Plant Profile – Maranta Leuconeura

Maranta leuconeura Prayer plant Plant Profile

The prayer plant gets it's name because of the way the foliage moves from night to day. The brown blotched green leaves of Maranta leuconeura rise & fall from night to day as if in prayer. A resilient plant, the prayer plant can grow quickly in the warmer months, this one in particular was quite small and unhappy when I first brought it home & now hangs on my south-west facing balcony receiving a few hours of late afternoon sun in summer. 

BOTANICAL NAME

Maranta Leuconeura

COMMON NAME

Prayer Plant, Ten Commandments 

ABOUT

This beautiful plant has very interesting leaves, emerald green in colour with brown and purple blotches between the veins which get darker as the leaves mature. Maranta leuconeura's leaves rise and fall from night to day, folding together as if in prayer. Native to Brazil. 

LIGHT/SUN

Bright, indirect light or medium shade. Will tolerate some direct sun. 

WATER

Prayer plant likes to be moist, don’t allow to dry out too long between watering. Likes a spray mist for humidity in summer. 

SIZE

Height: 15-20 cms

Spread: 25-30 cms 

SOIL

High quality premium potting mix or rich loam based soil.

FERTILISER

Liquid or slow release fertiliser is recommended to be applied during in the warmer months, choose one suitable for your houseplants and always follow the instructions on the pack for measurements and frequency. This plant doesn’t require fertiliser in the cold of winter. 

CARE TIPS 

Follow the above!  When choosing a pot - pick one with a drainage hole, and use a saucer to catch escaping water. Empty the saucer after watering. May need repotting every 12 months in the spring when the roots fill the pot. 

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