Maranta leuconeura 'Exclusive Dark' / Cat Moustache

Cat Moustache name and natural origin

'Momadark' is sold as Exclusive Dark and Cat Moustache. Wild Maranta leuconeura grows in humid forest across Brazil's central and eastern regions.

Keeping Cat Moustache healthy

• Light: Place it where it receives bright indirect or filtered light.
• Watering: Water when the surface starts to dry, keeping the root ball evenly moist while the plant is growing. Let all extra water drain away.
• Humidity: Humid air is helpful, especially in heated or air-conditioned rooms.
• Temperature: Aim for steady room temperatures above about 15 °C.
• Potting mix: Use a loose mix that holds moisture and drains freely so the fine roots still get air.
• Water quality: If your tap water is high in fluoride, rainwater is a good choice.
• Feeding: While new growth appears, feed lightly with a balanced houseplant fertiliser and follow the product label.
• Grooming: Remove old or damaged leaves at the base with clean scissors.
• Repotting and propagation: When roots fill the pot or the mix compacts, repot. Established plants can be divided, keeping healthy roots on each section.

What to check when Cat Moustache struggles

• Fine pale speckles and webbing appear: Inspect the leaf undersides for spider mites, then separate the plant from nearby plants and rinse the leaves. If treatment is needed, choose one labelled for spider mites and follow its repeat directions.
• Brown tips keep appearing across several leaves: Tap water with high fluoride levels or excess fertiliser can cause brown tips. Run plain water through the potting mix, pause feeding and switch to rainwater if the tap supply is high in fluoride.
• Leaves curl inward or their edges turn crisp: Dry roots, low humidity or cold air can cause this. Check the root ball first, then improve the humidity and keep the plant warm.
• Washed-out patches develop after strong light exposure: Direct sun can bleach the leaves. Place the plant in bright indirect light and look for healthy colour in new leaves.
• Yellow leaves appear while the potting mix stays very wet and the roots soften: This is a sign of root rot. Lift the plant from the pot, cut rotten roots back to firm healthy tissue with a clean disinfected tool, discard the rotten material and repot in a fresh loose mix that drains freely.

Maranta leuconeura ‘Exclusive Dark’ / Cat Moustache is non-toxic to people and pets

• This plant is non-toxic to people, cats and dogs.
• Chewing a large amount can still cause an upset stomach.
• If a large amount is eaten and symptoms continue, contact a veterinarian or medical professional.

Why is it called Maranta leuconeura?

Maranta commemorates Bartolomeo Maranta. Leuconeura combines Greek leukos, meaning white, with neuron, meaning nerve, and refers to pale venation.

Carl Linnaeus established the genus Maranta in 1753 in Species Plantarum, page 2; Charles Plumier had proposed the name.

Charles Jacques Édouard Morren first described Maranta leuconeura in 1874 in Annales de l’Horticulture Belge et Étrangère, volume 24, page 323.