One of the more tactile calatheas, Calathea gandersii carries long, tapering leaves with deeply rippled edges and a soft, velvety surface that almost asks to be touched. Broad brushstrokes of deep green radiate out from the midrib against a paler, silvered green, and the undersides and stems are flushed a rich wine red that shows whenever a leaf lifts or turns. The waved margins catch the light along their whole length, so the plant never reads as flat. You may also find it sold as Calathea 'Velvet Glory'.

Like all prayer plants it moves, folding its leaves upward as the light goes and opening them again in the morning, which is a quietly lovely thing to live alongside. It suits a bright bathroom, a kitchen shelf or a bedside table, and it is one of the safer choices for a home with cats or dogs. We have it in two sizes, a smaller plant for a shelf and a fuller one with more presence.

Care at a glance

Light: Medium to bright indirect. Direct sun bleaches the markings and scorches those fine leaf edges, so keep it back from the glass.

Water: Keep the compost evenly moist but never soggy, watering when the top centimetre feels dry. Calatheas are fussy about tap water, so filtered, stood or rainwater will save you a lot of crisped edges.

Humidity: High, and this is the single thing that decides whether a calathea thrives or sulks. Group it with other plants, use a pebble tray, or keep it somewhere naturally steamy.

Temperature: Warm and steady, well away from radiators and cold draughts.

Feed: A weak, balanced feed monthly through spring and summer.

Pet note: Calatheas are not toxic to cats or dogs, so this one can live at floor level without worry.

As a living plant, size and leaf markings vary from one to the next, so yours will be one of a kind.