Moderate Tropical Safe for pets

Prayer Plant

Maranta leuconeura

Remarkable for its artistically red-veined leaves that fold up every evening, the prayer plant is a fascinating plant with almost animal-like behavior.

The essentials at a glance

Watering

Every 5 days
Light

Medium light
Humidity

60–80 %
Temperature

18–27 °C

How to care for your Prayer Plant

Everything you need to keep your Prayer Plant healthy: watering, light, humidity, feeding, repotting and pruning.

Maranta leuconeura is native to the understory of tropical forests in Brazil, where it grows in the shade of tall trees in a warm, humid environment. Its oval leaves display complex patterns of light and dark green, enhanced by bright red veins in the popular 'erythroneura' variety. Its nyctinastic behavior, where the leaves rise at night and lower during the day, makes it a particularly captivating plant to observe. It requires particular attention to humidity and water quality, but rewards attentive care with spectacular foliage.

Watering your Prayer Plant

Every 5 days

Keep soil consistently moist but never waterlogged. Use filtered or distilled water as this plant is sensitive to chlorine and fluoride. Never let the soil dry out completely.

How to know it needs water

Top 1 cm of soil feels dry
Leaves start to curl inward
Leaf edges become brown and crispy from dryness

How much light a Prayer Plant needs

Medium light

Medium to bright indirect light. Avoid direct sunlight which fades and burns the leaf patterns. Tolerates lower light but coloration will be less vibrant.

Direct sun tolerated: No direct sun
Orientations that suit it: North, North-east, East, North-west

Humidity and misting

60–80 %

60–80% Requires high humidity. Mist daily or use a humidifier. Place on a pebble tray for consistent moisture. Brown leaf tips indicate insufficient humidity.

Feeding and fertiliser

Every 14 days

Feed every two weeks during spring and summer at half strength. Stop feeding in autumn and winter. Use a fertilizer low in fluoride.

Recommended feed: Balanced liquid fertilizer (10-10-10) · 2-1-2

Repotting your Prayer Plant

Every 24 months

Use a peat-based potting mix with perlite for drainage. Choose a shallow, wide pot as the root system spreads horizontally. Handle roots gently.

When: Spring
Potting mix: All-purpose potting mix
Mix in: perlite, coco fibre

The tell-tale signs

Roots emerging from drainage holes
Plant dries out very quickly after watering
Growth has become sparse or stunted

Pruning your Prayer Plant

Spring or when leaves become damaged or leggy. Cut stems at the base using clean shears. Remove any brown or damaged leaves. Pruning in spring encourages fresh, vibrant new growth.

Through the year

Watering is not set once and for all: it follows the light and the growth. Allow 8 days between waterings in the depth of winter, against 4 in the growing season.

Active growth · Days between waterings

Good to know

The prayer plant gets its name from its leaves that fold upward vertically in the evening, like hands joined in prayer, then open again at dawn through a phenomenon called nyctinasty.
The leaf movements are controlled by a small swelling at the base of the petiole called a pulvinus, which inflates or deflates in response to light.

Frequently asked questions about the Prayer Plant

How do you care for a Prayer Plant?

Water it every 5 days. Give it medium light. Ideal humidity: 60–80 %. Ideal temperature: 18–27 °C. Keep soil consistently moist but never waterlogged. Use filtered or distilled water as this plant is sensitive to chlorine and fluoride. Never let the soil dry out completely.

How often should you water a Prayer Plant?

Every 5 days Keep soil consistently moist but never waterlogged. Use filtered or distilled water as this plant is sensitive to chlorine and fluoride. Never let the soil dry out completely. How to know it needs water : Top 1 cm of soil feels dry ; Leaves start to curl inward ; Leaf edges become brown and crispy from dryness.

How much light does a Prayer Plant need?

Medium light Medium to bright indirect light. Avoid direct sunlight which fades and burns the leaf patterns. Tolerates lower light but coloration will be less vibrant. No direct sun

Is the Prayer Plant toxic to cats and dogs?

No, the Prayer Plant is not listed as toxic to cats and dogs. That is still no reason to let your pets chew on it.

Why are my Prayer Plant leaves turning yellow?

Yellowing most often comes from too much water: the mix stays wet and the roots suffocate. Check that the pot drains, empty the saucer, and let the mix dry before watering again. Too little light or a cold draught cause the same symptom.

When should you repot a Prayer Plant?

Repot every 24 months, ideally in spring. Use a peat-based potting mix with perlite for drainage. Choose a shallow, wide pot as the root system spreads horizontally. Handle roots gently.