Goeppertia crocata ‘Candela’

Background to ‘Candela’

Goeppertia crocata is native to wet tropical eastern Brazil, including Bahia and Espírito Santo. ‘Candela’ is a named cultivar of this flowering species.

How to care for ‘Candela’

• Light and flowering: Use a bright filtered position or partial shade to support flowering. Direct sun can scorch the dark leaves.
• Water: Keep the potting mix evenly moist. Water as the surface begins to dry and let excess water drain away.
• Humidity: A humid room suits Goeppertia crocata. Gentle airflow is useful around the closely packed leaves and developing flower stems.
• Temperature: Keep ‘Candela’ at 16 °C or warmer. Consistent warmth supports both foliage and flower stems.
• Potting mix: Use a loose, moisture-retentive houseplant mix with good drainage and enough air space around the roots.
• Feeding and flowers: While the plant is growing and flowering, feed about monthly at the rate on the label. If leaf growth stops after flowering, pause feeding until fresh growth returns. Remove a flowering stem close to the base once its bracts have faded.
• Repotting: Repot a crowded plant while fresh leaves are developing or after flowering. Established clumps can be divided when growth is active.

‘Candela’ flowering and leaf problems

• Flowering slows: Very low light can limit flower-stem production while the foliage continues to grow. Move it to brighter indirect light and keep feeding at the normal rate on the fertiliser label.
• Wavy leaf edges turn brown or curl: Low humidity, uneven moisture or hard tap water can contribute. Raise humidity, keep watering steady and try rain, filtered or distilled water if tip damage keeps returning.
• Yellowing leaves: Compost that stays waterlogged for too long can cause root rot. Trim away rotted roots with cleaned, disinfected tools until only firm, healthy tissue remains. Discard the damaged tissue and move the healthy plant into fresh well-drained mix.
• Fine pale speckling or webbing: Spider mites can settle beneath the dark leaves, with fine pale speckling often appearing as the first visible sign. Isolate ‘Candela’, rinse the foliage and use a spider-mite treatment labelled for houseplants if required, following the repeat interval on the label.

Need help? Send us clear photos of the whole plant, the affected area and the potting mix, and we’ll help you work out the next step.

Goeppertia crocata ‘Candela’ is non-toxic to cats and dogs

• This plant is non-toxic to cats and dogs.
• Its effects on people are unclear, so keep it away from young children who may chew it.
• Eating a large amount can still cause an upset stomach. Seek medical or veterinary advice if symptoms continue.

Which name is used now: Calathea crocata or Goeppertia crocata?

The genus name Goeppertia honours Heinrich Göppert. Crocata means saffron-coloured and refers to the orange floral display.

Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck established the genus Goeppertia in 1831 in Linnaea, volume 6, page 337.

Charles Jacques Édouard Morren and Gustave Jorissenne first described it as Calathea crocata in 1875 in Annales de Botanique et d’Horticulture, volume 25, page 141. Finn Borchsenius and Luz Stella Suárez later placed it in Goeppertia as Goeppertia crocata in 2012 in Systematic Botany, volume 37, page 630.

The familiar former name is Calathea crocata. Finn Borchsenius, Luz Stella Suárez and Linda M. Prince restored Goeppertia for this group in 2012 in Systematic Botany, volume 37.