Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Tree
Origin
Central America, South America
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Types
Maranta leuconeura
-
Number of Varieties
403
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Subtropical forests
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99994-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
9-1
Sunset Zone
H2
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
-
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
25.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate elongated
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
-
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
-
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, root cutting, Root Division
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires plenty of water during the growing season, Sprinkle water over foliage
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
-
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
Mealy bugs, Spider mites
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Flowers
-
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Aphids, Hummingbirds, Mealybugs, Spider Mites
-
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes, Used as an interior landscaping species
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Antioxidants, Antiviral
-
Part of Plant Used
Root
Whole plant
Other Uses
Air freshner, Container, Used for its medicinal properties
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Tropical
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
CALATHEA ornata
BETULA nigra
Common Name
Prayer Plant
River Birch
In Hindi
Prayer plant
River Birch
In German
Maranta leuconeura
Fluss Birch
In French
Prayer plant
Birch river
In Spanish
maranta leuconeura
river Birch
In Greek
Prayer Plant
ποταμός Birch
In Portuguese
Маранта
river Birch
In Polish
Prayer plant
Rzeka Birch
In Latin
Prayer plant
Betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Vascular plant
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Fagales
Family
Marantaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Calathea
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
3003
1
27800
👆🏻