Complete Guide to Ctenanthe Care & Propagation (Stem and Division)

Do you want to learn more about Ctenanthe plant care? I'll cover their origins, how they grow, along with how to care for Ctenanthe plants. Lastly, I'll run through how to propagate your Ctenanthe plants using division and stem propagation, with step-by-step examples.
I use a few different Ctenanthe varieties for illustration purposes to show you the range of different leaf colours and patterns you can get - and of course more Ctenanthe varieties are available than just those I've shown. The ones in the video are: Ctenanthe Burle Marxii, Ctenanthe Burle Marxii Amagris (although it's bigger than the standard dwarf size Amagris so I'm not 100%!), Ctenanthe Lubbersiana 'Golden Mosaic' and Ctenanthe Oppenheimiana (or Compactstar).
Do you have any other tips on looking after Ctenanthe plants? What works with yours? Also, if you know if all Ctenanthe plants can be propagated by stem propagation (and not just the larger varieties), share in the comments below.
If you like watching videos about houseplants, plant care and propagation - and the occasional plant unboxing - subscribe for future videos. I'll have new videos every week. Check out some of the previous videos covering things like - Houseplant trends for 2023, pest control, propagating plants and how to grow your indoor jungle for less.

[@KitsMitsFrits]

I'm in my early 30's and only just now have started to develop a green thumb. I bought a beautiful Ctenanthe Burle Marxii and wanted to educate myself on how to care for it and perhaps one day even propagate it. Your video is clear, in depth and to the point with beautiful plants to set an example. Thank you!

[@growyourwellbeing]

Hi Nikita, Thank you for watching and your kind words. Ctenanthe Burle Marxii are wonderful, such nice markings on the leaves. Glad to hear you've found your green thumb and the video was useful. 💚 Hopefully you will have a very happy Ctenanthe!

[@Joanne-MarieLittlewood]

Amazing. I’ve just got one and it’s so temperamental as I’m not used to its balance. Thank you so much you’ve enlightened me immensely! 😍

[@growyourwellbeing]

Hi, thanks for watching, glad the video was useful. Hopefully it will settle in and you'll get used to where it likes to be and what it likes, then you'll get lots of those wonderful Ctenanthe leaves 💚

[@tessie7e777]

Thanks for sharing these propagation techniques- much appreciated. Very clear explanations.

[@growyourwellbeing]

Hi Tessie, thanks for watching, glad it was useful. I want to try and do more care videos for different plants this year. I'll be propagating these ones more when we get to spring! 🌱

[@soyness8036]

Thank you for the detailed information! I have tried propagating a Lubbersiana in the past and it did not work out - probably because the offshoot was not mature enough.

[@growyourwellbeing]

Thanks for watching and sharing. Hopefully you can try it again with a new piece. Propagation can be a numbers game, so not all will root (for any plant) but fingers crossed for next time! 🤗 I'll have a propagation video (for other plants) coming up.

[@Louis-yy6ge]

Great video. No waffle and very informative.

[@growyourwellbeing]

Thank you! I try not to waffle lol lots of editing. I sometimes watch videos on extra speed when they're a little slow so as not to miss anything but also to speed things up a little if they're a bit slow. 🌱

[@Louis-yy6ge]

@@growyourwellbeing haha I do the same because if you skip bits you think you have skipped the information you wanted.

[@kiley5913]

I love all of your knowledge!! Thank you🎉

[@growyourwellbeing]

Thank you, I appreciate the kind words! Try to share what I can in the videos. 💚

[@Toadlily647]

Ctenanthe are beautiful! I have some but this video makes me want to expand my collection. The lubbersiana is gorgeous

[@growyourwellbeing]

Hi Kate, thanks for watching and commenting. Definitely expand your collection 😀 The Lubbersiana is a Lubbersiana 'Golden Mosaic' - looks a bit different to the others as you've seen, nice and bright leaves. Let me know if you find one! 🌱

[@aliwilson4130]

This is the exact video I needed! The only information I didn’t get but have questions on are: do they like to be pot bound and crowded? Also, is a shallow or deep pot better?

[@PlanTropical]

Wow! Your plants are so healthy.

[@growyourwellbeing]

Thanks for watching. These ones seem happy! A few have not liked winter so far but these one's are alright so far.

[@ty_niq]

Thank youuuu

[@growyourwellbeing]

Thanks for watching 🤗

[@goctalis3064]

Thank you!

[@growyourwellbeing]

Thanks for watching 💚

[@kepdapace]

You are a life saver! A plant life saver that is. This was a comprehensive care explanation video. It’s just what I needed. Me and my sad Ctenanthe thank you. Now I’m off to water and soil propagate my plant. 🌱

[@growyourwellbeing]

Hi Mario, thanks for watching and sharing. Glad to hear you found it useful! I hope you have a happier Ctenanthe now 🌱😊

[@Peniphony]

Very informative video and you have a beautiful collection of Ctenanthe's. I have heard that if you prune the stalks they will split into the three branches you you mentioned @ 11:51, just don't prune them at the base. I've yet to try it on my Grey Star but its worked on my Burle Marxii. Happy growing 🏵

[@growyourwellbeing]

Thank you for watching. That's a good tip, thanks for sharing. Happy growing too 😊

[@Anonymus1243]

Thanks so much for this, it's very useful! I'm wondering, what can I do once my plant becomes super tall?

[@growyourwellbeing]

That's a good question, it depends what varieties you have. If it is one that splits and fans out (e.g. Lubbersiana), you could cut the tops off just under the fans of leaves and propagate them 🌱 They grow tall in the wild and 'fall' so these bits touch the ground so they can root! Or when you have new leaves coming up (usually along the side of the current leaf) you could always trim them back. If you want lots of tall leaves but it gets untidy, one other option is a plant frame or trellis (you can get these in round or cone shapes) to help keep them upright, depending on size of the plant. 💚

[@Anonymus1243]

@@growyourwellbeing great, thanks a lot! 😁❤️

[@slumkay8016]

Thank you for this information! I recently bought one from a box store for a reduced price and i was unsure on care❤

[@growyourwellbeing]

Thanks for watching! Fab plant find - always nice to rescue plants on clearance 💚 I hope this helps!

[@carolinesmith5297]

Amazing,and so easy to take everything you are explaining,thank you so so much..x

[@growyourwellbeing]

Thank you for watching and the kind words 💚

[@gofigure4920]

Hi there, so I recently bought a Gray Star plant. I noticed it has light dots on the underside on most of the leaves. It doesn't seem to be any type bugs or mold but part of the leaves like sensors maybe? Have you noticed them on yours? Thanks.

[@annarawicz]

I appreciate how comprehensive and to the point the video is. No rambling on, thank you. My Ctenanthe Burle Marxii is in bloom right now. I’ve had it for a few years but flowering has happened for the very first time. It produced long stalks with kind of spikelets at the end and there are tiny white flowers on them. Not the most attractive flowers but I take it as a sign the plant is content with its life. I have a question, though. Has any of your ctenanthes ever flowered? Do they need any special care now? Would you suggest cutting the spikes once the blossoming is finished?

[@growyourwellbeing]

Hi Anna, thank you I appreciate this (I try to stick to the necessary info and edit out waffle!). How exciting you're Ctenanthe Burle Marxii is in bloom. This rarely happens for Ctenanthes as houseplants so I'd definitely say you have a happy plant 😊 I don't think mine have flowered. As it is rare, there isn't a lot of guidance on what to do after they flower... however, I would treat them in the same way I would with other houseplant flowers. So... Maranta are related to Ctenanthe and flower more often. When these are spent, I will remove them at the base of the flower stem. For other plants like peace lilies, when the flowers are spent, you cut them off at the base of the stem too. So by that logic, I'd do the same with the Ctenanthe flower once it has faded. 🤔 I hope that helps!

[@annarawicz]

@@growyourwellbeing It does help 😀. I was on the fence about removing the flower stems but your advice about following the maranta logic makes sense. So I'm going to enjoy the ugly tiny flowers while they're here, and then will cut them off. Thanks :)

[@sufferingclown]

No new video this week? Is everything okay?

[@growyourwellbeing]

Hi, thank you for checking in, I really appreciate it 🤗 I was a little behind schedule with this week's due to work but just uploaded a new one this evening. Usually they'll be out on Sundays 🌱