A good houseplant is the prayer plant because it’s simple to cultivate, has interesting foliage, and can withstand indoor conditions. A low, spreading plant known as a “prayer plant” that may grow horizontally down a tabletop or other surface and is frequently planted in hanging baskets. Because it grows slowly, you don’t have to worry about the prayer plant spreading beyond its designated area.
The leaves of this tough indoor plant frequently fold together at night, resembling a pair of praying hands, giving rise to its common name. The foliage of most varieties of prayer plants is variegated, which heightens the plant’s visual appeal. Although prayer plant does produce blooms, they are not abundant or particularly attractive. For its leaves, this is a nice houseplant to grow.
Prayer Plant Growing Instructions
Grow the prayer plant in dim, moderate, or strong lighting. In high light, it’s ideal to use a sheer drape or other screen to shield the leaves from direct sunlight.
Just before the soil surface dries, water the prayer plant. This resilient houseplant like to remain largely damp (but not sopping wet all the time). If it dries out too much or too frequently, its leaves may begin to turn brown.
Only once or twice a year, ideally in the spring or summer, is sufficient to maintain the health of a prayer plant. If you’d like, you can fertilize it more frequently. Use any fertilizer designed for indoor plants and adhere to the instructions on the container.
Although prayer plant normally thrives in most houses, it prefers higher-than-average humidity levels. Increasing the humidity around your prayer plant will make it happier if the air in your home is very dry in the winter.
Include these types with your prayer plant:
The combination of banana and the prayer plant results in a stunningly striking, tropical appearance.
Forest Drum Use the prayer plant’s stunning contrast to the intriguing corrugated foliage of the jungle drum.
Purple Excellence The prayer plant’s variegated patterns look magnificent next to the deep purple of Purple Perfection.
My prayer plant is dangling; why?
The Maranta leuconeura, also known as the ever-popular Prayer Plant, can quickly change from appearing healthy and cheerful to looking droopy and depressed. But why on earth does this occur? These natives of Brazil thrive in hot, muggy weather with lots of sunshine. Even while it could be difficult to replicate their natural habitat inside, doing so can greatly improve your Prayer Plant’s usually lifeless appearance.
Droopy Low humidity, too dry or damp soil, or excessive sunlight are frequently the causes of prayer plants. A Prayer Plant that appears wilted, shriveled, and depressed could be the consequence of any one of these factors. Prayer Plants enjoy humid weather, evenly moist soil, and bright, indirect sunlight because they are tropical plants.
Don’t worry if your prayer plant is wilting. The most frequent reasons why Marantas are unhappy are covered in this article, along with solutions. A lot of the issues that can make a prayer plant droop can be resolved with little to no tools.
Do prayer plants require assistance?
You might be wondering if your Prayer Plant prefers to grow on a trellis or moss pole if it is healthy but beginning to grow sideways. Their natural environment provides us with a hint; they grow in clumps on the forest floor.
A Maranta Leuconeura cannot be harmed by being staked, but it also cannot be aided. Other indoor plants, including Monsteras and Epipremnum (Pothos), naturally climb trees since they are called epiphytic plants. These frequently gain from getting some assistance and become bigger and healthier under such circumstances. In contrast to climbing plants, marantas cannot climb and will never cling to a moss pole.
Having said that, you can do that if you enjoy the way a staked Prayer Plant looks. Although most people enjoy the graceful trailing habit and let them grow that way, Marantas can also be grown on supports to produce an eye-catching and distinctive plant.
What makes a prayer plant unique?
The plant’s capacity to “pray” is its best feature. The plant’s reaction to light is what is known as a nastic movement. The leaves are flat during the day, but at night, they rise upward as if in prayer. Additionally, it enables the plant to store moisture at night.
What can I do to cheer up my prayer plant?
Put your Neon Prayer Plant in a spot with strong, directional light. Avoid placing it in direct sunlight, as too much of it may burn the foliage and diminish the hues of the leaves.
Your plant will thrive at temperatures above 55 degrees at night and between 68 and 85 degrees during the day. Keep it out of the way of drafts, especially in the winter.
If you want your Prayer Plant to develop more vigorously and fully, you can prune it. Right above a leaf node, cut the stems with sterilized, sharp scissors. Directly beneath the cut spot, the plant will produce new branches, giving it a bushier appearance.
A prayer plant can grow to what size?
The first time I seen a prayer plant in action, I was astounded. My prayer plant’s stunning variegated leaves started to fold upright as the sun set; it’s a gradual process, a little like watching paint dry, but it’s still fascinating to watch. Each leaf then delicately unfolded the following morning, appearing just as lovely as the day before.
A horizontal growing habit makes all varieties of prayer plants (Maranta spp.) perfect for hanging baskets, low bowls, or big dish gardens. Prayer plants can spread 15 to 18 inches across and grow 10 to 12 inches tall. Prayer plants are perfect “fillers” in a large mixed pot since their luxuriant foliage complement other houseplants. Additionally, prayer plants purify the air in your house by capturing toxins that are present there.
Prayer plants are resilient and colorful, and they thrive in all kinds of lighting, though it’s best to keep them out of direct sunlight. In order to ensure that your prayer plant grows well, water whenever the soil seems like it is about to start drying out. Incessantly damp soil will not support plant growth. During the summer, give your prayer plants a liquid houseplant fertilizer once or twice.
Prayer plants also prefer humid environments, so if the air in your home is dry during the winter, the edges of the leaves may turn brown. Increase the humidity surrounding the plant by placing it on a layer of pebbles in a tray filled with water to fix this.
The following prayer plant kinds are particularly vibrant: Red, Marisela, Kim, Green, and Black. All have vivid, noticeable veins in a range of hues and are either speckled or striped. Interesting, tightly curled new leaves gradually open as they age.
Also remember that prayer plants are wonderful presents for children. They will enjoy daily observations of the changing leaf patterns.
Are there trailing prayer plants?
The Prayer Plant earned its name from the way its leaves fold together at night, resembling closed hands in prayer. It opens its leaves in the morning and occasionally makes a rustling noise. There are numerous species of prayer plants, but the stunning tricolored Maranta leuconeura variation is the most widespread.
Prayer plants are frequently cultivated for their dazzling leaves. They feature an amazing light and dark green feathered design with red veins on the upper side of the leaf, while the underside is frequently crimson. They are round, almost velvety, and have these leaves. Indoor flowering prayer plants are possible, however the flowers are quite little and unattractive. Everything is in the flora!
Low spreading Prayer Plants are frequently cultivated in hanging baskets, where their trailing leaves produce a rainbow of color.
However, it can also be positioned on the top of a table, where it will expand horizontally.
Common Symptoms
- Low humidity levels are indicated by brown, dried leaf tips. Put the plant in a more humid atmosphere or mist it more frequently. To promote a humid environment, the plant can also be positioned alongside other houseplants.
- Brown leaves are a sign of excessive or frequent plant drying out, which is brought on by inadequate watering. Increase the quantity or frequency of watering the plant. Make sure the soil is kept moist at all times.
- fading or burnt leaves, curled leaves, and dark spots This happens when a plant is overexposed to strong, direct sunlight. Long-term exposure could possibly kill the plant.
- The most frequent pests that can infest prayer plants are spider mites, while mealybugs and aphids are also frequent pests. If you see that your plant has become infested, treat it with an organic insecticide, such as Neem Oil. High humidity will keep these pests at bay.
- Root rot; leaf loss: too cool or dry
- These circumstances will result in leaf loss or fungi infections that will kill the plant by causing root rot. Make sure the plant is receiving enough water and humidity.
Care Instructions
- Brazilian origin
- Height: 30 cm or less
- Light: Keep your plant out of direct sunlight as it can cause the leaves to fade. Instead, place it in bright indirect light. The prayer plant thrives in fluorescent illumination as well. Additionally, it can tolerate dim lighting to some extent.
- Water: The prayer plant dislikes being completely dry. During the spring, summer, and slightly drier during the winter, keep the soil evenly moist. Avoid letting the water get too wet or letting it sit in water.
- High humidity is preferred by the prayer plant. To help produce more humid conditions, you can set your Prayer Plant among other houseplants, or spritz it every day with water.
- The optimal temperature range for the prayer plant is between 16 and 27 degrees Celsius.
- Use potting soil that is easy to drain.
- Feed with a balanced liquid fertilizer that has been diluted by half every two weeks from spring through fall.
- Repotting: Your plant shouldn’t require repotting too frequently. Compared to a plant with more room for its roots, root-bound plants grow significantly more slowly. Repot your plants in the early spring, when you can also propagate them via division. Repot your plant into a container that is 2–4 cm larger than the one it was in before.
- Pruning: You can prune your plant if you’d want to promote more vigorous growth or more ‘bushy’ development in your plant. Just above the leaf node, cut the stems with a pair of gardening shears. New branches will emerge from the plant immediately below the sliced surface.
- Cutting: From spring to the beginning of summer, 10 cm stem cuttings with three to four leaves attached can be made. These cuttings should be taken immediately below the nodes that are closest to the stem’s base. These cuttings should be rooted in wet potting soil. Divide your plant if it becomes too large by removing its shallow roots and repotting it.
How long do plants called “Prayer” live?
How well you take care of a Prayer plant will determine how long it lives. Therefore, the answer to this question could be anything from a few months to an eternity. Your Prayer Plant will only live for a few months or maybe a year if you can’t take care of it and give it what it needs to flourish.
However, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to preserve your plant for forty or even seventy years if you can take care of it in the correct conditions.
What do we actually mean by the “appropriate conditions” then? Let’s look at some advice to get you started before you read our how-to guide if you want to learn how to properly care for a prayer plant.
First of all, prayer plants prefer direct, bright light. While making an effort to shield them from the sun’s harsh rays, make sure they have access to bright light.
Next, water your prayer plants frequently, but avoid letting them sit in water. In between waterings, let the soil dry up but avoid letting it get completely parched.
These plants will appreciate it if you can increase the humidity in their surroundings. If not, ensure that you spray them frequently.
Do pious plants enjoy having their roots bound? Repotting is necessary when you realize that the roots of your no-prayer plant are getting a little crowded. No-prayer plants prefer to have room to expand.
Finally, attempt to act quickly if you see that your plant isn’t doing very well. Do not simply let your plant to wither away. Change the distance between it and a light source. You can give them more water or wait longer before watering them. Additionally, if your plant isn’t flourishing well, don’t be hesitant to ask for assistance and guidance.
So how long does a prayer plant live is the question? We say indefinitely, but ultimately it depends on you and how well you can take care of your plant.
Why does my prayer plant not shut down at night?
Your prayer plant may experience environmental issues, but some illnesses and pests may also be to blame. Continue reading to get the responses to some common inquiries about prayer plants.
Why is my prayer plant not closing?
It could not grow dark enough for the leaves to fold up if it is situated near a lamp or other source of light at night. To determine if it can adapt to light and dark settings, try relocating it to a new area away from the light.
Why are the leaves on my prayer plant turning yellow?
Typically, leaves that are yellow-pigmented, speckled, and curled show that the plant is not receiving enough water. Yellow foliage, especially on younger leaves, may also be a symptom of chlorosis. You can solve the issue by switching to filtered water or by giving yourself a dosage of liquid iron fertilizer.
Why are the leaves on my prayer plant turning brown?
The plant is receiving too much light if the tips of the leaves are browning or curling. Brown leaves could also be a result of the chlorine in tap water. Before watering the plant, use filtered water or let the water sit for 24 hours.
Why are the leaves on my prayer plant curling?
Curled leaves may be a sign that the plant is not receiving enough water or light. Try lowering the quantity of light and raising the humidity. It can also require repotting into a smaller pot.
While more difficult to care for than common houseplants like pothos or dracaena, once the appropriate circumstances are in place, it should be simple to provide your prayer plant with everything it needs to flourish. After learning how to take care of a prayer plant, you might be anxious to start a collection of these lovely and distinctive spectacular plants.