Prayer Plant
Maranta leuconeura
Family Marantaceae
Prayer Plant moves: every evening its patterned leaves fold upward like hands closing in prayer, and every morning they open flat again — a slow, living clockwork that children will check on daily. The leaves themselves are painted things, herringboned in red veins over two greens.
Pet-safe and happiest in medium indirect light where harsher sun would fade its markings, it trails politely from a shelf or settles into a terrarium's humidity like it was born there. Easier than its calathea cousins, too. Bring home the houseplant that says goodnight.
Medium indirect — direct sun fades the markings
Moderate water
Moderate growth
None winter chill
From the print shop
Growing prayer plant? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries prayer plant — Maranta leuconeura, print Nº 379, “Prayer Plant.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it thrive where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what prayer plant actually needs.
Hardy inZones 10-12Prayer Plant · Common problems
Common prayer plant problems
Pests
3 problems on file
- Spider Mites (dry air!)
- Mealybugs
- Fungus Gnats
Diseases
2 problems on file
- Leaf-edge burn from hard water
- Salt Burn
Prayer Plant · Growing & propagation
Growing prayer plant
- Light
- Medium indirect
Direct sun fades the markings
- Water
- Keep evenly moist with soft/distilled water
Soil- Peaty, well-drained · pH 5.5 - 6.5
Fertilizer- Monthly dilute in season
Pruning- As needed
Trim leggy stems to bush it up; cuttings root in water.
Spacing- One per pot
How to plant & propagate prayer plant
- Propagate
- Stem/leaf cuttings, division, or pups
Prayer Plant · Seasonal care & spray guidance
The prayer plant growing playbook
When to spray prayer plant
Growing season. Humidity + distilled water prevent crispy edges.
Prayer Plant · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Prayer Plant · Yearly calendar
The prayer plant year, month by month
No fixed season calendar for prayer plant — its care follows conditions, not the calendar.
Prayer Plant · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Maranta leuconeura
Prayer Plant in the garden system
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What prayer plant is grown for
✓ Not known to be toxicSafe for pets
Use- Living movement
- Use
- Pet-safe
- Use
- Terrariums
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Prayer Plant · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a prayer plant variety
'Erythroneura' (red-vein herringbone); 'Kerchoveana' (rabbit tracks)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Prayer Plant
Maranta leuconeura
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Maranta leuconeura
- Plant family
- Marantaceae
- Growth habit
- Houseplant · Perennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- MALE7
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
for Prayer Plant
Research from these sources
Publisher marks identify sources, not sponsorship or endorsement.
Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Questions
Prayer Plant questions, answered straight.
Is prayer plant safe for kids and pets?
Prayer Plant is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. One caveat on this one: Safe for pets. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
How do you propagate prayer plant?
Stem/leaf cuttings, division, or pups.
Elsewhere
Where prayer plant sits in the library.
Monstera
Golden Pothos
Snake Plant
Heartleaf Philodendron