How to care for prayer plants

Hailing from the hot, humid depths of the Amazon rainforest, prayer plants are excellent for a warm bathroom that shields them from direct sun. In the wild, they flourish on the forest floors of Central and South America, where the air is consistently still, warm, and moist, and light is filtered by layers of vegetation and the tree canopy above. When these conditions are mimicked, they are easy houseplants that provide lush, leafy colour.

The leaves, which can be long and lanceolate or wide paddles, often have purple undersides and incredible markings and lines of colour on the surface, making them look as if they’ve been painted by hand. At dusk, they come to life and begin to move. This is a phenomenon known as nyctinasty. The leaves very slow curl so that their purple undersides are on show and point upwards, like hands clasping together in prayer. In the 18th century, the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus assumed that prayer plants did this in order to sleep. One of the modern-day theories is that the damson-coloured undersides of the leaves shield the plant from nocturnal herbivores, but no-one really knows why the plants perform this nightly ritual. Should you be in the bath at the right moment, you might see it happen.

Good prayer plants to grow

The family Marantaceae includes five genera that are referred to as prayer plants: Maranta, Stromanthe, Goeppertia, Calathea, and Ctenanthe. Between them, they encompass 143 species. The one most widely known as the prayer plant (or rabbit tracks) is Maranta leuconeura, and it is arguably the least fussy of the lot. However, in general, they all require very similar conditions. There is a wealth of varieties on offer, each with different markings on the foliage. Some of the best include the paddle-shaped Maranta leuconeura var. leuconeura ‘Fascinator’, which has green leaves divided with cream and lined with red; Ctenanthe amabilis, the two-tone green fishbone plant; Stromanthe sanguinea ‘Triostar’, which is painted with green, cream, pink, and red and looks great when the light shines through it; the rattlesnake plant, Goeppertia insignis, with its long, rippling spear-shaped green leaves; the stylish green-grey Calathea ‘Compact Star’; and the zebra plant, Calathea zebrina, which has cheering bright-green foliage.

In the right conditions, prayer plants can produce a show of flowers – usually in summer, but they can throw them up sporadically throughout the year. The eternal flame, Goeppertia crocata ‘Tassmania’, sends up feather dusters of zesty-orange flowers above wine-red leaves, while the Maranta varieties are a lot more subtle, giving only a discreet display of white, pink, or purple blooms.

Where is the best place to put a prayer plant?

A warm, humid environment is essential, so a bathroom that remains at 15 to 24°C (60 to 75°F) is ideal. They will thrive in shade or indirect, bright light, but dislike strong, direct sun, so avoid a south-facing windowsill. Keep them well away from cold draughts and don’t place them right beside a radiator.

Stromanthe sanguinea ‘Triostar’, available from crocus.co.uk

How do you take care of a prayer plant?

Keep the compost moist (but not wet or waterlogged) during the growing season; in winter, it isn’t necessary to water as much. Prayer plants sometimes sulk if watered with hard water. Where possible, use filtered water or rainwater or allow your watering can of tap water to sit for a few hours to allow any chemicals in it to disperse. Let the plant pot drain before sitting it back in its tray. A prayer plant that has been allowed to sit waterlogged may develop very droopy leaves.

These plants demand high humidity. If not in a humid room, sit the pot on a tray of pebbles and water or sit a container of water beside the plant, and regularly mist the leaves. Huddling plants together is another way to boost humidity. Of all the different prayer plants, Stromanthe requires the most humidity.

Feed every 2 to 4 weeks during spring and summer with a balanced liquid food given at a quarter of its strength. Overfeeding prayer plants can result in browned leaf edges.

If necessary, repot in spring, using a coir-based potting compost that does not contain water-retaining granules.

Prayer plant pests

Spider mite and mealybugs can infest the plant. Check the undersides of the leaves and peer into the nooks and crannies of the stems before buying.

5 other ginger group plants to grow

Prayer plants (Marantaceae) are part of the ginger group (Zingiberales), which encompasses a great selection of exotic plants. In most regions, these colourful or lush, leafy specimens can be enjoyed in the garden during summer and wheeled under cover (or wrapped up outside) for winter. Alternatively, they can be enjoyed in conservatories or, in mild regions, can be grown outside all year.

Ginger Lily (Hedychium)

Gorgeous plants for foliage and scented flowers in late summer and early autumn. The majority are tender, but some are hardy enough to try outside in very free-draining soil that is moist in summer – ‘Assam Orange’ and ‘Tara’, which both produce torches of orange flowers, are two of the best.

Canna

Widely grown as summer bedding or pot plants, these tender rhizomatous perennials have huge paddle leaves and brightly coloured flowers that look like flames. ‘Wyoming’ bears orange torches amongst purple-bronze foliage, while ‘Cannova Rose’ has pink blooms and green leaves.

Banana (Musa and Ensete)

Bananas are high-maintenance plants in most parts of the UK, requiring sheltered sun in summer and wrapping or lifting over winter, but in jungle-style borders, they are essential, producing a sky-high mass of incredible leaves. ‘Maurelii’ is burgundy and Musa basjoo is green.

This South African gem is one of the most spectacular conservatory plants. Flamboyant orange, purple, and white flowers emerge from beak-like spathes in winter and spring, above lovely glaucous leaves that are evergreen and architectural.

Himalayan Ginger (Cautleya spicata)

A fabulous rhizomatous mountain perennial with glossy lance leaves and Canary yellow flowers from beetroot-red bracts. ‘Robusta’ is one of the most widely available forms. Crûg Farm has a good selection, including a few that are fairly hardy, such as ‘Arun Flame’.