Calathea 'Dottie'

Safe around cats and dogs. Calathea is on the ASPCA's non-toxic list for both — no hedging, no "mildly irritating."

The 'Dottie' is the darkest Calathea there is. Leaves come in almost black-purple, cut through with hot pink pinstripes, and flip to a deep magenta underside. At night the whole plant folds its leaves upward like hands closing — you can actually watch it happen.

Care at a glance

• Light: low to medium indirect. Direct sun scorches the pink out of the leaves.
• Water: when the top inch is dry. Filtered or left-out tap water — Calathea are fussy about the minerals in tap.
• Humidity: loves it. A bathroom or kitchen is ideal, or group it with other plants.
• Difficulty: intermediate. Forgiving on light, less so on dry air.

Which size? The 4" is the one most people want — full enough to look established, small enough for a shelf or desk. Go 6" if it's a floor-adjacent spot or a gift.

Leaf colour shifts with the light it's grown in, so yours won't be identical to the photo.