Prayer Plants

How to choose a prayer plant

Maranta are the low growers. The classic Prayer Plant spreads sideways to about 30 centimetres high and trails over the edge of a pot, which suits shelves, hanging baskets and tabletops. The Rabbit's Foot Prayer Plant is the green form with dark blotches either side of the midrib, and it is among the more forgiving ones to start with.

Ctenanthe and Stromanthe stand upright on slender stems. The Never Never Plant makes a bushy clump that can reach a metre or more, with banded leaves that are purple red underneath. Ctenanthe burle marxii is lower, with a neat herringbone pattern on pale green leaves. The Triostar Prayer Plant is the most colourful, splashed in cream, green and pink with deep burgundy backs to the leaves.

Where prayer plants grow

Indoors, prayer plants want bright indirect light, such as a spot near an east facing window or a metre or two back from a sunny one. Direct sun bleaches and scorches the leaves, while a dim corner gives slow, sparse growth and duller patterns. They enjoy the humidity of a bathroom or kitchen and dislike draughts, heaters and air conditioners.

Outdoors, Ctenanthe and Stromanthe are excellent shade plants in tropical and subtropical gardens, massed under trees and palms where frost never reaches. They are close relatives of calathea and need the same conditions. See also our wider range of indoor plants and, for the garden, plants for full shade.

Planting and spacing

Indoors, use a free draining indoor potting mix in a pot with drainage holes, and move up one pot size only when the roots fill the container. Outdoors, plant into soil rich in compost and leaf litter, in shade with shelter from wind. Space the taller Ctenanthe about 50 to 60 centimetres apart for a continuous planting, and mulch well.

Care basics

Keep the mix evenly moist but never soggy. Water when the top couple of centimetres feel dry, and reduce watering in winter when growth slows. Prayer plants are sensitive to dry air and to salts in tap water, both of which show as brown leaf tips and edges. Rainwater or filtered water helps, as does grouping plants together or standing pots on a tray of wet pebbles.

Feed with a diluted liquid fertiliser every few weeks from spring to autumn. Wipe dust from the leaves with a damp cloth, trim off old leaves at the base, and check the undersides for spider mite, which favours warm, dry rooms. Large clumps can be divided in spring.

Common questions

Why do prayer plant leaves move?

The leaves respond to light. They lie open during the day and fold upwards in the evening, then lower again in the morning. It is normal and a sign of a healthy plant.

Why are the leaf edges turning brown?

Usually dry air, irregular watering or salts in tap water. Raise the humidity, water evenly and try rainwater or filtered water.

Why are the leaves curling?

Curling leaves most often mean the plant is too dry or in too much light. Water thoroughly and move it out of direct sun.

Can prayer plants grow outside?

Yes, in warm frost free climates, in a shaded and sheltered position. In cooler regions they are indoor plants.