Calatheas and prayer plants (Maranta) grow best in medium, indirect light, in a light potting mix kept evenly moist but never soggy, in a warm room with humidity around 50 percent or higher. Water when the top inch of mix feels dry, use filtered, distilled, or rainwater if your tap water leaves brown leaf edges, and keep them away from heat vents, cold drafts, and direct sun. Curling leaves almost always mean the plant is thirsty or the air is too dry. Crispy brown edges point to dry air or minerals in the water. Both plants are listed by the ASPCA as non-toxic to dogs and cats.
Why these plants are fussy
Calatheas (many now reclassified by botanists as Goeppertia) and prayer plants belong to the same family and come from the floor of tropical forests, where light is filtered, the soil stays damp, and the air is humid. Typical heated or air conditioned homes are drier and brighter than that, so the leaves react quickly. The good news is that once you set up the right spot, they are steady, striking plants. They also move their leaves through the day, lifting or folding them at night and lowering them in the morning, which is normal and a sign of a healthy plant.
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Place them a few feet back from an east or north window, or well back from a bright south or west window. A sheer curtain helps in sunny rooms. Direct sun fades the leaf patterns, bleaches the color, and scorches the edges within days. Too little light slows growth and dulls the markings, but these plants tolerate lower light far better than strong sun.
Watering
Keep the mix lightly and evenly moist. Water when the top inch is dry, water until it drains from the bottom, and empty the saucer. Do not let the pot dry out completely, and do not let it sit wet, which leads to yellowing and root rot. Use room temperature water, since cold water can shock the roots.
Calatheas are sensitive to fluoride, chlorine, and dissolved salts. If new leaves keep developing brown, crispy edges even when watering is steady, switch to distilled water, rainwater, or filtered water, and flush the pot with plain water every few months. Our guide to brown leaf tips on houseplants covers how to tell minerals from dry air.
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A cool mist humidifier for very dry rooms, a pebble tray to raise moisture right around the pot, and a hygrometer so you know the actual humidity instead of guessing. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
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Humidity
Aim for about 50 percent humidity or more around the plant. In heated rooms, indoor humidity can drop well below that. Group plants together, set the pot on a tray of pebbles and water with the pot bottom above the water line, or run a humidifier nearby. Bathrooms and kitchens with a bright window are often good spots. Misting raises humidity for only a few minutes and keeps leaves wet, so it is not a real fix. Our guide to humidity trays and grouping houseplants explains how to set up a tray that works.
Temperature, soil, and feeding
Keep them between about 65 and 80°F, and never below about 60°F. Cold drafts from windows and doors cause curling and brown patches. Use a general indoor potting mix with extra perlite so it holds moisture but still drains. Feed with a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength about once a month while the plant is putting out new leaves, and skip feeding when growth slows. Too much fertilizer burns leaf edges, so less is better.
Repot every year or two in the warm months, moving up only 1 to 2 inches in pot width. Prayer plants and many calatheas can be divided at repotting by gently pulling the root clump apart into sections that each have leaves and roots.
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A moisture holding indoor mix with perlite added for drainage, a pot with a drainage hole, and a long spout watering can that puts water on the soil instead of the leaves. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
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Troubleshooting leaves
| What you see | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves curling inward | Thirsty plant or very dry air | Water if the top inch is dry; raise humidity |
| Crispy brown edges | Dry air, fluoride, or salt buildup | Humidity, distilled or rainwater, flush the pot |
| Yellow lower leaves, wet soil | Overwatering | Let the top inch dry; check roots |
| Faded or washed out pattern | Too much direct sun | Move back from the window or filter the light |
| Fine webbing, speckled leaves | Spider mites | Rinse leaves; treat with insecticidal soap |
Calatheas in dry rooms are a favorite target for spider mites. Check the undersides of the leaves for tiny specks and fine webbing, and see our guide to spider mites on houseplants if you find them.
Pet safety
The ASPCA lists both calathea and prayer plant (Maranta leuconeura) as non-toxic to dogs and cats, which makes them a popular choice for homes with pets. Chewing any plant can still cause a mild upset stomach, so keep them out of reach of pets that like to graze. If a pet eats a plant you cannot identify, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. For a child, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
Bottom line
Give calatheas and prayer plants medium indirect light, keep the mix evenly moist, and raise the humidity around them. Switch to distilled or rainwater if edges keep browning, keep them out of drafts and direct sun, and read curling leaves as a request for water or moister air.
Related reading
- Humidifiers for houseplants
- Humidity trays and grouping for houseplants
- Spider mites on houseplants in dry heat
- Peace lily care in dry indoor heat
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