Family: Marantaceae

Calathea crotalifera is a tropical ornamental plant in the Marantaceae family, sometimes called the rattlesnake plant or bijaguillo. It’s valued for its striking foliage and architectural form, making it a popular choice for gardens and indoor use in warm, humid climates. The species thrives in tropical environments and is adaptable across a wide elevation range, tolerating shade and propagating both by rhizomes (underground stems) and by seeds. It has naturalized on several Hawaiian Islands, including Oʻahu and Maui, and elsewhere such as Puerto Rico, where it persists outside of cultivation.

Despite its ornamental qualities, Calathea crotalifera is rated High Risk, meaning it has traits that could allow it to spread beyond gardens and potentially establish in natural areas if conditions allow. These risk traits include its ability to grow in varied elevations, reproduce vegetatively and by seed, and possibly disperse seeds through ants, birds, or human activity. While there are no documented cases of it being invasive yet, this combination of biological characteristics suggests a higher likelihood of escape and persistence in the landscape, so Hawaiʻi’s gardeners are encouraged to plant with care and consider lower-risk alternatives where appropriate.

High Risk Traits:

• Elevation range exceeds 1000 m, demonstrating environmental versatility
  
• Thrives in tropical climates
  
• Naturalized on Oahu, Hawaii, and Maui islands, as well as Puerto Rico and potentially elsewhere
  
• Shade-tolerant
  
• Reproduces by seeds and vegetatively by rhizomes
  
• May be self-compatible
  
• Seeds dispersed by ants, possibly by birds and intentionally by people
  
• Seeds, if produced, may persist in the soil

Low Risk Traits:

• No reports of invasiveness
  
• Unarmed (no spines, thorns or burrs)
  
• Ornamental
  
• Non-toxic
  
• Requires specialized pollinators
  
• Limited seed production may reduce risk of inadvertent dispersal