The Prayer Plant
Plants, in general, seem a pretty immobile lot (unless you believe in trifids). Yet some of them have a surprise in store. There are the sensitive plants, Mimosa pudica, whose delicate fern-like leaves fold up and bend at the slightest touch. And the Venus fly-traps, whose jaw-like leaves close to catch any straying insect. Then there are the plants which seem sensitive to light, and whose leaves move slowly into an upright position when the light fades. Plants of the Marantaceae family. In some types of marantas this movement is so extreme that it has been likened to hands coming together in prayer, so giving rise to the common name of Prayer Plant.
With its wide range of foliage colours, patterns and markings it is no wonder that the Prayer Plant is a popular indoor plant. The different markings, cream, yellow red or silver, contrast with the light and dark green on the upper surface of the leaves, while the lower surfaces are usually a pinkish red or maroon. Even the shape of the plants can vary. The marantas usually form flattish mounds of foliage up to a foot across. The two most popular ones are varieties of Maranta leuconeura. The variety M.l.erythroneura has red, fish-bone-patterned leaves which have earned it the name of the Herringbone Plant, while M.l.kerchoveana, or Rabbits Foot plant, has a double row of dark blotches on each leaf. These plants do flower intermittently, but I personally find that the long stems with their white to mauve flowers are one of their least attractive features.
Calatheas are generally larger than marantas, but are just as lovely. Calathea roseopicta has large and almost round leaves which appear to contain the picture of another leaf drawn in cream on them. It is only about ten inches high during the day but it is taller at night when the foliage moves upright. The Zebra plant, calathea zebrina is twice as big and has regular dark stripes on its leaves which obviously reminded someone of a zebra. But the prettiest one is the Peacock plant, Calathea makoyana, which is also known as Cathedral Windows. Smaller varieties are the Rattlesnake plant, Calathea lancifiolia, which has long, narrow leaves (what else) which reach to about nine inches, and if you want one which is slightly different there is Calathea crocata whose showy flowers protrude from bright orange star-burst bracts at the end of wand-like stems.
But how about a Ctenanthe? Try to say it without spitting. It is actually a lot easier than you might think. All you have to do is remember that the C is silent. Ctenanthe oppenheimiana, or Never-Never plant, has graceful arrow-marked silver and green leaves held on long stems and can reach a height of four feet. The variety 'Tricolor' must be one of the best with its leaves of cream, pink, silver and green, and is much more accommodating as it only grows to about thirty inches.
But having got one of these plants how does one ensure that they carry on giving a good show. Well, to start with they like light, but not direct sunlight which can scorch and fade the plant. In summer a north facing window is fine, or even an east facing window. But not too close unless it's shaded first thing in the morning. Keep the temperature above 55-60{\176}F. (that's about 15{\176}C these days). And keep the humidity high. Otherwise the leaf tips go brown. Now that is not too easy in the winter, but it does help if you stand them on a tray of moist pebbles or keep them in a group with other plants (or both if the other plants like moist air, and most of them seem to). But whatever you do, don't over-water. Don't saturate the compost, especially in winter when it is cool and growth is slow. And, as with all tropical plants, don't use cold water. Warm water works wonders. And, finally, don't forget to add feed to the water every two weeks once growth has got under way. As usual, the list seems to be more 'do not's than do's', but more indoor plants are killed by kindness than any other reason. Having managed to keep your plant alive and kicking over the winter and watched it back into growth in the spring, maybe you would like another one. Easy. Go and buy one. Or if you feel a bit more adventurous, propagate. Either divide it or take cuttings. Division should take place in late spring or early summer, and it is convenient to do it when it needs repotting due to overcrowding. When you take it out of the pot, tease a couple of the young plants away, making sure that they have good roots, and pot up in a peat based or peat substitute compost. Water well, but allow the surface to start drying out before watering again. And it is a good idea to put the whole pot in a loosely tied polythene bag during this critical time, taking it out once you are sure that it is still growing. And repot the big bit that's left in a pot just big enough for you to get a finger between the pot and the compost all the way round. Cuttings should be cut off just below a leaf joint and inserted round the edge of the pot using a mixture of half compost and half sharp sand or vermiculite or perlite (making sure that the leaves don't touch), watered in and then placed in a propagator or in a plastic bag in a warm place. I have heard that cuttings will actually root in water. I have never tried it, but apparently it works. Why don't you have a go.
Happy Gardening.
written by Bill Hutchings
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page last updated 4 OCTOBER 1998