Prayer Plant Goeppertia micans

Prayer plant is a compact tropical herbaceious perennial in the Marantaceae family from South and Central America that spreads via rhizomes.  The leaves fold together at dusk in a manner somewhat resembling praying hands, hence the common name.

Outside of its native countries, this plant is typically grown as an indoor houseplant requiring uniformly moist, well-drained, peaty potting mixtures in room temperatures ranging from 65 to 75 degrees F. in bright shade. With care, it will develop into an attractive indoor foliage plant.

Flowers rarely appear on indoor plants.  It typically grows to 12-16” tall in containers.  Avoid full sun, particularly in the heat of the afternoon, although the plant does tolerate some early morning sun or diffuse sun. To provide humid conditions, consider standing a potted plant on a bed of wet pebbles, misting the foliage regularly or growing the plant in a humidified room. Water regularly to keep soils moist (but not wet) during the growing season, but reduce watering in winter when plant growth slows down.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems. Watch for aphids, scale, mealybugs and spider mites. Leaf spots may appear. In low humidity, leaves may roll or turn brown. Direct sun causes leaf scorch.