Prayer Plants (Maranta leuconeura) get their common name from their habit of folding their leaves up and in during the evening, like praying hands, then opening them during the day. As with many common names of plants, the moniker sometimes gets applied beyond its original meaning. The use (and misuse) of common names instead of scientific names can confuse people about which type of plant they actually own.
The name Prayer Plant is often used for all of the houseplants in the Marantaceae family. Technically, though, only one type of Marantaceae, Maranta leuconeura, is a Prayer Plant. Other similar plants in the Marantaceae family that are sometimes mistakenly called Prayer Plants include Stromanthe, Calathea, and Ctenanthe.
Marantaceae are native tropical forests in South and Central America, where they grow in clumps close to the ground. Their habitat is warm and humid, with dappled light throughout the day. This allows them to do well in the areas of a home where there’s not a lot of bright sunlight, but they can suffer when the air is too dry.
Although plants in the Marantaceae family are often considered high-maintenance, they have such a striking appearance that it’s easy to understand why they are popular. They usually show their reaction to any minor mistake in care with yellow or brown leaves. Luckily, they also produce new leaves quickly, so your plant can probably recover even if you don’t get the conditions right every time.
How Many Types of Prayer Plant Are There?
It is hard to say precisely how many types of Prayer Plant there are. Because of their popularity as houseplants, growers are continually working to develop new cultivars. There are also many Marantas that are not used as houseplants, either because their appearance is unremarkable or they can’t tolerate the conditions inside the home. It is also likely that there are still some undiscovered varieties of Maranta.
That said, you can regularly find three varieties of Maranta, the true Prayer Plant, readily available in nurseries and even the garden centers of big box stores. The most common Prayer Plants sold in the U.S. are Maranta leuconeura “Erythroneura” (Red Prayer Plant) and Maranta leuconeura “Kerchoveana” (Green Prayer Plant, aka Rabbit Tracks). You can also find Maranta leuconeura var. Leuconeura (Black Prayer Plant), although this one is less common.
Since many people also use the name Prayer Plant to refer to all members of the Marantaceae family, which encompasses over 500 different species that have been identified so far, this leads to further confusion. Between cultivars, undiscovered species, and inconsistent naming, there are a lot of possible answers to the question of how many types of Prayer Plant actually exist.
Do All Prayer Plants Move?
Prayer Plants get their common name from the way they move their leaves during the day. This is called a nyctinastic movement and is theorized to be a way for the plant to control the amount of light and moisture it takes in from its environment.
Plants don’t have muscles, so how do their leaves move? Marantas move their leaves using a motor organ called the pulvinus at the base of the leaf. The amount of liquid inside each cell allows it to expand or contract, moving the leaf up and down.
All members of the Marantaceae family that you can buy as houseplants display nyctinastic movement to varying degrees, but the Maranta species have the most pronounced movement. Some other types of indoor plants that have nyctinastic movement include Oxalis (Shamrock Plant) and Mimosa pudica (Sensitive Plant).
Is a Calathea a Prayer Plant?
Calatheas are popular because they have beautiful foliage with unusual patterns and colors. Some of the most popular varieties of Calathea recently include Calathea makoyana (Peacock Plant), Calathea ornata (Pinstripe Plant), and Calathea lancifolia (Rattlesnake Plant).
Although they are closely related to one another, Calatheas are not true Prayer Plants. Only Marantas are Prayer Plants. That said, the common name is often used to refer to all members of the Marantaceae family, which includes Calatheas.
To add to the naming confusion already inherent to the scientific and common names of the Marantaceae family, taxonomists have recently renamed the whole Calathea genus to Goeppertia and changed species’ names as well. But you can expect people to keep the habit of calling these plants Calathea for the foreseeable future.
In another article, I’ve gone into much more detail about the similarities and differences between Marantas and Calatheas. If you are still curious what their relation is to one another, read this article.
Other Plants Closely Related to Marantas
The Marantaceae family of plants encompasses a number of species (around 530 known at this time), but the majority of them are not grown and marketed as houseplants. Aside from Calatheas and Marantas, Stromanthe and Ctenanthe genera are the most commonly available of the Marantaceae.
From the Stromanthe genus, most people are only familiar with Stromanthe sanguinea “Tricolor” or “Triostar” (aka Stromanthe thalia). This distinctive plant has beautiful variegated leaves in red/pink, cream, and green. It is often confused with a Calathea and sometimes is labeled as Calathea triostar.
Ctenanthe, also known as the Never Never Plant, includes a few varieties that you can find as a houseplant. Ctenanthe burle-marxii (aka Fishbone Prayer Plant) has long oval leaves with alternating dark and light stripes.
Ctenanthe oppenheimiana “Tricolor” looks quite similar to its cousin Stromanthe sanguinea “Tricolor,” but you can see the difference in the amount of variegation and because the Ctenanthe leaves feature fine pinstripes. Ctenanthe amabilis (sometimes called Stromanthe amabilis) is another lovely species that has a dark green pattern on a silver or light green background, and the undersides of the leaves are purple.
Note: as a bonus, all members of the Marantaceae family are non-toxic, making them a safe choice for homes with children and pets
Which Prayer Plant Do You Have?
It can be challenging to identify which type of plant you have. Sometimes labels are vague or just incorrect, and sometimes you can find a plant with no label at all. The leaves are going to be the key to narrowing down the possibilities. If your plant moves from day to evening and has thin leaves with patterns, you most likely have a member of the Marantaceae family.
True Prayer Plants (Maranta leuconeura) all have wide oval-shaped leaves and symmetrical markings. Maranta leuconeura ‘Erythroneura’ can be identified by the distinct ribs on the leaves – they are usually red, but in the variety Maranta lemon-lime, they’re a light-green to yellow. Maranta leuconeura ‘Kerchoveana’ does not have brightly-colored ribs, but instead a pattern of black splotches on either side of the leaf, which lends it the common name “Rabbit Tracks.”
Since Stromanthe and Ctenanthe currently only come in a few varieties, you should be able to rule them in or out by consulting a few photos. Calatheas are offered in a wider variety, and their appearance from one species to another is more varied, making this genus the most difficult to identify.
Final Thoughts
Plants in the Marantaceae family are often called by names that overlap, change, or are just wrong. That can make it challenging to identify which type of plant you have.
Luckily, the care requirements for Marantaceae plants are similar, regardless of which one you own. They like medium indirect light, stable temperatures away from drafts, and are picky about watering. In fact, watering and humidity are the two main issues with this plant, but they are also susceptible to many of the usual indoor plant pests. Calathea lancifolia (rattlesnake plant) or any of the Marantas would be an excellent introduction to this family.
These aren’t plants I would recommend to a beginner, but many people successfully provide Prayer Plants and their relatives with the appropriate care to thrive indoors. Those with the patience to cater to this plant will find themselves rewarded with some truly unique and remarkable foliage.