It’s insanely easy to fall in love with a stromanthe plant, so wishing to have more than one stromanthe varieties in your plant collection is understandable.
Unlike the many types of Calathea, a close relative to stromanthe, there aren’t many types of stromanthe out there.
Even fewer are commercially available, so while your collection will be pretty, it will be pretty limited. Ready to meet your new houseplants? Let’s go!
Stromanthe Varieties – Commercially Available
When talking about the stromanthe plants, people usually have in mind the Stromanthe Sanguinea species. Stromanthe Stromanthoides (usually grown outdoors) and Stromanthe stromanthoides “Charlie” can sometimes be purchased too, although you would have to be really lucky.
While there are quite a few other species of Stromanthe out there in the world (thalia, ramosissima, boliviana…), they are not grown as decorative plants and – at least at the moment – are not commercially available.
Some species are also endangered, so getting any exotic-sounding stromanthe that you can’t usually spot in stores and aren’t cultivated will harm the plant species and bring it closer to extinction.
Stromanthe Sanguinea Triostar
Kicking of this small collection of plants with the most prominent member, the stromanthe triostar.
The leaves of this plant are beyond stunning. Long, elegant and glossy. Add to this the wonderful green hues with large variegation stripes in white, cream, light green and even a tint of pink.
If that hasn’t impressed you already, just wait for the evening when this plant rises up its leaves, showing off the underside that is the most gorgeous pinkish-red color.
Such beauty does demand proper care, however caring for Stromanthe triostar is easier than many of it’s Calathea relatives.
With proper care, you can expect this plant to grow quite large.
Stromanthe Sanguinea Magic Star
Magic Star is a little bit easier to care for compared to the Triostar. Well, the care for both is pretty similar. Keeping this one happy is much easier, though.
The variegation on this one isn’t as strong as on the Triostar variety. However, it is just as unique. The leaves are shaped the same, long and elegant with a glossy shine.
Younger leaves are lighter green, and they become a little bit darker as they mature. There aren’t as many variegated stripes as with the Triostar, and they are usually not as wide. The colors you will most likely see are cream, white, and lemon-lime. In addition to the stripes, the leaves also feature lovely little variegated specks.
The underside of the leaves is impressive too, with it being dark red-brown. As this one is a prayer plant it too moves leaves during the day.
Stromanthe Sanguinea
You can also get the Stromanthe Sanguinea without any variegation. These are not as popular as the former two stromanthe varieties, so you could be looking for this one for a while. The glossy nature of the leaves really pops out with this type.
The foliage shape and length is the same as with the previous two, care being a notch easier. When it comes to these, the greener the leaves the easier the care.
Stromanthe Stromatoides
This stromanthe variety is most commonly grown as an outside plant. It has rich green foliage, long and elegant leaves, just like its two relatives.
When it comes to color, you’ll only be seeing green with this one.
Stromanthe Stromatoides “Charlie”
These are a fairly new plant, and you won’t really be seeing them often. They are pretty, though, and don’t come with an insane price tag.
The leaf shape is similar to stromanthe stromatoides. If looking at the pattern on the leaves, these have strong variegation. You will see interchanging white and green stripes in various dimensions (from needle-thin to wide) across the whole leaf.
