Prayer plant, Maranta

What is a Prayer plant?

A Prayer plant (also known as Maranta) is a spectacular silver plant native to Brazil. Prayer plants are named after their unique folding behaviour, where their leaves tuck in at night, and are immediately recognisable thanks to their striped leaf patterns. While they are suitable for live vivariums, they are quite large and will draw the eye, so we recommend making one a centrepiece if you’re going to use it in a live enclosure. Prayer plants also make good additions to plant-only terrariums and greenhouses.

How do you keep a Prayer plant?

Prayer plants hail from Brazil and so enjoy the hot and humid climate of the rainforest. This can be quite easy to recreate in a properly set up and maintained terrarium. With a little light, high heat and plenty of water, your plant should be able to thrive and quickly grow to its full adult size. Caring for Prayer plants is quite easy and is recommended for novices as long as they have a hot and humid enclosure to work with.

What is a Prayer plant good for?

Prayer plants are interesting additions to both terrariums and plant-only enclosures. Their leaves create shade for reptiles and their leaf movement makes them a more active element of any display, often wowing friends and family.