PlantMap
← Back to list

Goeppertia zebrina (Sims) Nees

Zebra plant

Native records: 3 botanical areas

Brazil Northeast, Brazil Southeast, Brazil South

See all areas

Natural distribution

Explore map
NativeIntroducedUncertain

Distribution is shown as WGSRPD Level 3 areas. It does not imply the species occurs throughout an entire area.

Last updated:

Distribution last verified:

See sources

Photograph of Goeppertia zebrina

An evergreen perennial in the family Marantaceae (formerly Calathea), with large ovate leaves bearing striking zebra-like stripes. Native to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, it is a popular foliage plant cultivated worldwide for its distinctive patterned leaves.

Description

A rhizomatous evergreen perennial forming dense clumps to about 1 metre tall and wide. Leaves are large, 30–60 cm long, ovate to elliptic, with a velvety dark green surface marked by prominent yellowish-white to silvery-white stripes along the veins, giving the appearance of a zebra's pattern. Like other Marantaceae, it performs nyctinasty—leaves are erect during the day and fold horizontally at night, earning plants in this group the common name 'prayer plants'. Native to the understory of Brazil's Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica), it thrives in warm, humid, brightly shaded conditions. Formerly placed in the genus Calathea, it was transferred to Goeppertia following molecular phylogenetic studies that reclassified many Calathea species. Widely grown as an ornamental foliage plant for its striking leaf pattern.

Habitat

Native to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest from Bahia to Santa Catarina in eastern Brazil. Grows naturally in the forest understory, in the warm, humid, brightly shaded conditions created by the tall canopy above. Requires consistently warm temperatures and high humidity, reflecting its origins in one of the world's most biodiverse yet threatened biomes.

Distribution areas

  • Anguilla

    • Leeward Is. AB AntIntroduced

  • Antigua and Barbuda

    • Leeward Is. AB AntIntroduced

  • Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

    • Leeward Is. AB AntIntroduced

  • Brazil

    • Brazil NortheastNative
    • Brazil SouthNative
    • Brazil SoutheastNative

  • Dominican Republic

    • Dominican RepublicIntroduced

  • Guadeloupe

    • Leeward Is. AB AntIntroduced

  • Montserrat

    • Leeward Is. AB AntIntroduced

  • Puerto Rico

    • Puerto RicoIntroduced

  • Saint Barthélemy

    • Leeward Is. AB AntIntroduced

  • Saint Kitts and Nevis

    • Leeward Is. AB AntIntroduced

  • Saint Martin (French part)

    • Leeward Is. AB AntIntroduced

  • Sint Maarten (Dutch part)

    • Leeward Is. AB AntIntroduced

  • Trinidad and Tobago

    • Trinidad-TobagoIntroduced

  • Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of

    • Leeward Is. AB AntIntroduced
    • Venezuelan AntillesIntroduced

  • Virgin Islands (British)

    • Leeward Is. AB AntIntroduced

  • Virgin Islands (U.S.)

    • Leeward Is. AB AntIntroduced

Climate of the native range

The Köppen climate classes found in the areas this plant is recorded as native to. It does not mean an entire area has that climate.

  • Aw Tropical, savannah
  • Cfa Temperate, no dry season, hot summer
  • BSh Arid, steppe, hot
  • Cfb Temperate, no dry season, warm summer
  • Cwa Temperate, dry winter, hot summer

The same climate occurs in 126 areas worldwide, 122 of which have no record of this plant. See them on the map

A matching climate does not mean the plant can grow there. Range limits are also set by things other than climate — dispersal history, soils, competition. Source: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0 (observed period 1991–2020).

Other names

Zebra plant、Zebra calathea

Family
Marantaceae
Genus
Goeppertia

Other species in Goeppertia

Sources

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Anguilla · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Antigua and Barbuda · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Saint Barthélemy · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Brazil · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Dominican Republic · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Guadeloupe · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Saint Kitts and Nevis · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Saint Martin (French part) · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Montserrat · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Puerto Rico · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Sint Maarten (Dutch part) · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Trinidad and Tobago · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Virgin Islands (British) · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Virgin Islands (U.S.) · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

Image information