Tap water minerals or dry air. Rainwater or filtered water, plus a more humid spot, stops new damage.

Too much light. Gentler light restores the contrast on new leaves.

Natural trailing habit getting leggy in low light. Trim back in spring — cuttings root easily in water — and give it slightly brighter shade.

Overwatering. Let the surface dry before watering and check the pot drains.

Underwatering over a stretch, or radiator heat. Move away from heat sources and settle into a consistent checking routine.

Care guide

Prayer Plant

Q: Leaves staying folded in the day

Stress — usually thirst or low light. Check the compost and the light level; the leaves relax when conditions do.

Maranta leuconeura

Trailing stems of intricately veined leaves that fold up each evening — gentler-natured than its Calathea cousins and lovely on a shelf edge.

At a glance

tap for detail ↓

Light Bright shade Water Keep just moist Humidity Average–high Temperature 16–24°C Feeding Monthly, half strength Pet safety Pet friendly Mature size 30 cm, trailing

Just arrived?

Welcome home! A little settling-in is completely normal — here’s what to know in week one.

Drooping or leaf drop can have several causes. Check the compost, drainage and growing conditions rather than assuming it is only travel stress.
Keep a healthy plant in its nursery pot while it settles. If it keeps wilting, the compost stays waterlogged or roots look damaged, check the cause rather than waiting a fixed number of weeks.
Follow the watering advice for this plant below. Check the compost first and let excess water drain before returning the nursery pot to its cover.

Light

Bright shade suits it perfectly — a north or east windowsill, or set back from stronger light. Direct sun washes out the famous leaf veins.

Watering

Keep it lightly moist through the growing season, checking twice a week and watering when the surface has dried. Like Calathea it prefers rainwater or filtered water, though it’s a little more forgiving of tap.

The dipstick check

Slide a wooden stick or skewer a few centimetres into the soil.

Pull it out and look: damp soil clinging on means hold off.

Use the watering advice for this plant to decide whether it is ready for a drink. When you water, let the excess drain.

Humidity & temperature

Average to high humidity keeps it happiest — it’s more tolerant than Calathea but still appreciates a kitchen, bathroom, or the company of other plants. Keep above 16°C.

Feeding

Half-strength balanced feed monthly, April to September. Nothing over winter.

Repotting & size

Shallow roots mean it prefers a wide, shallow pot to a deep one — repot every couple of years in spring into light peat-free mix, and pin trailing stems onto the compost if you’d like a fuller plant; they root where they touch.

Something wrong?

Most problems are fixable — find the symptom below.

Brown leaf tips

Cause

Tap water minerals or dry air.

Fix

Rainwater or filtered water, plus a more humid spot, stops new damage.

Leaves staying folded in the day

Cause

Stress — usually thirst or low light.

Fix

Check the compost and the light level; the leaves relax when conditions do.

Faded veining

Cause

Too much light.

Fix

Gentler light restores the contrast on new leaves.

Straggly, bare stems

Cause

Natural trailing habit getting leggy in low light.

Fix

Trim back in spring — cuttings root easily in water — and give it slightly brighter shade.

Yellow leaves

Cause

Overwatering.

Fix

Let the surface dry before watering and check the pot drains.

Crispy whole leaves

Cause

Underwatering over a stretch, or radiator heat.

Fix

Move away from heat sources and settle into a consistent checking routine.

Meet the plant

Maranta

Listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs; as with any plant, nibbling may still cause mild stomach upset.
This is the original ‘prayer plant’ — the evening leaf-fold is where the family’s common name comes from.
The herringbone markings are part of what makes Maranta so distinctive.