Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Tender Perennial
Origin
Central America, South America
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Maranta leuconeura
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Number of Varieties
40480
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Subtropical forests
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
-
Sunset Zone
H2
-
Habit
-
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
25.00 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
-
-
Leaf Color in Summer
-
-
Leaf Color in Fall
-
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate elongated
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
-
Growth Rate
-
-
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
-
-
Soil Drainage
Average
-
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
-
-
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, root cutting, Root Division
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires plenty of water during the growing season, Sprinkle water over foliage
Average Water Needs, Do not water excessively, Keep the Soil well drained
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
-
-
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
-
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
-
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Pinching, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Does not require fertilizer once established
Pests and Diseases
Mealy bugs, Spider mites
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Variety of soil types
Flowers
-
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
-
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
-
-
Attracts
Ants, Aphids, Hummingbirds, Mealybugs, Spider Mites
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes, Used as an interior landscaping species
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Antioxidants, Antiviral
-
Part of Plant Used
Root
-
Other Uses
Air freshner, Container, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Tropical
-
Botanical Name
CALATHEA ornata
CRYPTANTHUS
Common Name
Prayer Plant
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
In Hindi
Prayer plant
Earth Star
In German
Maranta leuconeura
Erdstern
In French
Prayer plant
Terre étoile
In Spanish
maranta leuconeura
estrella de la tierra
In Greek
Prayer Plant
γη αστεριών
In Portuguese
Маранта
Estrela da terra
In Polish
Prayer plant
Gwiazda ziemi
In Latin
Prayer plant
terra, stella
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Vascular plant
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Bromeliales
Family
Marantaceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Calathea
Cryptanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Bromelioideae
Number of Species
30050
1
27800
👆🏻