All Calatheas, also referred to as “prayer plants,” belong to the Maranta genus, which they are closely related to. If you’re unfamiliar with prayer plants and the humidity-loving Calatheas, we’ll go over their history and maintenance requirements.
The Calathea is known as a prayer plant, but why?
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.
All Calatheans pray, right?
The particular movements of the leaf of these plants during the night and day cycle led to the emergence of the name “prayer plant.” Some people claim that the leaves take on a stance that resembles the praying hands at night when they open up and close. This movement is frequently described as the plant praying by those who describe it. The leaves fall to the ground during the day. Typically, the movement is faint and unobtrusive. On occasion, though, you can hear the leaves rubbing against one another and even catch a glimpse of the plant waving.
Fun fact: Because of the ten black spots that appear on most of the leaves, maranta leuconeura kerchoveana is also known as the Ten Commandments plant. This complements the name of the prayer plant well.
The Prayer Plant Nickname
The term “prayer plant” does not refer to any particular plant species. It’s a moniker that is frequently used to refer to plants in the Marantaceae family. That family includes calathea plants.
The maranta, calathea, goeppertia, stromanthe, and ctenanthe plants make up the family. During the cycle of night and day, all of these plants move their leaves, albeit some do so more radically than others. No of which of these categories they belong to, all of these plants are known as “prayer plants” because they do so.
Calathea is a prayer plant, then. Yes, calathea plants can be called “prayer plants,” and many people do so because it is not a scientific name for them. In some stores, they are additionally frequently offered under this name.
However, plants from the maranta group (maranta leuconeura Kerchoveana, maranta tricolor, etc.) are regarded as genuine “prayer-plants, and the maranta group is typically the plant mentioned when reading about “prayer-plants.” This group’s leaf movement is likewise the most pronounced.
It should be noted that the leaves of the calathea plant can actually stop moving when they aren’t receiving the proper care or when the environment isn’t ideal. In order for your calathea to flourish, you need determine what caused it to stop closing at night and fix it.
What kinds of plants are regarded as prayer plants?
Maranta leuconeura, often known as the prayer plant or praying hands, is a flowering plant in the Marantaceae family that is indigenous to the tropics of the New World. It has spreading leaves that, as darkness draws near, turn upward, maybe in a prayer for evening vespers. In conditions that are suited, the plant can be grown as a ground cover, and in temperate areas, it is a typical houseplant.
The prayer plant is a perennial with modest growth that spreads vegetatively by rhizomes. In contrast to the leaf’s medium green color, juvenile leaves have brown patches on either side of the midrib that turn emerald green as they mature and eventually turn moss green. The underside of the leaf is gray-green or purple-green, and ornamental variants have been created with eye-catching red venation. The newest leaf sheaths, which are arranged in two vertical rows, are where new leaves first appear. As the new leaf emerges from the leaf sheath beneath it, the larger half rolls around the smaller half. Each petiole (leafstalk) and leaf base have a thickened region called a pulvinus, which controls how the leaf moves. The tiny spike-shaped flowers range in color from white to pale purple with purple streaks. Rarely do indoor plants bloom.
Is a Calathea a red prayer plant?
Due to their same Marantaceae family ancestry, Calatheas and Marantas are frequently confused as being the same plant. The Calathea and Maranta, on the other hand, are distinct genera of the Marantaceae family, making them different divisions of the same family. Putting it simply, this indicates that they are not the same plant.
The inaccurate term for Marantas, which is also used for Calatheas, is “prayer plants.” The Maranta plant gets its name from the way its leaves cover themselves each evening in a response known as nyctinasty, which resembles a prayer. Calatheas, on the other hand, are not considered to be prayer plants because they do not engage in nyctinasty.
Why doesn’t my prayer plant pray?
Maranta leuconeura’s leaves open and close in response to variations in the amount of light in its surroundings. In ideal circumstances, healthy prayer plants would typically sway their stems and leaves throughout the day. They don’t need to move, though, in order to be doing well.
Nevertheless, any time the behavior and appearance of your plant alter, it is a good sign that you need to investigate what happened. When your Maranta leuconeura stops moving due to a condition, this is typically not the only sign. If nothing else, Marantas are quite talkative since they express their annoyance when something is wrong immediately away.
The most frequent causes of your Prayer Plant ceasing to move and pray are excessive light or insufficient light, the potting soil becoming too dry, or a reaction to shock. Additionally, it can be a mix of a few of these. Fortunately, it should be easy to figure out what stopped your plant from moving. Once the problem has been located, you can take the appropriate action to restore your Prayer Plant’s regular, healthy motion.
How is a Calathea prayer plant cared for?
Water once every 12 weeks, letting the soil half-dry in between applications. In brighter light, water more frequently, and in less-bright light, less frequently.
Marantas are susceptible to the effects of hard water. Use filtered water if possible, or let water sit out overnight before using.
Which prayer plant is the simplest?
Fortunately, prayer plants are extensively grown, and gorgeous new cultivars are always being released. Calathea, Maranta, Ctenanthe, and Stromanthe species create particularly stunning indoor plants.
- the leuconeura maranta This adorable plant works well as a shelf or hanging plant. Their growth pattern is scandent, allowing them to cover more ground on the forest floor. With gorgeous pattern and color variations, these plants are a must-have. It is known to be one of the easiest prayer plants to care for.
- the lancifolious cathea
- This long, narrow-leaved calathea, often known as the rattlesnake plant, is regarded as the simplest of the family to grow. She has adorable leaves with elaborate embellishments and ruby undersides.
- Ornate Calathea
- A little darker green species that favors more diffused light than others is also known as Pinstripe Plant. Check out Beauty Star, one of its cultivars, which is supposed to be simpler to get the light requirements right and has light green diffused through the leaf.
- The roseopicte calathea
- This species has been developed into a wide range of color variants, from the gorgeous medallion form to dark purple. The roseopicta is a fantastic eye-catcher because its leaves can grow to be fairly huge and rounded.
- Fusion White Calathea leitzii
- It’s quite a sight to witness this variegated Calathea, a plant mutant that was unintentionally found in a nursery in Malaysia. The leaf appears to have been decorated with tiny white brushstrokes and lavender purple undersides. Despite its reputation as a challenging house plant, this species will thrive in your home with regular watering, humidity maintenance, and the correct amount of bright, diffused light.
What does a plant that prays resemble?
Wide, oval, dark green leaves with white or light green veins run down the spine of the prayer plant’s leaves. The undersides of the leaves and the veins that run up them can both be various colors of crimson.
The moniker “prayer plant” refers to the unusual behavior of raising its leaves to an erect position at night. When people pray, the leaves fold together like hands.
Why do Calathea leaves remain upright after dark?
No of the species, Calatheas can all close their leaves at night. It is a natural reaction that has developed to aid plants in conserving energy during periods of less activity and exposure to lower light levels, such as those encountered in the evening or on cloudy days.
The leaves of healthy catheas close at night and reopen in the morning. A plant may not be able to react to light cues effectively if it is ill or under stress, and its leaves may stay open constantly.
A Calathea that remains open at night is a sign of a serious issue. Your plant can be stressed, and it will need assistance to get back to working properly.
What type of prayer plant is most popular?
Maranta leuconeura, sometimes known as the peacock plant, is the species of prayer plant that is grown the most frequently. This species, which is frequently grown as a houseplant, lacks tubers, has a small flower, and a low-growing vining habit that allows it to be grown as a hanging plant.
Calathea medallion—is it a plant for praying?
One of the most attractive low-light plants is the Calathea Medallion, also known as Calathea veitchiana. They have huge, “medallion-like” leaves with a dazzling green design on top and a deep burgundy underside that are quite popular among plant aficionados. I do not advise beginners or people with hectic schedules to grow this plant, though, as it needs a little additional care to remain happy and healthy. Continue reading to discover easy ways to take care of your Calathea Medallion.
Fun fact: Keep an eye on your Calathea Medallion plant at night since some kinds of this beautiful plant fold back a little to show off their vibrant undersides.
The Calathea Medallion belongs to the family of plants known as prayer plants, albeit they are not actually true prayer plants. The leaves of prayer plants and the Calathea Medallion differ from one another. At the base of the stem, the leaves of prayer plants fold up like the hands of a person in prayer. Check the environment since there may be an issue with the environment where you placed your Calathea Medallion if the leaves of the medallion begin to curl up from the outside edges inward toward the central vein.
Calatheas are tropical plants with a maximum height of 6 inches. This plant prefers greater humidity levels, dim lighting, and average soil wetness.
Calathea Medallion Plant Care Tips
As I’ve previously indicated, calathea medallion needs a little additional care to maintain its distinctive leaves’ radiance. Here is a thorough explanation of how to take care of your Calathea Medallion, including everything from the need for sunlight to typical issues and how to fix them.
Sunlight
Place your Calathea Medallion where it can receive medium- to bright indirect light as the first step in taking care of it. It can, however, tolerate dim indirect light.
The gorgeous leaf hues of your Calathea Medallion are likely disappearing because your plant is receiving too much direct sunlight, which is beginning to scorch the leaves.
Solution: Place your Calathea Medallion in a location with moderate sunlight, such as your bathroom or kitchen, where your plant will receive just the right amount of light to survive.
Water
It is advised to plan a regular watering routine to keep the soil around your Calathea Medallion moist. Avoid, nevertheless, saturating the soil in water. The fact that this is not a drought-tolerant indoor plant should also be kept in mind. It will eventually die if you don’t properly water it, yet it can thrive if you forget to water it occasionally.
Common Issue: Curling leaves indicate dry soil if they are on your Calathea Medallion. If you see that your Calathea Medallion’s leaves droop, turn limp, and potentially even begin to brown and curl, this is a sign that the soil has fully dried out. It is not a drought-tolerant indoor plant, to reiterate.
Maintain a regular watering regimen as a fix. If the top 1 to 2 inches of soil on your Calathea Medallion are dry, water it.
Common Issue: If the edges of your Calathea Medallion’s leaves are becoming brown, the plant is being harmed by the water’s quality.
Solution: As I’ve previously explained, tap water contains salts, chlorine, minerals, and fluoride, which cause the tips of plants’ leaves to burn, curl up, and become brown. Use a water filtration device or overnight storage in an open container to filter the water.
Humidity & Temperature
Placing your Calathea Medallion in an area with high humidity is the next step in caring for it. For instance, in your kitchen or bathroom. Additionally, the ideal temperature range for your Calathea Medallion plant is between 65 and 85 degrees.
Frequently Occurring Issue: If the leaves of your Calathea Medallion begin to brown or curl, the air is too dry.
Regularly mist it with lukewarm water for a solution. It’s advisable to spray this plant every day or to use a pebble tray because it loves wetness. To maintain the health and happiness of your Calathea Medallion, stay away from chilly drafts and abrupt temperature fluctuations.
Food
We also recommend feeding your Calathea Medallion once a month or during the growing season, which is spring and summer, with a basic houseplant fertilizer containing iron (15-15-15). In the winter, fully reduce the fertilizer.
Solution: Refrain from giving your plant too much fertilizer, especially in the winter. Possible root burn on your Calathea Medallion could lead to its demise.
Pests & Other Problems
Pests like mealybugs, spider mites, and aphids are frequently found on Calathea Medallion. Regularly give your plants a bath with a hose to wash the bugs away to get rid of them. Another option is to increase humidity by running your humidifier at maximum setting or misting your plant.
The leaves of the Calathea Medallion plant might also become dusty from time to time, so be sure to wipe them down with a moist cloth occasionally. Never apply any leaf shine products to your plant, either.
The maintenance of your Calathea Medallion is now complete. It’s not as simple to maintain as a Pothos, but it’s worth it because it makes the air you breathe cleaner and adds beautiful decor to your home.
Expand your knowledge of plants. For additional information on various houseplants and advice on how to keep your plants alive and healthy, visit our blog on plant care.