shower regularly and the room doesn’t have an exhaust fan running constantly. If your bathroom has a window or bright light, this can be an excellent spot for Medallion.
Kitchens can also be more humid (from cooking, boiling water, etc.), though the humidity is less consistent.
Greenhouses or terrariums: If you have a small greenhouse cabinet or a large terrarium, this creates a controlled high-humidity environment. This is ideal for a collection of humidity-loving plants and virtually guarantees success.

3. Group with other plants:

Plants release moisture through transpiration (evaporation from leaf surfaces). Grouping multiple plants together creates a slightly more humid microclimate in the immediate area.
Does it work? It helps a little (maybe raises humidity by 5 to 10 percent), but it’s not enough on its own. You still need a humidifier if your baseline humidity is below 50 percent.

Why pebble trays and misting do NOT work:

Pebble trays: The idea is to place the pot on a tray filled with pebbles and water, with the pot sitting on the pebbles above the water line (not in the water). As the water evaporates, it’s supposed to raise humidity around the plant. In reality, the amount of humidity this adds is negligible (maybe 2 to 3 percent at most). The water surface area is too small to make a meaningful difference. Don’t bother—it’s a waste of time and creates a breeding ground for fungus gnats.

Misting: Spraying the leaves with water raises humidity for about 5 to 10 minutes, then the water evaporates and humidity drops back to baseline. You’d have to mist every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to maintain adequate humidity—which is obviously impossible. Additionally:

Misting can cause fungal issues. If water sits on the leaves overnight or in low airflow conditions, it creates ideal conditions for fungal leaf spots and other diseases.
Misting doesn’t address the root problem. Low ambient humidity stresses the plant continuously, even if you mist once or twice a day.
It’s time-consuming and ineffective. Just get a humidifier. It costs about the same as 2 to 3 calatheas, runs automatically, and actually solves the problem.

Signs of low humidity (and how to fix them):

Brown, crispy leaf edges: This is the classic, unmistakable sign. The edges and tips of the leaves turn brown and dry out. Once this happens, the damage is permanent—you can’t reverse it. Fix: Increase humidity with a humidifier immediately. If edges are already brown, you can trim them off with clean, sharp scissors for aesthetic reasons, but the focus should be on preventing future damage by raising humidity.
Leaves curling inward: The plant is trying to reduce the surface area exposed to dry air to minimize water loss. This is a stress response. Fix: Increase humidity and check soil moisture (curling can also indicate underwatering).
Patterns fading or becoming less vibrant: Low humidity stresses the plant, and stressed plants produce less vibrant, less defined foliage. Fix: Increase humidity and make sure the plant is getting bright indirect light.
Spider mites: These tiny pests (you need a magnifying glass to see them clearly) thrive in hot, dry conditions and love to attack stressed calatheas. You’ll see fine webbing on the undersides of leaves, tiny moving dots (the mites), and stippling (tiny yellow or white dots) on the leaves. Fix: Increase humidity immediately (spider mites hate high humidity), spray the plant with water to knock off mites, and treat with insecticidal soap or neem oil if the infestation is severe. Prevention is key—high humidity makes spider mite infestations far less likely.

Bottom line: If you want a beautiful Calathea Medallion with perfect leaves and crisp medallion patterns, you need a humidifier. There’s no way around it. It’s the single best investment you can make for this plant. Without it, you’ll be fighting brown edges constantly, and the plant will never reach its full potential.

Soil and Pot

Use well-draining but moisture-retentive soil.

Best soil:

2 parts potting mix, 1 part perlite, 1 part peat moss or coco coir

Pot requirements:

Must have drainage holes
Not too large

Temperature

Calathea Medallion is tropical. It hates cold.

Temperature: 65 to 80 F
Avoid: Cold drafts, temperatures below 60 F

Fertilizer

Feed sparingly.

Fertilize once a month in spring and summer
Use diluted liquid fertilizer (half strength)
Skip fertilizing in fall and winter

Over-fertilizing causes salt buildup, which burns leaf tips.

Common Problems

Brown, crispy leaf edges (the most common and frustrating issue)

Brown edges on Calathea Medallion are almost always caused by one or a combination of three things: low humidity, tap water, or underwatering. Here’s how to diagnose which one (or more) is the culprit:

1. Low humidity (the most common cause):

What it looks like: Brown, crispy edges along the entire leaf margin, often starting at the tips and working inward along the edges. The browning is relatively uniform and symmetrical.
Why it happens: When humidity is below 50 to 60 percent, the delicate leaf edges dry out faster than the plant can replace the moisture through its roots. The thin leaf tissue dies and turns brown. Calathea leaves are very thin and delicate, making them especially vulnerable to dry air.
The fix: Get a humidifier and run it 24/7 near the plant. Aim for 60 to 80 percent humidity. This is the most important change you can make. If humidity is consistently high, new leaves will emerge without browning (though existing damaged leaves won’t heal).

2. Tap water (the second most common cause):

What it looks like: Brown, crispy edges and tips, often appearing within 2 to 4 weeks of using tap water consistently. The damage can look very similar to low humidity damage, making it hard to distinguish.
Why it happens: Fluoride, chlorine, and dissolved minerals in tap water are toxic to calatheas. They accumulate in the leaf tips and edges (the furthest points from the roots, where water ends up as it evaporates from the leaf), causing permanent brown damage.
The fix: Switch to filtered, distilled, or rainwater immediately. If you’ve been using tap water for a while, flush the soil thoroughly with filtered water (water until water runs freely out the drainage holes for 1 to 2 minutes) to wash out accumulated salts and fluoride. New leaves will be healthier, though existing damaged leaves won’t recover.

3. Underwatering (less common but possible):

What it looks like: Brown, crispy edges plus curling or drooping leaves. The whole plant looks thirsty.
Why it happens: If the soil dries out too much, the plant can’t absorb enough water to keep the leaves hydrated, and the edges dry out and die.
The fix: Water more frequently. Calatheas don’t like to dry out completely—they prefer evenly moist soil. Check the top inch and water when it’s dry.

In most cases, it’s a combination: If your humidity is 40 percent AND you’re using tap water, you’ll get severe browning. Fix both issues for the best results.

Can you trim brown edges? Yes, for aesthetic reasons. Use clean, sharp scissors to trim off the brown parts, following the natural curve of the leaf. This won’t harm the plant, but it also won’t solve the underlying problem—you need to fix the humidity and water quality to prevent future browning.

Yellow leaves

One or two yellow leaves over time is normal aging—plants naturally shed old leaves as they grow. But multiple yellow leaves or rapid yellowing indicates a problem.

Cause 1: Overwatering (the most common cause)

What it looks like: Yellow leaves starting at the bottom of the plant and progressing upward. The soil stays wet for 10+ days after watering. The base of the stems may feel soft or mushy. The soil may smell sour or rotten.
Why it happens: Overwatering causes root rot. The roots can’t get oxygen when soil stays waterlogged, so they suffocate and rot. Once the roots are damaged, they can’t absorb water or nutrients, so the plant starts shedding leaves.
The fix: Let the soil dry out more between waterings. Check the top inch of soil and only water when it’s dry. If root rot has set in (black, mushy roots, sour-smelling soil), you may need to repot the plant. Remove it from the pot, shake off the old soil, cut away any black or mushy roots with sterile scissors, and repot in fresh, well-draining soil.

Cause 2: Underwatering (less common)

What it looks like: Yellow leaves plus dry, crispy brown edges, curling leaves, and very dry soil.
The fix: Water more frequently. Calatheas like evenly moist soil.

Cause 3: Natural aging

What it looks like: One yellow leaf at a time, usually the oldest (lowest) leaf on the plant. The rest of the plant looks healthy with good color and no other symptoms.
Why it happens: Plants naturally shed old leaves to make room for new growth. This is completely normal, especially if the plant is producing new leaves at the top.
What to do: Cut off the yellow leaf at the base with clean scissors once it’s fully yellow. No other action needed.

Leaves curling or cupping inward

This is a stress response—the plant is trying to reduce the surface area exposed to dry air to minimize water loss.

Cause 1: Underwatering

What it looks like: Curling leaves plus dry soil, possibly drooping, and maybe brown crispy edges.
The fix: Water thoroughly and more consistently. Calatheas like evenly moist soil.

Cause 2: Low humidity

What it looks like: Curling leaves plus brown, crispy edges.
The fix: Increase humidity with a humidifier. Aim for 60 to 80 percent.

Cause 3: Too much light or heat

What it looks like: Curling leaves plus faded or pale leaves, possibly with brown spots from sunburn.
The fix: Move the plant to a spot with bright indirect light (no direct sun) and away from heat sources like radiators, heating vents, or south/west windows.

Spider mites (common in dry air)

Spider mites are tiny pests (about the size of a grain of sand; you need a magnifying glass to see them clearly) that suck sap from the leaves, causing damage and stress. Calathea Medallion is highly susceptible to spider mites, especially when humidity is low.

Signs of spider mites:

Fine webbing on the undersides of leaves and between leaves and stems (looks like tiny spider webs)
Tiny moving dots (the mites themselves) on the undersides of leaves—look closely with a magnifying glass
Stippling or speckling on the leaves (tiny yellow or white dots where the mites have sucked sap)
Leaves look dull, dusty, or faded
Severely infested leaves may turn yellow or brown

How to get rid of spider mites:

Increase humidity immediately. Spider mites thrive in hot, dry conditions (below 50 percent humidity) and hate high humidity. Running a humidifier near the plant will slow their reproduction dramatically and make the environment less hospitable.
Spray the plant with water. Take the plant to the sink or shower and spray the leaves (especially the undersides) with a strong stream of water. This physically knocks off many of the mites and disrupts their webbing.
Treat with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Spray the entire plant (especially the undersides of leaves, where mites hide) with insecticidal soap or diluted neem oil (follow the product instructions for dilution and application). Repeat every 5 to 7 days for 3 to 4 weeks to kill newly hatched mites (eggs are resistant to treatment, so you need multiple applications).
Isolate the plant. Keep it away from other plants until the infestation is completely under control so the mites don’t spread.

Prevention: The best way to prevent spider mites is to keep humidity high (60 to 80 percent). They rarely infest plants in high-humidity environments. This is yet another reason a humidifier is essential for calatheas.

Medallion patterns fading or becoming less vibrant

This is frustrating because the intricate patterns are what make Medallion so special.

Cause 1: Not enough light (most common)

If the plant isn’t getting bright indirect light, it can’t maintain the crisp, contrasted medallion patterns. The colors fade, the patterns become muddied, and the overall appearance is dull.
The fix: Move the plant to a brighter spot (but still no direct sun). An east-facing window or a few feet back from a south or west-facing window is ideal. You should see improvement in new leaves within a few weeks. Existing faded leaves won’t regain their crispness, but new growth will be more vibrant and defined.

Cause 2: Low humidity or general stress

Stressed plants produce less vibrant, less healthy foliage. If humidity is low, the plant is fighting tap water damage, or it’s over or underwatered, the patterns may fade.
The fix: Address the underlying stress (increase humidity, switch to filtered water, adjust watering). Healthy, happy plants produce the most vibrant, beautiful leaves.

Cause 3: Old leaves

As leaves age (especially the oldest leaves at the bottom of the plant), they naturally lose some vibrancy and definition. This is normal.

Why do the leaves move? (Prayer plant movement explained)

All calatheas are “prayer plants”—they fold their leaves up at night and open them again in the morning. This movement is called nyctinasty and is controlled by a small joint-like structure at the base of each leaf stem called the pulvinus.

How it works:

The pulvinus responds to changes in light. As daylight fades in the evening, cells on one side of the pulvinus swell with water (turgor pressure), causing the leaf to fold upward. In the morning, the process reverses and the leaf unfolds.
It’s not triggered by touch (like Mimosa pudica, the sensitive plant). The movement is based on the plant’s internal circadian rhythm and light detection.
It’s slow enough to watch. If you sit and observe your Medallion in the evening, you can see the leaves slowly fold up over the course of 1 to 2 hours. It’s mesmerizing.

Why it’s cool:

When the leaves fold up at night, you see the deep burgundy-purple undersides, and the entire plant looks completely different—like a transformation. It’s like having two plants in one.
The leaves make a soft rustling sound as they move.
It’s a reminder that plants are dynamic, living organisms that respond to their environment in complex ways.

Is the movement normal? Yes! If your Medallion’s leaves are folding up at night and opening in the morning, that’s a sign of a healthy, happy plant. If the leaves stop moving entirely, it may indicate severe stress (though the plant can still be alive—movement isn’t strictly necessary for survival, but it’s a good sign).

Propagation

Calathea Medallion is propagated by division—you can’t propagate from cuttings because calatheas don’t root from stem cuttings.

When to divide: Spring or early summer when the plant is actively growing. Only divide a plant that has multiple stems/clumps growing from the soil—if your plant is a single stem, wait until it produces offsets (new shoots emerging from the base).

How to divide:

Remove the plant from its pot and gently shake off excess soil so you can see the root system clearly.
Look for natural divisions where separate stems/clumps have their own root systems. Medallion grows from rhizomes (underground stems), and over time it produces multiple growing points.
Use your hands or a clean, sharp knife to separate the clumps. Each division should have at least 2 to 3 stems and a healthy root system attached.
Pot each division in fresh, well-draining soil (2 parts potting mix, 1 part perlite, 1 part peat moss or coco coir) in a pot with drainage holes. Don’t use a pot that’s too large—choose one that’s just slightly larger than the root ball.
Water thoroughly with filtered or distilled water and keep humidity very high (70 to 80 percent if possible) for the first 2 to 3 weeks while the plant recovers. You can cover the divisions with a clear plastic bag or place them in a humid environment to help them recover.
Don’t fertilize for at least 6 to 8 weeks—let the plant recover from the stress of division before you feed it.

Success rate: About 70 to 80 percent if you’re careful, handle the roots gently, and keep humidity high during recovery. Calatheas can be sensitive to root disturbance, so some divisions may struggle or drop leaves initially. Be patient—they usually recover within a few weeks to months.

What To Do Next

If you love Medallion and want more calatheas:

Try Calathea Roseopicta ‘Dottie’ for darker, more dramatic foliage with hot pink or magenta stripes on purple-black leaves. Stunning and similar care requirements.
Try Calathea Roseopicta ‘Rosey’ for more intense pink coloration in the leaf centers.
Try Calathea Ornata (Pinstripe Calathea) for delicate pink pinstripes on dark green leaves. Elegant and beautiful.
Try Calathea Makoyana (Peacock Plant) for intricate feathered patterns in cream and dark green with purple undersides. One of the most stunning calatheas.
Try Calathea Zebrina (Zebra Plant) for bold, graphic zebra stripes. Large leaves and dramatic appearance.

If Medallion is too fussy and you want an easier plant with similar vibes:

Try Calathea Rattlesnake (Calathea lancifolia) for a much more forgiving calathea. It tolerates lower humidity (50 to 60 percent is usually fine), less frequent watering, and is generally more resilient. The leaves have beautiful wavy edges and spotted patterns.
Try Maranta leuconeura (Prayer Plant)—it’s closely related to calatheas (same family, Marantaceae), has similar prayer plant movement, but is more tolerant of lower humidity and less fussy overall. Great for beginners.
Try Stromanthe Triostar (not a calathea, but in the same family) for pink, white, and green variegation with bright pink undersides. Still needs high humidity, but slightly more forgiving than Medallion.
Try Ctenanthe burle-marxii (Fishbone Prayer Plant) for interesting fishbone patterns and prayer plant movement. Easier than calatheas.
Try Tradescantia zebrina (Wandering Jew) or Syngonium (Arrowhead Plant) for colorful, fast-growing, easy-care alternatives that tolerate normal indoor humidity (40 to 60 percent).

If your Medallion has constant brown edges:

First, switch to filtered or distilled water. This is absolutely non-negotiable. Tap water will always cause browning on calatheas.
Second, get a humidifier and run it 24/7. Aim for 60 to 80 percent humidity. This is the only way to prevent brown edges long-term.
If you can’t provide high humidity consistently in your home, consider moving the plant to a naturally humid bathroom (if it has adequate light) or investing in a small greenhouse cabinet where you can control humidity perfectly. This is ideal for a collection of humidity-loving plants.
If you’ve done all of this and still have issues, check these:
- Light: Is the plant in too much light (direct sun) or too little light (dark corner)? Move to bright, indirect light.
- Watering: Are you overwatering (soil stays wet 10+ days) or underwatering (soil bone dry, plant drooping)? Adjust frequency.
- Temperature: Is the plant near a cold draft, heating vent, or air conditioning vent? Move it to a stable spot with 65 to 80°F.

If your Medallion is thriving:

Congratulations! You’ve mastered one of the more challenging houseplants. You clearly have the environment and care routine dialed in.
Consider trying even pickier calatheas like Calathea White Fusion (Calathea lietzei ‘White Fusion’)—it has white, green, and pink variegation and is notoriously finicky. If you can grow Medallion successfully, you might be able to handle White Fusion.
Try Calathea Musaica (Network Calathea)—intricate mosaic-like patterns on the leaves, very unique and somewhat challenging.
Expand your collection to other high-humidity plants that thrive in the same conditions: Alocasias (Polly, Silver Dragon, Frydek), Ferns (Maidenhair, Button Fern, Rabbit’s Foot Fern), Fittonia (Nerve Plant), Begonias (Rex Begonia).

If your Medallion’s patterns are fading:

Move it to brighter indirect light. This is almost always the issue. An east-facing window or a few feet back from a south or west-facing window is ideal. Or add a grow light.
Make sure humidity is adequate (60 to 80 percent) and you’re using filtered water. General stress can cause fading, so address all care requirements.