Red Prayer Plant Care: How to Grow the Red-Veined Maranta

What is a red prayer plant?

The red prayer plant is a low, spreading houseplant grown for its leaves. The RHS describes them as dark olive green with a bright green band down the middle and bright red midribs and main veins, which run out from the center like the bones of a fish. NC State Extension notes that the undersides are usually reddish to burgundy. Every evening the leaves lift and fold together, which is where the name comes from.

Its botanical name is Maranta leuconeura, and the red-veined form is Maranta leuconeura var. erythroneura, the name the RHS uses when it gives it an Award of Garden Merit. The RHS lists Maranta leuconeura 'Tricolor' as a synonym. NC State treats var. erythroneura as a former name folded into the species, and gives red-veined prayer plant and herringbone plant among its common names.

NC State gives its home as Brazil. It belongs to the arrowroot family, Marantaceae, which also holds the calatheas, such as our rattlesnake plant. NC State puts its size at 6 to 12 in tall and up to 2 feet wide. It grows from short rhizomes and spreads sideways rather than up, so it suits a shelf, a low table or a hanging basket.

What it does well, and where it asks more of you:

• The pattern is the draw, and the leaves move through the day, rising and folding at night.
• The ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to cats and dogs, with a naming caveat we explain below.
• It doesn't need sun. NC State says it tolerates low to medium light, and strong sun fades its colors.
• It stays small enough for a desk or shelf. Our Small comes in a 4 in pot and our Medium in a 6 in pot.
• It's fussier than a pothos about water and air. NC State says it requires high humidity, and the leaf edges brown when the soil dries out or the air is too dry.

If you've never kept a houseplant, one of our easy houseplants for beginners is a gentler start. If a small routine of checking the soil and the air appeals to you, this one repays it.

Why do prayer plant leaves fold up at night?

Prayer plants move their leaves on a daily rhythm. NC State describes it this way: by day the leaves are held flat, parallel to the ground, and at night they rise to an upright "prayer" position. It calls this sleep movement. The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) says the common name comes from this habit of raising and folding the leaves at night.

Watch for it in the evening. As the leaves lift, their reddish undersides show, and by morning they're back down and open to the light.

It's normal and healthy, not a sign of a problem. Leaves that curl inward along their length, or crisp and brown at the edges, are a different matter. NYBG links curling, browning and falling leaves to soil that needs to stay more consistently moist or air that needs more humidity.

Is a red prayer plant safe for cats and dogs?

The ASPCA lists the red-veined prayer plant as non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses. Its entry is called Red Veined Prayer, with Maranta and Prayer Plant as other names, and a separate Prayer Plant entry says the same. When we checked in November 2026, both were on the ASPCA's non-toxic lists for cats and dogs.

One honest caveat. Both entries give the scientific name as Calathea insignis, which is the botanical name of the rattlesnake plant, not Maranta leuconeura. The ASPCA's lists have no entry under the name Maranta leuconeura. The entries' common names match this plant, and we follow them. The rattlesnake plant, a close relative, is non-toxic on the same lists.

Non-toxic doesn't mean it's meant to be eaten. Eating any plant can still upset a pet's stomach, so keep it away from a determined chewer. If your pet eats some and seems unwell, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. A consultation fee may apply.

Check every plant by its own name rather than assuming a family or a shelf is safe. The monstera, for example, is on the ASPCA's toxic list for cats and dogs. Our guide to pet-safe houseplants covers the plants we carry that the ASPCA lists as non-toxic.

How much light does a red prayer plant need?

Soft, indirect light. NC State recommends bright, indirect light indoors and says it tolerates low to medium light. NYBG suggests partial shade, such as a shady window or a spot behind a sheer curtain, and the RHS rates it for partial or full shade. A spot near a north- or east-facing window, or well back from a sunny one, works well.

Keep it out of direct sun. NC State says too much sun bleaches the leaf colors, and NYBG says the color fades in the sun. Too little light dulls it as well: NC State notes that low light and low fertility make the leaves lose color, and growth slows in a dim corner.

If your whole home runs dark, our low light houseplants guide compares the plants that cope best.

How often should you water a red prayer plant?

Keep the soil evenly moist through spring and summer, never soggy and never bone dry. NC State says to keep the potting soil evenly moist throughout the growing season, and NYBG says to keep it thoroughly moist from March through September. In practice, feel the soil every couple of days and water when the surface just starts to feel dry. A Small in its 4 in pot dries out faster than a Medium.

When it's time, water like this:

• Pour slowly onto the soil around the base, not into the center of the clump. UF/IFAS Extension in Nassau County warns that water left sitting on the crowns can rot the stems.
• Keep going until water runs from the drainage hole, as Clemson Extension advises, so the whole root ball is wet.
• Tip out the saucer or cover pot after about 15 minutes, as NYBG suggests. NC State lists root rot as a problem in poorly drained soil.
• Use tepid water. NYBG recommends it, and Clemson suggests water between 62 and 72°F.

Ease off in fall and winter. NC State says to hold back on watering in winter so the soil can dry out more, and NYBG suggests letting the top inch of mix dry between waterings then. The RHS says to keep it just moist in winter, so don't let it dry out completely.

Water quality matters more here than with most plants. NC State says the leaves burn with high fluoride, and NYBG advises against hard water, which leaves mineral deposits on the leaves. If your tap water is hard or fluoridated, rainwater or distilled water is the safer choice. Skip softened water too, which Clemson says adds sodium to the soil. Our guide to watering houseplants covers the basics for every plant.

Humidity and warmth: what a prayer plant needs most

Humid air is the part most homes have to add. NC State says the prayer plant requires high humidity and suggests a humidified room or a pot standing on a tray of wet pebbles. NYBG goes further: it suggests keeping humidity well above 50 percent, measured with a hygrometer. It also warns that daily misting or a pebble tray may not be enough in winter.

The surest fix in a dry home is a humidifier nearby. A bright bathroom works too, and NYBG suggests a terrarium, which suits a Small. If you use a pebble tray, keep the water below the tops of the pebbles so the pot never sits in it.

Keep it warm and steady. NYBG puts the ideal at 65 to 70°F, says it should never drop below 55°F and warns against sudden changes. It also notes that once a room is warmer than the low 60s, the plant needs more humidity. NC State says it dislikes cold and cold drafts, so keep it away from heating and air conditioning vents, drafty doors and cold window glass in winter.

Red prayer plant care: feeding, trimming, repotting and dividing

Feed it while it's growing. The RHS suggests a balanced liquid fertilizer once a month, and NYBG a standard liquid fertilizer every two weeks from March through September. Either way, dilute it as the label directs and stop in fall and winter. More isn't better: NC State says the leaves burn with over-fertilization.

Trimming is optional. The RHS says no pruning is required, but UF/IFAS Extension in Nassau County suggests trimming it at least twice a year to keep it growing as a full, vigorous clump, unless you'd like it to trail from a hanging pot. Cut yellow or brown leaves off at the base of the stalk with clean scissors.

Repot in spring, and only when it needs it. NYBG suggests repotting every one or two years in spring, into a pot with a drainage hole and a loose, soil-based mix. UF/IFAS Extension notes that its roots are shallow, so a wide, shallow pot suits it better than a deep one.

Spring is also the time to make more plants. The RHS and NC State both recommend division: ease the clump out of its pot and separate it into pieces that each have roots and a few leaves, then pot them up on their own.

Wipe dust off the leaves with a damp cloth now and then. Our care notes cover the routine every Patina plant shares.

What to do when your red prayer plant arrives

It arrives already potted at the greenhouse in a recycled eco pot, in terracotta or black, so there's nothing to assemble. A few small steps in the first week help it settle:

• Open the box the day it arrives. Lift the plant out by its pot rather than its leaves, and remove all the packing, including any winter protection added for a cold-weather trip.
• Feel the soil. If the surface is dry, water at the base until it drains and tip out the extra. If it's still damp, check again in a day or two.
• Put it straight into its long-term spot, out of direct sun and away from vents, drafts and cold glass. It dislikes sudden changes, so try not to move it around while it settles.
• Give it a few days. After time in a dark box, some leaves may be folded, curled or creased. Cut off any leaf that's torn or badly bent at the base of its stalk.
• Leave it in its pot through its first growing season, and if it arrives in fall or winter, hold off on feeding until spring.

If it arrives damaged or declines in its first 30 days, we'll replace it. Our shipping page explains delivery times and the guarantee.

Red prayer plant problems and how to fix them

Most prayer plant problems come back to water, dry air or light. Find the symptom:

• Brown tips and edges, curling or dropping leaves: NYBG says these usually mean the soil needs to stay more consistently moist or the air needs more humidity. Check both. Damaged edges won't turn green again, so judge progress by the next new leaf.
• Burned edges even with good watering and humid air: fluoride, hard water or too much fertilizer. NC State says the leaves burn with high fluoride and with over-fertilization. Switch to rainwater or distilled water and feed less.
• Faded, washed-out color: too much sun, which NC State says bleaches the leaves. Move it back from the window. Dull color in a dim spot can mean too little light or too little food.
• Limp stems and a sour smell from the soil: rot from soil that stays wet or water sitting in the crown. Let the surface dry, water the soil only and make sure the pot never stands in water. If it doesn't recover, repot into fresh, well-drained mix.
• Fine webbing and pale speckles: spider mites, which NC State and the RHS both list. Rinse the leaves, raise the humidity and use insecticidal soap if they return.
• White, cottony clusters where leaves meet stems: mealybugs, also on NC State's list. Wipe them off and keep checking. The RHS adds whitefly to the list of pests to watch for.

You can get a red prayer plant in Small or Medium, potted in terracotta or black, covered by our 30-day guarantee.

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