Growing Prayer Plants (Maranta) Indoors

Add some motion to your indoor garden with prayer plants. Their leaves fold up each night like praying hands then return to their normal position during the day.

Prayer plants are low growing shallow rooted, making them suitable for hanging baskets and shallow containers. The green leaves have decorative markings, adding to their appeal.

Grow them in a draft-free location with normal room temperatures and indirect light. Water thoroughly whenever the top inch of soil is just starting to dry. Drooping leaves and brown leaf edges can indicate you need to water more often.

Don’t allow the plant to sit in excess water that collects in the saucer. Pour this off or create a gravel tray. Add a layer of pebbles to the saucer to elevate the pot above any excess water.  As the water evaporates, it increases the humidity around the plant – something it needs to thrive.

A bit more information: Player plants’ leaves become pale or develop brown spots when the plant receives too much direct sunlight. Try moving it to a space with indirect light. And if the tips of the leaves turn brown, it may be the chlorine and fluoride in your water. Keep the soil slightly moist or use rainwater, melted snow or distilled water.