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Prayer plant

Maranta leuconeura

A low, patterned plant whose leaves fold up at night. Non-toxic to pets (ASPCA), but it needs high humidity and steady moisture, so it struggles in dry AC rooms without a humidifier or a windowed bathroom.

Mature size0.15–0.3 m tall, 0.3–0.6 m spreadGrowthModerateSunPart shadeWaterModerate
Drought: 1 of 5
Shade: 3 of 5
Ease of care: 2 of 5
Use in a designGet it looked after

Indoors in Dubai

Prayer plant indoors

Light it grows well in

  1. Low (does not suit it)
  2. Medium (suits it)
  3. Bright (suits it)
  4. Sun (does not suit it)

Bright filtered or indirect light; too much sun bleaches the colours (NC State). Keep it a metre or two back from tinted or low-E glass, never on hot afternoon glass.

Dry, air-conditioned air

1 of 5

1 means it needs humidity help, 5 means it does not mind.

Under air conditioning: It needs high humidity at all times (RHS). Keep it out of the vent's airflow, group it with other plants, and use a humidifier or a windowed bathroom. Misting does not change room humidity.

Cats and dogs

Pet-safe

Non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses, according to the ASPCA, which lists 'prayer plant' (also called maranta and red-veined prayer) under the scientific name Calathea insignis rather than Maranta leuconeura. Eating any plant can still upset a stomach.

Size
TabletopSits on a table or shelf
Rooms
BathroomBedroomHome officeKitchen
In Dubai shops
Specialist shopsSpecialist plant shops
Outdoors
Indoors only
All indoor plants for DubaiMore plants for medium light

Season

Through the Dubai year

How Prayer plant behaves through Dubai's seasons, month by month.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
24°
26°
29°
34°
38°
40°
42°
42°
40°
36°
31°
27°

Buy and pot up

Feb – Apr

Steady new growth

Apr – Sep

Monthly feed

Apr – Sep

Check for spider mites and mealybugs

Mar – Oct

Hot glass and dry AC air

Jun – Sep

Water a little less

  • Buy and pot up: Feb–Apr, Oct–Nov

    Cooler months, so the plant is not carried home in summer heat. Repot into a wider, shallow pot, since it spreads sideways (NC State).

  • Steady new growth: Apr–Sep

  • Monthly feed: Apr–Sep

    The RHS says feed monthly; NC State warns that over-fertilising burns the leaves.

  • Check for spider mites and mealybugs: Mar–Oct

    The RHS says it may be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite and mealybugs.

  • Hot glass and dry AC air: Jun–Sep

    Keep it clear of vents and hot windows; the RHS says high humidity at all times.

  • Water a little less: Dec–Feb

    The RHS says watering can be reduced in winter.

Prayer plant keeps its patterned leaves all year, and the nightly folding is a feature in every season. Through the warm months, roughly April to September, keep the compost evenly moist and feed monthly (RHS), and check for spider mites and mealybugs. The air-conditioning season, from about May to October in many Dubai homes (Murtagh et al., 2022), is when leaf edges brown fastest, so keep it clear of vents and add humidity. From December to February reduce watering a little (RHS), but never let the compost dry fully. October to November and February to April are the months to buy and pot up.

Meet the plant

Meet the Prayer plant

Meet prayer plant, the original folding-leaf houseplant. Maranta's oval leaves carry a dark central blotch and a herringbone of pale or red veins, and each evening they lift and close like hands in prayer before lowering again in the morning. NC State Extension lists names such as cathedral windows, herringbone plant and rabbit tracks, all of which describe the pattern.

It is a small, spreading plant, 15 to 30 cm tall and up to 60 cm wide (NC State), that suits a tabletop, a shelf edge or a hanging basket. The mood is delicate and a little fussy. The RHS says it needs high humidity at all times and bright filtered or indirect light, and NC State says too much sun bleaches the leaf colour and over-fertilising burns the leaves.

In a Dubai flat that makes it a plant for a bathroom with a window, a humidifier corner or a glass terrarium rather than a living room with a vent. If you cannot offer humid air, pick a pet-safe plant that ignores dry air, such as spider plant.

Maranta leuconeura is a low, spreading perennial in the prayer-plant family, Marantaceae. NC State gives 15 to 30 cm tall and up to 60 cm wide, and the RHS a maximum of 10 to 50 cm. Red-veined and herringbone forms are both sold. The leaves fold upright at night, a daily movement called nyctinasty that the family shares.

Light should be bright but filtered. The RHS says bright filtered or indirect light is best; NC State says too much sun bleaches the colours, and that it tolerates low to medium light but not direct sun. In Dubai that means a bright room a metre or two back from tinted or low-E glass, never on hot afternoon glass.

Humidity is the hurdle. The RHS says to maintain high humidity at all times, with a steamy room, grouping plants or a tray of damp shingle. It also suggests misting, but UNL Extension says misting would need to happen every few minutes to change room humidity, so use a humidifier, a tray or a windowed bathroom instead. The RHS rates it H1B, wanting 10 to 15°C at minimum, and NC State says it dislikes low temperatures and cold draughts, which in a flat means the vent.

Keep the compost evenly moist while it grows and reduce watering in winter (RHS). The RHS says all houseplants prefer rainwater, because mains tap water contains lime and chlorine; filtered water is the practical choice in a flat. Watch for spider mites and mealybugs (RHS, NC State).

Design

Where to use it

Humid-bathroom accentTabletop patternShelf edge or basketTerrarium or bowl planting

Choose a spot by humidity first, light second. A bright bathroom with a window is the best home in a Dubai flat; the RHS says a bathroom with no window is not suitable for live plants. Otherwise set it on a tray of damp gravel in a bright room, grouped with other plants, a metre or two back from tinted glass and well away from the vent. Because it stays low, it works at the front of a group or on a shelf edge, where the leaf pattern can be seen.

Calathea roseopicta. Common name: Rose Painted Calathea.

Calathea

Calathea shares the folding leaves and the need for humid air, so the two can stand on one tray; its taller, bolder pattern sits behind the low prayer plant.

Botanical specimen in the Shinjuku Gyo-en Greenhouse - Tokyo, Japan.

Nerve plant

A low nerve plant fills the front of the tray with a different vein pattern and wants the same moist air; both are non-toxic on the ASPCA list.

Botanical specimen in the Lyman Plant House, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, USA.

Boston fern

Boston fern's arching green fronds give the pattern a calm backdrop, and both want bright, indirect light and humid air.

Care guide

How to grow it in Dubai

Watering

Summer: Keep the compost evenly moist through the growing season (RHS, NC State), never soggy. Use filtered water where you can; the RHS says all houseplants prefer rainwater, because mains water contains lime and chlorine.

Winter: Reduce watering and let the compost dry out a little between waterings (RHS, NC State), but never let it dry completely.

Soil
A peat-free, well-draining compost that stays moist (RHS); NC State says poorly drained soil causes root rot.
Feeding
Feed monthly in the growing season (RHS), at the label rate or weaker. NC State says the leaves burn with over-fertilisation.
Pruning
Cut dead or tattered leaves off at the base; no other pruning is needed.
Planting
Repot in spring when the pot is full, into a wider, shallow pot since it spreads horizontally (NC State). Propagate by division, basal cuttings or root cuttings (RHS, NC State).
Pests
Spider mitesMealybugs

Avoid these

Common mistakes

  • Treating it like a ZZ plant or a pothos and leaving it in dry air. The RHS says it needs high humidity at all times.
  • Putting it in direct sun. NC State says too much sun bleaches the leaf colour and it is intolerant of direct sunlight.
  • Feeding more to fix brown edges. NC State says the leaves burn with over-fertilisation; check humidity and soil moisture first.
  • Watering with plain tap water every time. The RHS says houseplants prefer rainwater because mains water contains lime and chlorine; use filtered water. Water that has stood overnight can clear free chlorine, but not dissolved minerals.
  • Relying on misting. UNL Extension says you would need to mist every few minutes to make a difference to room humidity; use a humidifier, grouping or a windowed bathroom.

Extra notes

Good to know

  • The ASPCA lists 'prayer plant' (also called maranta and red-veined prayer) as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Its entries give the scientific name as Calathea insignis rather than Maranta leuconeura, so the listing is by common name. Eating any plant can still upset a stomach.
  • The nightly folding is a normal movement (nyctinasty). Many calatheas do it too, and shops in Dubai often use 'prayer plant' for both; Plantsworld sells Maranta as 'Calathea Maranta'. See Calathea for the taller relatives.
  • It spreads horizontally (NC State), and a full pot can be divided or increased from basal cuttings (RHS), so one plant can become several.
  • On 7 October 2026 Plantsworld listed a 20 to 30 cm 'Calathea Maranta' from AED 49. Prices and sizes change.

Toxicity: Non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses, according to the ASPCA, which lists 'prayer plant' (also called maranta and red-veined prayer) under the scientific name Calathea insignis rather than Maranta leuconeura. Eating any plant can still upset a stomach.

Pros

  • Non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses on the ASPCA list
  • Patterned leaves that fold up at night
  • Low and compact: suits shelves, tables and baskets
  • Propagates by division or basal cuttings (RHS)

Cons

  • Needs high humidity at all times (RHS), so it crisps in dry AC rooms
  • Leaves bleach in direct sun and burn with over-feeding (NC State)
  • Prefers rainwater or filtered water to mains tap water (RHS)
  • Spider mites and mealybugs follow dry air

FAQ

Common questions

Why are my prayer plant's leaf edges brown?
The RHS says brown tips or margins can come from under- or over-watering, dry air or poor ventilation, and NC State says over-fertilising burns the leaves. In an air-conditioned flat dry air is the first suspect: check the soil, then move it away from the vent and add humidity.
Why do the leaves fold up at night?
It is a normal movement, which NC State describes as leaves folding upright at night in a prayer position. It is not a sign of a problem.
Is prayer plant safe for cats and dogs?
Yes. The ASPCA lists prayer plant as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating any plant can still upset a stomach.
Can I grow prayer plant in a living room with air conditioning?
Only with a plan for humidity. The RHS says it needs high humidity at all times, and an air-conditioned room does not give that. A humidifier nearby, a damp-gravel tray, grouped plants or a windowed bathroom make it workable; otherwise choose a plant that ignores dry air.
What is the difference between prayer plant and calathea?
They are relatives in the prayer-plant family, Marantaceae, and both fold their leaves at night and want humid air. Maranta stays low and spreads sideways, while calathea is usually taller and clumping. See the calathea page for the larger types.

Not sure how it suits your garden?

Ask about Prayer plant on WhatsApp

Sources

  1. 1. RHS: Maranta leuconeura
  2. 2. NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Maranta leuconeura
  3. 3. ASPCA: Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants — Prayer Plant
  4. 4. ASPCA: Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants — Maranta
  5. 5. RHS: How to grow calatheas (tap water and nyctinasty)
  6. 6. RHS: Leaf damage on houseplants
  7. 7. RHS: Best bathroom plants for humid spaces
  8. 8. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Houseplant humidity
  9. 9. University of Maryland Extension: Watering indoor plants
  10. 10. Murtagh et al. (2022): Living with air-conditioning in Dubai, Chongqing and London — Buildings & Cities
  11. 11. Plantsworld: indoor plants collection (price, checked 7 October 2026)

Last reviewed 2026-10-07 by Plant Guide horticulture desk.

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