Ctenanthe 'Compact Star' - Never Never Plant
Sprouts of BristolThe Never Never Plant brings a vibrant display to your home with its patterned green-and-silver leaves and their deep red undersides. This clever plant will move its leaves according to light level, so if it looks more closed up overnight, you know it's getting enough light in the daytime! The key with this plant is not letting it dry out, so make sure it's not in direct sun or near an operating heater, which would both dry it out far too much. Think of its rainforest undergrowth home when caring for it, where it is sheltered from the harsh rays of the sun whilst still benefitting from its warmth, and in a moist environment while still getting some airflow. Choose this plant to add a splash of colour and zany pattern to your home, and it will reward your care with its character and vibrancy.
Scientific Name
Ctenanthe setosa 'Compact Star' (hairy, flower-bearing plant)
Ctenanthe is pronounced 'ten-ANTH-ie', with a silent C at the start!
This species was identified as both a Maranta and a Stromanthe before its eventual classification as Ctenanthe in 1884, which is the currently accepted name.
Common Name
Never Never Plant, Prayer Plant
Origin
This plant is native to South America, mainly the Amazon basin.
Light
Direct sun can easily scorch this plant, so make sure it's in a bright spot but away from the sun's strong rays.
Water
Let the top few inches of soil dry out between waters; Ctenanthes like their soil to be moist but not soggy.
Humidity
Ctenanthes love high humidity and will be grateful if you use a humidity tray. And don't keep them anywhere near an operating radiator!
Soil
Use a well-draining, moisture-retentive soil to keep this thirsty plant happy. A mix with added coir and perlite, or one designed for Calatheas and Marantas, should keep your Ctenanthe happy too! Repot every couple of years in Spring.
Food
Feed every four waters in the growing season, reduce to every six in autumn and winter.
Temperature
Keep this plant happy with temperatures between is 15-27°C; they need to stay above 12°C in winter.
Pet-safe
Yes, but too much nibbling won't be good for pets, small humans or the plant!
Sprouts Top Tips
A common issue with Ctenanthes is crisping brown edges of leaves. This is usually caused wither by too much sun or not enough moisture. Check that your plant is not getting any direct sun, that the soil is not drying out beyond the top few inches, and if necessary introduce a humidity tray to keep the local moisture level in the air higher.
Important Information
If you have any questions, please check out the below or get in touch via our contact formWe're devoted to sending our customers quality plants with the best service around. Every plant is backed by our 7-day guarantee, so they arrive in good health.
Our team takes extra steps when prepping plants for transportation, but they're still sensitive to changes, so there may be minor cosmetic issues. We always aim to photograph and disclose any flaws before shipping, but a living creature travelling across the country in a box can take a hot minute to adjust to its new life.
If you have any issues within 7 days of receiving your order, holler at our customer support team on our contact form with your order details and some pics of the issue. After the guarantee has expired, though, we can't refund as we can't guarantee care and environmental factors. If you repot the plant during the 7 days, the guarantee is void.
We have been sending plants up and down the country for many year now and we like to think we have our way down to an art.
We protect the plant from falling out of the soil with tissue paper and tape if needed, then we wrap the plant in corrugated cardboard, and sometimes we protect the leaves with extra tissue paper if required. This is then placed into a box and if there is any empty space, we fill this with void fill to stop the plants moving around inside the box. Sometimes we will write a note on your packing slip to water the plant on arrival, so please look out for this. This is due a freshly watered plant going in a box will not only be soggy, but as the plant is in darkness this can sometimes make the plant unhappy when just freshly watered.
If your plant arrives to you unhappy, please send us a photo of the plant and packaging if relevant straight away, so we can advise you.
Online orders are packed and dispatched within a few days. Usually depending on volumes, we aim to get your order dispatched within 1 working day. We have collections from Royal Mail 6 days a week so deliveries tend to be speedy.
Our standard parcel delivery service is £4.99 for Royal Mail Tracked48, you can upgrade to Tracked24 for £2.50.
We do offer a Tracked48 Large Letter option for £2.99, and Tracked24 for £1 extra, but this only applies to products less than 2.5cm thick.
*Deliveries 7 days a week only included Tracked24 parcels.
Link to your shipping policy
We get a lot of boxes, packaging and whatnot at Sprouts from all our various supplier's deliveries. We re-use this packaging material where possible, plus we take in donations from local businesses and customers to our shop to avoid excess packaging going to landfill. Sometimes your delivery might look a little different, or come in a branded box from another company, but rest assured the items inside are carefully packed with love and attention inside. We use paper tape and all our branded materials included are fully recyclable. Sometimes we use polystyrene, bubble wrap or plastic wrap in the packaging, all these items are not new and where possible, please use them again.
We have partnered with Zedify to offer low-carbon deliveries in Central Bristol for £6.99.
Zedify collect and deliver orders from us Monday - Friday and will usually deliver your order the same day its collected. If you place your order before 11am, we will aim to get it collected the same day but this isnt always possible. When you have received your dispatch email, Zedify should be delivering your order the same day, anytime before 6pm.
We cannot give an idea of time, but if you would prefer delivery on a certain date (Monday - Friday) please get in touch or leave a note at check out with your preferred delivery date and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
Zedify deliver to the following postcodes BS1, BS2, BS3, BS4, BS5, BS6, BS7, BS8 (1, 2, 3A - 3N, 4), BS9 (1,3,4).
Select click and collect at checkout to collect your order from our Bristol shop.
You will get an email when your order is ready to collect, where possible please come and collect your order the same day as we have limited space. If you are going to collect your order at a later date, please let us know in the message box at check out so we know when to expect you. Some items such as gift sets, kits and pre-order items may not be ready to collect the same day, again please let us know what day you would like to collect and we will let you know if there's any issues.
We do not offer free returns, but if you are unhappy with your delivery, please get in touch. If your parcel or order has been damaged, please take photos and send these over to our team so we can look into this for you.
If you have ordered an item and you would like to exchange it, we should be able to do this for you. There may be an extra charge for delivery, but get in touch to discuss. For plants there is a 7 day return policy and 30 days for everything else, apart from sale items which are none returnable.
You can return or exchange in our Bristol shop for free.
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