Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tender Perennial
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Central America, South America
Types
-
Maranta leuconeura
Number of Varieties
340
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Subtropical forests
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
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
H2
Habit
Oval or Rounded
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm25.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm25.00 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
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Ovate elongated
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
-
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
-
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, root cutting, Root Division
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
Requires plenty of water during the growing season, Sprinkle water over foliage
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Mealy bugs, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Drought
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
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ants, Aphids, Hummingbirds, Mealybugs, Spider Mites
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes, Used as an interior landscaping species
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Antioxidants, Antiviral
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Root
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Air freshner, Container, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Tropical
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
CALATHEA ornata
Common Name
River Birch
Prayer Plant
In Hindi
River Birch
Prayer plant
In German
Fluss Birch
Maranta leuconeura
In French
Birch river
Prayer plant
In Spanish
river Birch
maranta leuconeura
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
Prayer Plant
In Portuguese
river Birch
Маранта
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Prayer plant
In Latin
Betula
Prayer plant
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Vascular plant
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Fagales
Zingiberales
Family
Betulaceae
Marantaceae
Genus
Betula
Calathea
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
3300
1
27800
👆🏻