Maranta (Prayer Plant) Care Guide

Maranta (Prayer Plant) Care Guide

I remember the first time I saw a Maranta fold up its leaves at night. I honestly thought I was killing it. I’d just brought it home from the nursery, set it on my desk, and by 9 PM the leaves had lifted up like little praying hands. I panicked and started googling “prayer plant dying first day,” only to find out this is completely normal. If you’re new to these plants, that movement can be startling, but it’s actually one of the coolest things about them.

Marantas are not the easiest houseplants, but they’re not impossible either. I’ve killed one (overwatering, classic mistake) and kept two others alive for years now. They want consistent care, which sounds demanding, but once you get into a rhythm, they’re pretty forgiving. The patterns on the leaves are incredible, almost like someone painted them by hand, and watching them move throughout the day never gets old.

Why the leaves move at night

The leaf movement is called nyctinasty, which is just a fancy term for plants that move in response to light and darkness. Most plants in the Marantaceae family do this, including Calatheas and Stromanthes. During the day, the leaves spread out flat to catch as much light as possible. When evening comes, they fold upward, almost vertical, like hands in prayer (hence the name).

The mechanism behind this involves a small joint at the base of each leaf called a pulvinus. This joint has special cells that expand and contract based on water pressure inside them. When it gets dark, potassium ions move into certain cells in the pulvinus, which changes the water pressure and causes the leaf to lift. In the morning, the process reverses and the leaves lower again.

Scientists think this movement might serve a few purposes. One theory is that it helps the plant conserve moisture by reducing the leaf surface area exposed at night. Another idea is that the upright position allows dew to roll off the leaves more easily, preventing fungal growth. Some researchers also think it might help protect the leaves from nighttime temperature drops. According to a study from the Journal of Experimental Botany, nyctinastic movements can also help optimize photosynthesis by adjusting leaf angles throughout the day.

For us as plant owners, this movement is a good health indicator. If your Maranta stops moving its leaves or the movement becomes sluggish, something might be wrong. I’ve noticed that when mine gets too dry, the leaves don’t fully open in the morning. They stay slightly curled. When it’s happy and well-watered, the movement is dramatic and you can actually hear a soft rustling sound if you’re in a quiet room at dusk.

Light requirements for colorful leaves

Marantas come from the floor of Brazilian rainforests, where they grow under a thick canopy. This means they’re used to filtered, indirect light, not bright sun. If you put one in a south-facing window with direct sun, the leaves will bleach out and lose their color. I learned this the hard way with my first one.

The best spot is a few feet back from an east or west-facing window, or right next to a north-facing window. You want the room to be bright enough that you can read comfortably without turning on a light during the day, but you don’t want direct sun hitting the leaves. I keep mine about six feet from a west window, and it gets lovely dappled light through a sheer curtain in the afternoon.

If your space doesn’t have great natural light, Marantas can tolerate lower light better than a lot of houseplants. They won’t grow as fast and the colors might not be as intense, but they’ll survive. I have a friend who keeps one in her bathroom with just a small frosted window, and it’s doing fine. The leaf patterns are a bit less pronounced than mine, but it’s healthy.

One thing to watch for is if the leaves start to fade or turn brown on the edges. Faded, washed-out colors usually mean too much light. Brown, crispy edges can mean too much direct sun or (confusingly) not enough humidity, which I’ll get to later. The variegation on a happy Maranta should be crisp and defined, with deep greens and those characteristic red or pink veins depending on the variety.

According to information from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Marantas prefer light levels between 1000 and 2500 foot-candles, which translates to bright indirect light in household terms. If you want to get precise, you can use a light meter app on your phone, but honestly, the “can I read a book here comfortably” test works pretty well.

Above: A close up look at the symptoms.

Watering to keep soil damp not wet

This is where I killed my first Maranta. I thought “keep the soil moist” meant I should water it every other day. Wrong. The soil turned into a swamp, the roots rotted, and the whole plant collapsed in about two weeks.

What “moist” actually means is that the top inch of soil should dry out slightly between waterings, but the soil below that should stay lightly damp. Not wet, not bone dry, just consistently damp like a wrung-out sponge. I check mine by sticking my finger into the soil up to my second knuckle. If it feels dry at that depth, I water. If it still feels damp, I wait another day or two.

In my apartment, this works out to watering about once a week in summer and every 10 days in winter. But your schedule will depend on your home’s temperature, humidity, and light levels. I’ve talked to people who water theirs twice a week because they have forced air heating that dries everything out.

When you do water, water thoroughly. I take mine to the sink and pour water over the soil until it runs out the drainage holes. Then I let it drain completely before putting it back on its saucer. Never let a Maranta sit in standing water. This is critical. Soggy soil leads to root rot faster than almost any other problem.

The type of water matters too. Marantas are sensitive to chemicals in tap water, especially fluoride and chlorine. I noticed brown tips on my leaves and couldn’t figure out why until I read that these plants prefer filtered or distilled water. I switched to filtered water from my Brita pitcher, and the brown tips stopped appearing on new growth. You can also let tap water sit out overnight to let some of the chlorine evaporate, though that doesn’t help with fluoride.

Room temperature water is best. Cold water can shock the roots. I fill my watering can in the morning and let it come to room temperature before I water in the evening.

Propagating Prayer Plants in water

Marantas are pretty easy to propagate, which is great because you can make more plants for free or share them with friends. I’ve propagated mine three times now, and it’s worked every time using the water method.

The best time to propagate is in spring or early summer when the plant is actively growing. Look for a healthy stem with at least two or three leaves. Using clean scissors or pruning shears (I wipe mine with rubbing alcohol first), cut just below a node. The node is the little bump on the stem where leaves emerge. This is where new roots will grow from.

Strip off the bottom leaf if there is one, so you have a bare node to put in water. I use a small glass jar or cup filled with room temperature filtered water. Make sure the node is submerged but the leaves stay above water.

Put the jar in a spot with bright indirect light. I keep mine on the kitchen counter near a window. Change the water every few days to keep it fresh and prevent bacterial growth. This is important. Stagnant water gets slimy and can rot your cutting.

In about two to four weeks, you should see small white roots emerging from the node. I wait until the roots are at least two inches long before planting. Some people plant as soon as roots appear, but I’ve had better success waiting for longer roots.

When you’re ready to pot it up, use a small pot (four inches is good) with drainage holes and a light, well-draining potting mix. I use a mix of regular potting soil, perlite, and a bit of peat moss or coco coir. Plant the cutting, water it well, and keep it in a warm, humid spot for the first few weeks while it adjusts.

The transition from water to soil can be tricky. I’ve lost cuttings at this stage because the roots developed in water aren’t quite the same as soil roots. To help with this, I keep the soil more moist than usual for the first two weeks and gradually let it dry out more between waterings.

Above: The tools you need to fix this.

Increasing humidity without a humidifier

Marantas love humidity. In their natural habitat, they’re getting 60 to 80 percent humidity. Most of our homes sit around 30 to 40 percent, especially in winter with heating running. Low humidity causes those annoying brown, crispy leaf edges that make your plant look sad.

I don’t own a humidifier because I don’t want another appliance to maintain, so I’ve figured out some other tricks. The easiest thing I do is group my humidity-loving plants together. Plants release moisture through their leaves (transpiration), so when you cluster them, they create a little humid microclimate. My Maranta sits next to a fern and a Pothos, and they all seem happier for it.

Pebble trays work okay but not as well as people claim. You put pebbles or stones in a shallow tray, add water until it’s just below the top of the pebbles, then set your pot on top. The water evaporates and creates humidity around the plant. The reason I say it works “okay” is because it only increases humidity in the immediate area around the plant. It’s not useless, but don’t expect miracles.

The bathroom is actually a great spot for Marantas if you have a window in there. Every time you shower, you’re giving your plant a humidity boost. Mine lived in my bathroom for about a year, and it was the happiest it’s ever been. I only moved it because I wanted to see it more often.

Misting is controversial. Some people swear by it, others say it does nothing or even promotes fungal issues. I’ve tried it, and honestly, I think it’s more trouble than it’s worth. The humidity boost from misting lasts maybe 15 minutes. If you have time to mist your plants twice a day, more power to you, but I don’t. According to research from the University of Georgia Extension, misting provides only temporary humidity relief and can encourage fungal problems if done excessively.

What actually works well is putting the plant in naturally humid rooms. Kitchens and bathrooms are ideal. My current Maranta lives in my kitchen on a shelf near the sink. The humidity from cooking and washing dishes keeps it happy.

If you’re really struggling with humidity and don’t want a humidifier, you can try a cloche or a glass cabinet. This creates a more enclosed environment that traps moisture. I haven’t done this myself because I like my plants out in the open, but I know people who have success with it.

One last thing: don’t put your Maranta near heating vents or air conditioners. These dry out the air even more and create temperature fluctuations that stress the plant. I made this mistake with mine in winter, and it started dropping leaves until I moved it across the room.

Taking care of a Maranta takes some attention, but it’s not as fussy as the internet sometimes makes it seem. Once you get the watering rhythm down and find a good spot with the right light, they’re pretty steady. The leaf movement alone makes them worth the effort. Every evening when I’m making dinner, I glance over and see my Maranta’s leaves starting to lift, and it still makes me smile.

References

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). “Foliage Plant Care: Maranta.” Environmental Horticulture Department.

University of Georgia Extension. “Houseplant Care: Humidity and Watering.” College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Journal of Experimental Botany. “Nyctinastic Leaf Movements in the Marantaceae.” Vol. 51, Issue 347, 2000.