Prayer plant care: watering and light
The prayer plant folds its leaves upwards at the end of the day, like hands in prayer, and opens them again in the morning. It has stunning patterns and wants humidity and soft water.
Prayer plant needs water roughly every 3 days in summer and every 7 in winter (north-facing window, in a 16 cm plastic pot with a drainage hole). Before watering, always check with a finger in the soil: if it’s still damp, wait.
At a glance
- Scientific name
- Maranta leuconeura
- Also known as
- Maranta
- Preferred light
- Low indirect light
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Tolerates drought
- No
- Tolerates shade
- No
- Where it lives
- Indoors
Where to put it
It does well in low to medium indirect light: a north-facing window or further into a bright bedroom. Direct sun fades and scorches the leaves. It likes humidity, so a bathroom with a window is a good spot.
How to water
Keep the soil slightly moist but never soggy: water when the surface dries. Like calatheas, it prefers filtered water, rainwater or water left to stand, because minerals burn its edges.
Common mistakes
Brown edges mean dry air or hard water. Leaves curling during the day are asking for water. Soft stems near the soil mean overwatering. If it gets long and untidy, cut the stems above a node: it grows back fuller.
How many days between waterings, spot by spot
| Where it lives | In July | In January |
|---|---|---|
| Bathroom with a window | 3 days | 7 days |
| East-facing window | 2 days | 4 days |
| North-facing window | 3 days | 7 days |
| Hallway or corner with no window | 5 days | 10 days |