| Life form | Herbaceous |
| Family | Marantaceae |
| Origin | Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela |
| Ease of cultivation | It is quite complex for growing a plant, but it is easier, in comparison with kalatei. |
| The size | Not a very large plant from 30 to 80 cm in height and width. |
| Growth rate | 5-6 new leaves per year |
| Lifespan | Perennial. |
| Temperature | In summer: 71,6-77 ° F, higher temperatures require high humidity. In winter, not lower than 71,6 ° F. The plant is thermophilic and does not like sudden changes in temperature, freezing air and drafts. |
| Humidity | Not less than 65%. In summer and winter, sprinkle every day with soft water, the pot must be placed in a tray with wet pebbles. In summer it is desirable to spray even a few times a day with warm soft water (from the hard water on the leaves there are white spots). Especially dangerous is the low humidity in winter, which should be increased by all known ways. |
| Lighting | The bright diffused light, penumbra, it is better to put in 0,5 m from a bright window. On the southern window is necessarily good shade. The north and west window will do.With excessive light, the leaves twist, their color fades. |
| The soil | The soil must be breathable, sand or perlite with peat should be added if it is too dense. For a mixture of own preparation, take: 1 part of leaf land, 1 part humus earth, 1/2 part sod land, 1 part coarse-grained sand or perlite and 1 part peat. Good drainage is required. |
| Watering | The soil should be constantly wet, but not wet, in summer it should be watered every 5-6 days. Use warm soft water. With insufficient watering, the leaves begin to twist and dry up. In winter, watering is limited to 1 time a week, when the leaves begin to fold; the soil must dry between two waterings. You can not allow water to stagnate in the pot and water on the leaves, which can form spots. |
| Fertilizer | During the growing season, every 15-20 days with a liquid fertilizer, diluted twice. It is useful to feed organic fertilizers, for example, mullein. |
| Reproduction | Late spring division by transplantation, trying not to damage the roots of the plant. In some species, at the ends of the shoots, leaf sockets arise, which easily take root. You can propagate with stem cuttings, which are cut with a piece of rhizome at 1.5-2 cm under the knot. In this case, it is desirable to cut the sheet plate or twist it into a tube to reduce evaporation. Put the cherry in water or in peat with sand and cover with polyethylene. |
| Bloom | Blooms in the summer with white, nondescript small flowers in spikelets. In S. sanguinea bracts are bright red. Blossom is rare. |
| Transfer | In the second half of spring, young plants should be transplanted annually, the pot must be shallow, since the root system is superficial. In the future, transplanted every 3-5 years, as soon as the roots appear from the drainage hole. When transplanting, the plant can be divided. The plant is planted in the soil more deeply than it sat before. If, after transplanting, the leaves of the plant coagulate, the plant should be placed in the shade and cover the leaves with a film to increase moisture. |
| Features of care | The leaves of the stromant, as well as of all the members of the family, form for the night – this is a normal phenomenon. In summer, the plant can be taken out to the garden or to the balcony, but it should be protected from the wind. The plant does not like drafts and gas combustion products. Completely dried leaves should be removed in a timely manner. Wipe the leaves with either a soft dry cloth or a brush, since they are easily damaged. The plant has old, near-to-center parts of the rhizome dying off. Therefore, the plant should be periodically divided. |
| Difficulties | The leaves wither and fade, areas of dry tissue appear, growth from very bright light slows down. The lack of light leaves the leaves also fade. The lower leaves wither in the result of the natural aging process of the plant. At low temperatures and waterlogging the stems can become lethargic and rotten. The leaves fade and yellow also when the soil is too moist. The tips of the leaves dry, the leaves fall off in too dry air. The leaves are covered with dark spots and twisted with a lack of moisture in the soil. It is affected by spider mite, mealybugs, whitefly, aphids, scutes. |
| Air cleaning | – |
| Toxicity | – |
