About Prayer Plants
The prayer plant can be identified by several characteristics. One of its most prominent features, from which it takes its name, is its habit of folding its leaves up as darkness approaches. To some, the folded leaves look like hands clasped in prayer. This habit has enchanted children and adults alike. Making the prayer plant even more appealing is that it is a plant that demands very little care and gives back beautiful foliage in return. It can also produce tiny white flowers on spikes rising from its center, but the main interest in this houseplant stems from the foliage and its unique "praying" habit. Does this Spark an idea?
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Features
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Some gardeners consider the prayer plant a tender and fragile houseplant, but usually if its minimal needs are met it is not temperamental. The prayer plant will provide a beautiful show as well as daily entertainment for the young ones in a household as it opens its leaves at dawn and closes them at dusk, day in and day out. The prayer plant needs moist soil and it prefers a low-light setting, or filtered light, rather than full sun. Also, because it is a tropical plant, care should be taken to keep it from cold windows and drafts. It appreciates a daily misting.
Types
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Maranta leuconeura erythroneura is the scientific name of one of the more common houseplants in this family. The Arrowroot is a close relative, and its scientific name is Maranta arundinacea. This type of Maranta is prized as a food source for its rhizomes. Another type of prayer plant is known scientifically as Maranta leuconeura kerchoveana, and it is also referred to commonly as a rabbit's tracks plant. This comes from its distinctive markings, rows of darker green or brownish spots against the lighter green of the leaf.
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Care
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The soil must drain well. Prayer plants do not like wet feet, or constantly wet roots. At the same time, the soil should be kept somewhat moist, calling for the gardener to strike a good balance between not too wet and not too dry. The amount of sunlight is also a large concern when growing a prayer plant. Too much light could cause the houseplant to forego its unique habit of "praying," and it could also burn leave tips.
Propagation
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The prayer plant can be propagated successfully by a few methods. Some gardeners have achieved easy success by plucking a leaf and sticking it in water, where it sprouts new roots and can later be planted in soil. Other gardeners choose the more traditional method of cutting a piece of the rhizome and planting it directly in soil, making sure it retains several leaves that will be kept above the soil level.
Geography
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Prayer plants are native to rainforests, including the rainforests of Brazil and other areas of South America. They do well in the American southeast, including Florida. However, because they are a tropical plant, they would fare poorly and die if kept outdoors all year in colder climates. The minimum temperature the prayer plant will tolerate is about 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
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