How to grow Maranta

Maranta leuconeura · prayer plant, herringbone plant

A low, spreading tropical plant from Brazil grown for its patterned leaves with red or silver veins, which lie flat by day and fold upright at night like praying hands. It suits tabletops and hanging baskets.

Quick facts

Type	Houseplant
Family	Marantaceae
Light	Partial shade
Frost	does not tolerate frost
Soil for sowing	from 15 °C
Where it grows	At home

When to plant

Sow straight into the bed after your last spring frost, once the soil has warmed.

Frost dates · When to plant

Care

At home

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 6 days	—	balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 74 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 134 days into the stage
Winter rest	every 12 days	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Bright indirect light; it tolerates some shade, but direct sun scorches the leaves and too much light fades their colours.

Soil

Soil-based or peat-free compost with good drainage; the roots are shallow, so a pot wider than deep suits it.

Care

Keep the compost evenly moist but never soggy from spring to autumn, watering little and often with tepid rainwater or filtered water; in winter water less and keep it just moist. It needs high humidity – mist the leaves or stand the pot on a tray of wet pebbles – and warmth of at least 15 °C, away from draughts. Feed a balanced fertiliser every one to two months in spring and summer; too much fertiliser or fluoride in tap water burns the leaf edges. It is non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Pests and diseases of Maranta

Two-spotted spider mite

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.