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Maranta Leuconeura Kerchoveana

Maranta Leuconeura Kerchoveana characteristics
Big leavesSmall plant. ~19.7"Good for bathroomHanging plantPet friendly

Become a green thumb!

Stop suffering for your plants when you're not at home

Easy tips, adaptable systems, and detailed guides for taking care of your plants in your absence.

Know more about Maranta Leuconeura Kerchoveana

Maranta leuconeura var. kerchoveana is an evergreen plant with patterned leaves originally from Brazil Rainforests that is kept as a house plant for its attractive foliage.

Also commonly known by the name prayer plant because its leaves remind us to two hands praying because its leaves fold upward at night.

Maranta Leuconeura grows approx. up to 30-40cm and it gets bushy because it grows horizontally. The leaves of Maranta Leuconeura Kerchoveana are oval in shape, colored green-grey, with darker green to brown splashes across the surface. On the other hand, these colors are not visible from the back, not even the vein arrangement.

Maranta Leuconeura is usually placed in the corners of furniture or in a hanging basket because it looks great with a cascade look.

Everyone should have a maranta at home because they are pet-friendly and air purifier plants that improve the quality of the air. Because of this, marantas are perfects plants for bedrooms and living rooms.

Key tips for successful care

  • You must use well-draining soil and keep it moist at all times.
  • Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth and gently dry to keep them clean and healthy.
  • Leaves are good indicators of the amount of light.
  • Place it hanging in a basket or in a furniture corner so it cascade.

Maranta Leuconeura Kerchoveana care guide

Prayer plant can't be placed in direct sunlight because it's leaves will scorch easily and get damaged. I recommend giving it a bright light for the best results. For example, a next to north-facing window, or a few steps far from any other window.

It is not mandatory to give it bright light because Maranta Leuconeura does well in ambient light as well but it will not grow that fast. You know if it's ambient light if the plant can't see the sky.

In spring through fall, water your Maranta regularly with tepid water so the soil stays moist. Don’t use hard water as these plants are sensitive to fluoride in tap water, which can cause brown leaf tips.

Water plentifully as much as necessary to keep the soil thoroughly moist in the active growing period and make sure you use a well-draining soil so it doesn't get soggy. Empty the plant saucers after watering, to avoid that stagnant water could damage the roots.

During the winter and in low-light conditions water sparingly, allowing the top half of the soil to dry out between waterings.

Yellow-pigmented, spotted, and curled leaves usually indicate under-watering, while limp stems are usually a sign of over-watering, which is most common in winter.

Maranta Leuconeura needs high humidity. If you have a bright bathroom, it would be a great spot to place your Prayer Plant because the steam from the shower will add humidity to the air.

Misting its leaves or group it to other plants are good ways to increase the humidity. Brown tips show that the humidity is too low.

This plant doesn't need much fertilizer; twice per year could be enough. But if you want to boost its growth, feed it with light, half-diluted liquid fertilizer once every two weeks through the growing season.

Don't fertilize in the winter so you make sure the plant can rest and save energy for the next growing season.

Video tutorials of Green Prayer Plant care and tips

The video tutorials might not be about the same exact plant, but a plant of the same family, which have the same requirements.

Video created by Summer Rayne Oakes about how to take care of a maranta
Video created by Harli G about how to take care of a maranta

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