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Bamburanta

Ctenanthe lubbersiana, Marantaceae

Sources last read 14 September 2026.

Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.

Also called Ctenanthe.

Bamburanta (Ctenanthe lubbersiana), the whole plant.
Daderot, CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Toxicity is partly unassessed

  • Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
  • Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
  • Not assessed for people. RHS publishes no harm statement for this plant. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.

What the sources say about its care

Light
Partial shade
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Water
Moist but well-drained or Poorly-drained
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Humidity

No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.

ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%
Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Temperature

How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.

H1B — 10–15°C 10–15 °C
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Soil
Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand; pH Acid or Alkaline or Neutral
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Toxic to cats
Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.
ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
Toxic to dogs
Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.
ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
Harmful to people
No statement of harm to people is published for this plant; that absence is not evidence it is safe.
RHS · read 13 September 2026

Routine care

Watering
Use distilled or filtered water, and water once the top inch of soil feels dry. These plants react to salts in tap water, which may lead to leaf spots or leaf burn.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
From spring to summer, water generously and feed monthly with a general liquid fertiliser. In winter, water enough to keep the compost moist, and keep the plant out of draughts at a steady temperature.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Feeding
While the plant is in active growth, feed monthly at half strength.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
From spring to summer, water generously and feed monthly with a general liquid fertiliser.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Repotting
Repot each year, in late spring or at the start of summer.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Propagation
Division is the preferred way to propagate it.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
In spring sow seed at 19 to 24°C once ripe, or divide in spring.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Pruning
Pruning is not needed.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Pests and diseases
Mealybugs can occur. Diseases: usually none.
RHS · read 13 September 2026

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About the plant

Ctenanthe lubbersiana, called the bamburanta, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Ctenanthe, native to Brazil. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit as a subtropical hothouse ornamental.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026

Native range
Brazil (Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina)
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Brazil
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Brazil
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Climate
wet tropical
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Growth form
perennial
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
habit arching, erect
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Bushy (evergreen)
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Size
Height 24–36 in; width 36–48 in
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Height 1.5-2.5 metres; spread 0.5-1 metres after 5–10 years
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Flowering
Flowers insignificant, white
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Flowers white in spring, summer, autumn and winter
RHS · read 13 September 2026

Other Ctenanthe

More of the Marantaceae family

Plants with similar care

Sources

What this does not cover

The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.

Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.

If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.