Everything you want to know about the Prayer Plant

All about the Prayer Plant

Medium Maintenance

Air purifying

Pet Safe

Indirect sunlight

The Maranta leuconeura, also known as the Prayer Plant, is native to the Brazilian tropical forests and part of the Marantaceae family.⁠ It got its name as the ‘prayer plant’ as the leaves tend to fold together at night similar to praying hands.

Click to skip to the section you’re looking for:
1. How to water your Prayer Plants
2. The best soil for Prayer Plants
3. Propagation
4. Repotting and growing
5. Styling a Pinstripe Prayer Plant for your home

At a glance

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How to water your Prayer Plant

Prayer plants likes humidity, so a good tip is to have a tray under the pot with damp pebbles. Also mist twice a week. It is best to keep the soil moist but be careful not to make it soggy as this can cause root rot. Having a drainage saucer is great – just be sure to remove the excess water.

Signs of overwatering your Prayer Plant

Droopy or yellow leaves can be a sign of overwatering. Give the stems a feel – if they are overly soft of mushy then you might need to repot to avoid root rot. Click here to read our full article on repotting your plant after overwatering.

Signs of underwatering your Calathea plant

Browning leaves on a Prayer Plant are a sign of underwatering. The Prayer Plant enjoys moist soil so be sure to keep on-top of your watering routine and try not to let the soil completely dry out.

Try putting your Prayer Plant in the bathroom for a week or so for an additional boost of humidity. Avoid any cool or dry areas.

The best soil for the Prayer Plant

⁠The Prayer Plant like a mixture of light potting soil. The best mix would be sand, peat moss or loam, good drainage is key! During spring and summer add a formula of diluted balanced plant food fertilizer once a month to keep your plant healthy and growing.

Propagating Prayer Plants

You can propagate the Prayer Plant in 2 ways, subdivision or water/soil propagation. We suggest propagating in Spring when they are likely to thrive and grow.

To propagate through subdivision take the plant from the pot and remove as much soil as you can. Then gently break apart the plant at the roots and repot. You can utilise the mixture of sand, peat, moss or loam when repotting.

The second way to propagate the Prayer Plant is to use cuttings from the bottom of stem. As the Prayer plant likes moisture, when propagating into soil you can apply a plastic to cover the soil but a tip is to poke a few holes in it so some air can come through.

Tip: If you have a piece of stem dip it in rooting hormone and keep it in distilled water. Change the water every few days. Once the root has grown about an inch or so you can pot in its soil.

Repotting and growing your Prayer Plants

The Prayer Plant is pretty low maintenance when it comes to repotting – there is no strict time to do so but just go by your own instinct and progress of the plant. If the roots become too big for pot be sure to repot this in a new one that has at least 2-4 inches of room for extra growth. Use two thirds of new soil and water well.

Styling a Prayer Plant for your home

Position your Prayer Plant somewhere bright, but not in direct sunlight. Try using a neutral coloured pot so that the the green and purple leaves are in the spotlight.

Prayer Plants do well in humidity, so if you’re looking for a bathroom try the Prayer Plant atop a shelf to brighten up your bathroom.

Their slim structure means they also look great on an office desk. Try a woven or can basket to create a sense of warmth in your home study or office.

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