Maranta leuconeura Plant

Green Prayer Plant

Family

Marantaceae

Origin

Brazil

Description

Maranta Leuconeura , commonly called Rabbit Tracks, offers slightly rounded, light green leaves with dark splotches on either side of the main rib. The color of the backs of the leaves is a silvery green with a close lined vein system, which makes the two sides of the leaf totally unique. It is a variable, rhizomatous perennial, growing to 30 cm (12 in) tall and broad, with crowded clumps of evergreen, strikingly-marked oval leaves, each up to 12 cm (5 in) long.

Prayer plants are some of the most elegant, easy to care, tropical plants you can grow indoors. Its leaves lie flat during the day and fold upward at night, as if in prayer! 

Environment

A beautiful tropical houseplant, Maranta thrives in spots with high humidity. Maranta is referred to as a shade plant, since in nature it grows in the densely vegetated tropical rainforests of South America. A North facing windowsill would be the first choice here, but any other situation will be acceptable providing you can provide shielding from the direct sunlight these places would receive at some point during the day.

Spraying the plant occasionally will be beneficial. Do not allow the pot soil to dry out completely - but take care: water standing in the pot means wet roots, which Maranta does not like. So give the plant regular but small amounts of water!

Giving fertiliser once every 14 days will ensure that you can enjoy your houseplant for a long time. Giving fertiliser once every 14 days will ensure that you can enjoy your houseplant for a long time:

The plant will continually develop new leaves. The leaves of a plant that is not happy will curl and shrivel, and will stop growing.

Landscape Use

Maranta will do well in a container garden, terrarium or as a houseplant as it prefers low light and is easy to care for. They are very suitable for kitchens and bathrooms.