Stromanthe
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
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
Sources file this plant under other names: Stromanthe sanguinea. Citations below point at the name its source uses.
- Light
- Partial shadeRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Moist but well-drainedRHS · 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 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam; pH Acid or NeutralRHS · 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
- During growth, water generously, keep humidity high and feed every 2 or 3 weeks with a low nitrogen liquid fertiliser. In winter, water moderately.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- While growing, water generously, keep humidity high and feed every 2 or 3 weeks with a low-nitrogen liquid fertiliser.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- Divide in spring, before new growth begins. 'Triostar' is a well-liked variegated cultivar whose olive-green leaves are marked with white, cream and pink.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Sow seed, or divide while dormant or after flowering to limit root damage.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning is not needed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Glasshouse red spider mite can appear. Disease is uncommon.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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About the plant
Stromanthe thalia is a plant species in the arrowroot family Marantaceae, native to the Brazilian rainforest. It is also known by the synonym Stromanthe sanguinea.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- Brazil (Bahia to Paraná)World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026BrazilNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026BrazilRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- wet tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- Annual, Herbaceous Perennial; habit clumping, erectNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Bushy (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 36–60 in; width 24–36 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 1-1.5 metres; spread 0.5-1 metres after 2–5 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers orange, red/burgundy, white; blooms in springNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers orange in spring and winter; red in spring and winter; white in spring and winterRHS · read 13 September 2026
More of the Marantaceae family
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
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.