Prayer plants are a beloved group of tropical foliage houseplants celebrated worldwide for two defining characteristics — their extraordinarily patterned leaves and their remarkable nyctinastic movement, in which the leaves fold upward at night like hands pressed together in prayer and reopen flat again each morning.
Native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, West Africa, and parts of Asia, they belong to a broader plant family that includes some of the most spectacularly patterned foliage in the entire plant kingdom. With hundreds of species and cultivars available across several closely related genera, prayer plants collectively represent one of the most diverse and visually exciting categories in the modern houseplant world.
What distinguishes prayer plants from virtually every other houseplant group is the sheer complexity and artistry of their leaf patterning. Leaves may be marked with feathered brushstrokes, bold stripes, intricate fishbone patterns, fine pinstripes, or elaborate combinations of green, silver, purple, cream, pink, red, and near-black that no two varieties share in exactly the same arrangement.
Most cultivated prayer plant varieties are compact, typically growing between 12 and 24 inches in height and spread, making them ideal for shelves, tabletops, and desktops where their extraordinary foliage can be appreciated at close range. The undersides of the leaves are frequently as ornamental as the upper surfaces, often displaying vivid purple, maroon, or burgundy tones that show dramatically as the leaves fold and tilt.
Prayer plants thrive in warm, humid environments that mirror their tropical forest understory origins, preferring temperatures between 65°F and 85°F (18°C to 30°C) and humidity levels above 50 percent for best performance. They are sensitive to cold drafts, dry air, and direct sunlight, which can cause leaf browning, bleaching, and curling that diminishes their ornamental appeal.
They prefer consistently moist but never waterlogged, well-draining, slightly acidic potting mix and benefit from regular feeding during the growing season to maintain the richness and saturation of their leaf patterning. The nyctinastic leaf movement is most active and pronounced on plants that are growing vigorously in good conditions, and a plant that stops folding its leaves at night is often signaling that something in its environment needs attention.
The prayer plant family has exploded in popularity over the past decade, driven largely by the rise of social media plant communities where the intricate, photogenic foliage of calatheas, marantas, and their relatives has generated enormous enthusiasm among new and experienced plant collectors alike. Rare and newly discovered varieties regularly command premium prices at specialist auctions and plant fairs, with some highly sought-after cultivars selling for hundreds of dollars per plant. They are listed as non-toxic to dogs and cats by the ASPCA, adding practical appeal to their extraordinary visual qualities and making them one of the most desirable pet-safe houseplant groups available to indoor gardeners worldwide.
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Varieties of Prayer Plants
1. Herringbone Plant
The Herringbone Plant is the most widely recognized and commonly grown true prayer plant, producing oval, velvety, dark green leaves with a bold pattern of bright red veining radiating from a pale central zone in a classic fishbone or herringbone arrangement. It typically grows to 6 to 12 inches in height and spreads to 12 to 18 inches, making it an ideal tabletop or shelf plant. The vivid red veining is one of the most striking foliage patterns of any commonly available houseplant and the leaves fold dramatically upward each evening.
2. Green Prayer Plant
The Green Prayer Plant is the standard, unvariegated form of the classic prayer plant group, producing oval, mid to dark green leaves with a slightly lighter green central zone and the same characteristic folding movement as its more colorful relatives. It grows to 6 to 10 inches in height and spreads to 10 to 15 inches, making it one of the more compact and manageable varieties. While less dramatically patterned than the red-veined form, it is a reliable, easy-care variety with a clean, restful foliage aesthetic.
3. Lemon Lime Prayer Plant
The Lemon Lime Prayer Plant is a vibrantly colored cultivar with oval leaves patterned in bright lime-green and yellow-green tones rather than the more typical dark green and red combination, giving the whole plant a fresh, luminous quality that brightens any indoor space. It grows to 8 to 12 inches in height and 12 to 18 inches in spread and the vivid, warm tones of the foliage are most intense in bright indirect light. It is a popular choice for adding a bold color accent to mixed indoor plant displays.
4. Black Prayer Plant
The Black Prayer Plant is a dramatically dark-toned cultivar with oval leaves in a very deep, near-black dark green with subtle, slightly lighter patterning visible across the leaf surface and rich purple-red undersides that show vividly as the leaves fold at night. It grows to 6 to 10 inches in height and spreads to 10 to 15 inches. The moody, deep coloring makes it one of the most dramatic small prayer plants for contemporary and dark-toned interior settings.
5. Kim Prayer Plant
The Kim Prayer Plant is a tricolor cultivar with oval leaves patterned in a combination of dark green, lighter green, and cream or white irregular blotches arranged across the leaf surface in an organic, brush-painted pattern. It grows to 8 to 12 inches in height and 12 to 18 inches in spread and the multi-toned foliage gives it a more complex, painterly quality than single-pattern cultivars. The cream markings are most vivid in bright indirect light and may fade toward pale green in shadier conditions.
6. Marisela Prayer Plant
Marisela is a popular cultivar with oval, light green leaves marked with a darker green feathered pattern radiating from the central vein and silvery-green zones between the patterned areas, creating a delicate, lace-like effect across the entire leaf surface. It grows to 6 to 10 inches in height and 10 to 15 inches in spread and is one of the more refined-looking prayer plant cultivars, with a subtler, more elegant patterning than the boldly colored varieties. It is widely available and easy to care for.
7. Rabbit Tracks Prayer Plant
Rabbit Tracks is a charming cultivar named for the paired dark green spots arranged along the central vein of each oval, mid-green leaf, which resemble the footprints of a small animal walking down the leaf midrib. It grows to 8 to 12 inches in height and 12 to 18 inches in spread and is one of the most whimsically named and endearing of the prayer plant cultivars. The spot pattern is consistent and well-defined across all leaves, giving the plant a distinctive, recognizable appearance.
8. Silver Feather Prayer Plant
Silver Feather is an attractive cultivar with oval, dark green leaves marked with broad, silvery-green feathered markings radiating outward from the central vein in a soft, brushstroke-like pattern that covers much of the upper leaf surface. It grows to 8 to 12 inches tall and spreads to 12 to 18 inches and the silver-green feathering gives the foliage a luminous, shimmering quality in good indirect light. It is a widely available and popular cultivar in the mainstream houseplant market.
9. Calathea Orbifolia
Calathea Orbifolia is one of the largest and most spectacular prayer plant relatives, producing enormous, round to oval leaves up to 12 inches across patterned with wide, alternating bands of silver-green and darker green that give the foliage a bold, graphic, almost architectural quality. The whole plant grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and similar spread, making it one of the more substantial prayer plant relatives for floor-level display. It is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful foliage houseplants in the world.
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10. Calathea Medallion
The Medallion Calathea is a stunning variety with large, round to oval leaves up to 8 to 10 inches across patterned with a feathered, medallion-like design of dark green and lighter green on the upper surface and rich burgundy-purple on the undersides. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and is one of the most widely sold calathea varieties in mainstream houseplant retail worldwide. The combination of bold upper patterning and vivid purple undersides makes it one of the most ornamentally complete prayer plant relatives.
11. Calathea Zebrina
The Zebra Plant Calathea produces elongated, oval leaves up to 12 inches long with bold, alternating stripes of velvety dark green and bright lime-green running across the upper surface in a pattern that genuinely resembles zebra stripes. It grows to 18 to 36 inches in height and spread, making it one of the larger calathea varieties, and the bold, high-contrast striping pattern makes it one of the most visually striking members of the prayer plant family. It requires consistently high humidity to maintain the richness of its stripe coloring.
12. Calathea Warscewiczii
This large, velvety calathea produces elongated, lance-shaped leaves up to 18 inches long with a dramatic two-tone pattern of dark velvety green and lighter green in a feathered, fishbone arrangement on the upper surface and rich, deep purple on the undersides. The whole plant grows to 24 to 40 inches in height and spread, making it one of the tallest and most architecturally impressive prayer plant relatives for floor display. The velvety texture of the leaf surface adds extraordinary tactile as well as visual appeal.
13. Calathea Rufibarba
The Furry Feather Calathea produces long, narrow, lance-shaped, wavy-edged leaves in rich green on the upper surface and deep burgundy-purple on the undersides, with the additional unusual feature of fine, soft, hair-like fuzz on the leaf undersides and petioles that gives the plant a distinctly tactile quality. It grows to 24 to 36 inches in height and spread and is one of the taller, more upright calathea varieties. The combination of wavy leaf margins, rich coloring, and velvety texture makes it a highly distinctive member of the prayer plant family.
14. Calathea Musaica
The Network Calathea, also called the Calathea Musaica, produces small, oval, bright green leaves covered in an extraordinarily intricate network of fine, lighter green lines that create a mosaic or tile-like pattern across the entire leaf surface. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and the tessellated leaf patterning is unlike anything else in the prayer plant family, creating a uniquely complex, fine-detailed foliage effect. It is widely available and has become one of the most popular calathea varieties in the mainstream houseplant market.
15. Calathea Ornata
The Pinstripe Calathea is a classic and widely beloved prayer plant relative with large, glossy, oval, deep green leaves precisely marked with delicate, parallel pink to cream pinstripes that radiate outward from the central vein in a clean, formal pattern quite different from the feathered designs of many other calatheas. It grows to 18 to 30 inches in height and spread and the precise, linear patterning gives it an elegant, sophisticated appearance that suits formal and contemporary interior styles. The pink coloring of the pinstripes is most vivid on younger leaves.
16. Calathea Lancifolia
The Rattlesnake Plant produces long, narrow, lance-shaped leaves up to 18 inches in length with a distinctive pattern of alternating large and small dark green ovals arranged along the central vein on a bright, lighter green background — a pattern that closely resembles the markings of a rattlesnake. It grows to 18 to 30 inches in height and spread and the elongated, lance-shaped leaf form distinguishes it from the broader-leafed majority of prayer plant relatives. The rich purple undersides show dramatically as the leaves fold upward each evening.
17. Calathea Makoyana
The Peacock Plant is one of the most exquisitely beautiful of all calathea varieties, producing oval leaves up to 10 inches long patterned with an intricate combination of dark green, light green, and silvery-green in a design that genuinely resembles the eye pattern on a peacock’s tail feather. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and the extraordinary complexity and delicacy of the leaf patterning make it one of the most admired prayer plant relatives among serious collectors. The undersides display a matching pattern in purple and cream.
18. Calathea Roseopicta
The Rose-Painted Calathea produces broad, oval leaves up to 8 to 10 inches across with a central rosette pattern of pink and cream surrounded by zones of lighter and darker green, with some cultivars displaying vivid pink central veining against dark, glossy green leaf surfaces. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and is available in several distinct cultivar forms including the Dottie, Rosey, and Illustris, each with slightly different color expressions of the same basic rose-painted pattern. It is one of the most versatile and widely available calathea species in the mainstream market.
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19. Calathea Roseopicta Dottie
Dottie is a particularly dramatic cultivar of the Rose-Painted Calathea with very deep, near-black dark green leaves highlighted by vivid, hot-pink to fuchsia central veining and a narrow pink margin running around the outer edge of each leaf, creating one of the most striking color combinations in the entire prayer plant family. It grows to 12 to 18 inches in height and spread and the intense contrast between the near-black leaf and the vivid pink markings makes it one of the most photographed and collected calathea cultivars. It is widely available and commands premium placement in plant retail settings.
20. Calathea Roseopicta Rosey
Rosey is a cultivar with broad, oval leaves displaying a central zone of soft, dusty rose-pink gradually transitioning to deeper green toward the leaf margins, creating a two-tone wash of warm color across the upper surface unlike the more precisely patterned designs of most other calatheas. It grows to 12 to 18 inches in height and spread and the soft, blended pink and green tones give it a more romantic and painterly aesthetic than the sharply defined stripe and spot patterns of many of its relatives. It is a popular gift plant and a bestseller in the ornamental houseplant trade.
21. Calathea White Fusion
White Fusion is one of the most spectacularly variegated of all calathea varieties, producing oval leaves marked with irregular patches and streaks of pure white, pale green, and dark green on the upper surface and soft lavender-purple on the undersides, creating a delicate, almost watercolor-like variegation effect. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and is considered one of the more demanding calatheas to grow well, requiring very consistent humidity, warmth, and moisture to prevent the white-variegated leaf areas from browning. Healthy specimens are among the most striking foliage houseplants in existence.
22. Calathea Louisae
Calathea Louisae produces oval, dark green leaves with a bold, central brushstroke of lighter, silvery-green that runs the length of each leaf and broadens toward the leaf tip, creating a clean, elegant two-tone design quite different from the more complex multi-pattern calatheas. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and is considered one of the more straightforward calatheas to grow well, being slightly more tolerant of lower humidity than many of its more demanding relatives. It is a widely available and reliably popular variety.
23. Calathea Beauty Star
Beauty Star is a refined and elegant calathea cultivar with elongated, lance-shaped, dark green leaves marked with fine, irregular silver-green pinstripes and broader pale green zones along the central vein, creating a multi-layered patterning effect that is more complex than a simple pinstripe but less bold than a full fishbone design. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and is considered more forgiving of typical home conditions than some other calathea varieties. It is widely available at moderate prices.
24. Calathea Flamestar
Flamestar is a cultivar with broad, oval leaves patterned with a feathered, flame-like design of dark green and silvery-green radiating outward from the central vein in a dynamic, energetic pattern that gives the foliage a sense of movement across the leaf surface. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and is one of the more vivid and dramatic of the silver and green patterned calathea varieties. It is moderately available in specialist houseplant nurseries.
25. Calathea Crocata
The Eternal Flame Calathea is unique among commonly grown prayer plant relatives in being grown primarily for its flowers rather than its foliage, producing vivid orange to yellow-orange flower spikes that rise above the dark, slightly wavy-edged green leaves and remain ornamental for extended periods. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and the combination of attractive dark foliage and bright orange flowers gives it a dual ornamental value rare in the prayer plant family. It requires more light than most calatheas to flower reliably indoors.
26. Calathea Concinna Freddie
Freddie is a popular and widely available calathea cultivar with narrow, lance-shaped, light green leaves with a more delicate, fine pattern of darker green irregular markings along the central vein area that creates a subtler, more understated foliage effect than most other calatheas. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and is considered one of the most tolerant and easy-care calathea varieties, making it an excellent first calathea for new collectors. It is widely sold in mainstream plant retail and garden centers.
27. Calathea Vittata
Calathea Vittata is an elegant cultivar with narrow to medium oval, pale green leaves marked with clean, bright white pinstripes radiating from the central vein in a delicate, precise pattern that gives the foliage a cool, refined appearance. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and the high contrast between the pale green base and the bright white striping makes it one of the more luminous and eye-catching of the pinstripe-type calatheas. It is increasingly available in specialist houseplant nurseries.
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28. Calathea Ornata Sanderiana
Sanderiana is a cultivar of the Pinstripe Calathea with bolder, more widely spaced pink stripes than the standard Ornata form, creating a more dramatic and immediately eye-catching pinstripe effect on the large, dark green leaves. It grows to 20 to 30 inches in height and spread and is considered one of the more striking forms within the Ornata group. The pink stripes are particularly vivid on new growth and gradually fade toward cream as leaves mature, providing constant color variation across the plant.
29. Ctenanthe Burle Marxii
Named after the famous Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, this prayer plant relative produces lance-shaped, pale to mid-green leaves with dark green herringbone patterning on the upper surface and rich purple undersides, with the same evening leaf-folding behavior as true prayer plants. It grows to 12 to 18 inches in height and spread and is considered one of the more tolerant and adaptable members of the prayer plant family. It is a widely available and reliably popular variety in the mainstream houseplant market.
30. Ctenanthe Oppenheimiana Tricolor
This large, bold prayer plant relative produces long, lance-shaped leaves up to 14 inches in length boldly patterned in an irregular three-color combination of dark green, cream, and pale pink-red on the upper surface with deep maroon-purple on the undersides. It grows to 24 to 36 inches in height and spread, making it one of the larger prayer plant relatives for floor-level display. The multicolored, irregular variegation pattern makes it one of the most visually complex and dramatic members of the extended prayer plant family.
31. Ctenanthe Setosa Grey Star
Grey Star is a distinctive prayer plant relative with long, lance-shaped leaves in a cool, muted, silver-grey-green tone with subtle darker green patterning on the upper surface and rich purple undersides, creating a more sophisticated and understated foliage effect than the more brightly patterned members of the group. It grows to 24 to 36 inches in height and spread and the cool silver-grey coloring makes it an effective contrast plant alongside the warmer and more boldly patterned prayer plant varieties. It is widely available and considered one of the more forgiving ctenanthe species.
32. Stromanthe Triostar
The Stromanthe Triostar is one of the most spectacular prayer plant relatives available, producing lance-shaped leaves up to 12 inches long boldly variegated in a stunning combination of pink, cream, white, and green on the upper surface with vivid, intense magenta-pink on the undersides. It grows to 18 to 36 inches in height and spread and is widely considered one of the most colorful foliage houseplants in the world, delivering multi-toned color impact without relying on flowers. It has become one of the most widely photographed and shared plants in social media plant communities globally.
33. Stromanthe Sanguinea Magic Star
Magic Star is a cultivar of the Stromanthe group with slightly more compact growth than the Triostar and leaves marked with a more evenly distributed pattern of white and cream against green, with the characteristic magenta undersides of the stromanthe group. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and the more restrained white and green patterning on the upper surface gives it a slightly calmer aesthetic than the exuberantly colorful Triostar while retaining the vivid pink undersides. It is moderately available from specialist nurseries.
34. Maranta Leuconeura Kerchoveana
This classic prayer plant cultivar produces oval, pale to mid-green leaves with pairs of dark brown-green blotches arranged symmetrically along the central vein in the characteristic rabbit tracks pattern, making it one of the most familiar and widely grown true marantas. It grows to 8 to 12 inches in height and 12 to 18 inches in spread and the brown-green spot pattern on the pale green background creates a warm, earthy foliage effect quite different from the cooler, more graphic calathea patterns. It is one of the easiest true prayer plants to grow.
35. Calathea Elliptica Vittata
This elegant calathea species produces oval, bright green leaves with clean white to cream pinstripes radiating outward from the central vein in a precise, parallel arrangement across the entire leaf surface. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and the combination of bright, fresh base leaf color and clean white striping gives it one of the most luminous and visually refreshing foliage effects in the calathea group. It is considered moderately challenging to grow, requiring consistent humidity to prevent the white stripe areas from browning.
36. Calathea Leopardina
The Leopard Calathea produces narrow, lance-shaped, fresh green leaves with darker green oval spots arranged along the central vein in a pattern that resembles the spots of a leopard or cheetah, giving the plant an animal-print quality quite unlike most other calathea varieties. It grows to 18 to 30 inches in height and spread and the narrow leaf form and spot patterning distinguish it clearly from the broader-leafed, striped calathea majority. It is a moderately available variety found in specialist houseplant nurseries.
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37. Calathea Rufibarba Wavestar
Wavestar is a cultivar of the Furry Feather Calathea group with particularly pronounced wavy and undulating leaf margins that add significant visual movement and texture to the already ornamental lance-shaped foliage. It grows to 20 to 30 inches in height and spread and the combination of wavy margins, rich green upper surface, and deep purple undersides makes it one of the most texturally interesting of the calathea varieties. It is found in specialist houseplant nurseries and collector plant markets.
38. Calathea Sanderiana
Calathea Sanderiana is a species closely related to the Ornata group, producing large, oval, dark green leaves with clean, bright pink to white pinstripes and a particularly glossy, reflective upper leaf surface that gives the foliage an unusually polished appearance. It grows to 20 to 30 inches in height and spread and the high gloss of the leaf surface combined with the precise pinstriping makes it one of the most visually refined and formally elegant of all calathea species. It is found primarily in specialist collections and botanical gardens.
39. Calathea Wiotii
Calathea Wiotii is a less commonly grown species with oval, mid to dark green leaves marked with a subtle feathered or herringbone pattern in slightly lighter green on the upper surface and pale purple on the undersides, creating a more understated foliage effect than the more dramatically patterned mainstream calatheas. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and is primarily of interest to collectors who appreciate the quieter, more naturalistic end of the calathea aesthetic spectrum. It is found in specialist botanical collections and dedicated prayer plant nurseries.
40. Calathea Loeseneri
The Brazilian Star Calathea is unusual within the prayer plant family for producing genuinely ornamental, star-shaped white flowers on long, slender stalks that rise above the mid-green foliage during the blooming season. It grows to 24 to 36 inches in height and spread and is one of the few calathea species grown partly for its flowers as well as its foliage. The flowers are fragrant and long-lasting by calathea standards, and the plant is increasingly available from specialist nurseries as interest in flowering calathea species grows.
41. Calathea Cylindrica
Calathea Cylindrica produces tall, lance-shaped, mid-green leaves with a bold, slightly puckered surface texture and a subtle lighter green central zone that creates a gentle two-tone effect without the strong patterning of most other calatheas. It grows to 24 to 36 inches in height and spread and the clean, bold leaf form and upright habit give it a more architectural presence than the more intricately patterned compact varieties. It is found primarily in specialist houseplant collections and botanical gardens.
42. Goeppertia Kegeljanii Network
The Network Calathea, now classified under the Goeppertia name in updated botanical taxonomy, produces small, oval, bright green leaves covered in an extraordinarily detailed network of fine, lighter green lines creating a mosaic tile pattern that is one of the most intricate and detailed in the prayer plant family. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and is now one of the most widely available and recognizable of all prayer plant relatives in mainstream plant retail. Its unique, complex leaf patterning makes it a frequent bestseller.
43. Calathea Leitzei Fusion White
Fusion White is a highly variegated calathea cultivar with oval leaves irregularly marked in large patches of pure white and pale cream against a mid-green background on the upper surface, with soft lavender on the undersides. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and requires very consistent care — particularly high humidity and even watering — to prevent the white variegated areas from browning. When grown well it is among the most strikingly beautiful of all variegated prayer plant relatives.
44. Calathea Lietzei
The standard Lietzei Calathea produces oval, dark green leaves with a bold central band of silvery-green that widens toward the leaf tip, creating a clean, two-tone brushstroke effect across each leaf. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and is considered one of the more tolerant and adaptable calathea species for typical home growing conditions. It is the parent species of the White Fusion cultivar and is a reliable, attractive variety in its own right.
45. Calathea Insignis
Calathea Insignis, also known as the Rattlesnake Plant in some markets, produces long, narrow, lance-shaped leaves up to 18 inches long with alternating large and small dark green spots arranged along the central vein on a bright yellow-green background with wavy leaf margins. It grows to 24 to 30 inches in height and spread and the elongated leaf form, wavy margins, and rattlesnake-like spot pattern make it one of the most distinctive and immediately recognizable of the larger calathea species. It is widely available at mainstream plant retail.
46. Calathea Veitchiana
Calathea Veitchiana is a large, bold species with oval leaves up to 12 inches across marked with an intricate combination of dark green and lighter yellow-green in a feathered, radiating pattern, with vivid purple on the undersides. It grows to 24 to 36 inches in height and spread and is one of the larger, more architecturally impressive calathea species available for floor-level indoor display. It is found in specialist plant collections and increasingly in specialist houseplant retail outlets.
47. Calathea Picturata Argentea
Argentea is a cultivar with large, oval, broadly silver-green leaves edged with a narrow dark green margin running around the outer edge of each leaf, creating an unusual color arrangement that is the reverse of most variegated calatheas where the center is dark and the margins are pale. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and the broad silver-green central zone gives the plant a luminous, bright quality in good indirect light. It is found in specialist collections and botanical gardens.
48. Calathea Picturata Vandenheckei
Vandenheckei is a cultivar with broad, oval, dark green leaves marked with a combination of a silvery central stripe and irregular silver-green feathering along the edges of the central zone, creating a more complex multi-zone patterning than the simpler Argentea cultivar. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and is considered a more ornamentally complex and visually interesting variant of the Picturata group. It is found in specialist botanical collections and dedicated prayer plant nurseries.
49. Calathea Bachemiana
Calathea Bachemiana is a less commonly grown species with narrow, lance-shaped, matte, grey-green leaves with a subtle darker green herringbone pattern on the upper surface and pale purple undersides. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and the matte, grey-green leaf tone is more subdued and naturalistic than the highly glossy or vividly patterned mainstream calatheas, appealing to collectors who prefer a quieter foliage aesthetic. It is found primarily in specialist botanical collections.
50. Calathea Lutea
The Cigar Calathea or Cuban Cigar is an unusually large prayer plant relative that produces enormous, paddle-shaped, matte, blue-grey-green leaves that can reach 18 to 36 inches in length on a very tall plant reaching 4 to 8 feet in height outdoors and 3 to 5 feet indoors. The undersides of the leaves are covered in a waxy, silvery-white coating that is distinctive among calatheas. It is one of the largest and most architecturally bold members of the prayer plant family and makes a spectacular floor specimen in large, humid indoor spaces.
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51. Maranta Leuconeura Massangeana
Massangeana is a cultivar of the true prayer plant with oval, velvety, deep blue-green to near-black leaves marked with delicate silver-white veining and a lighter silvery-green central zone, creating one of the most elegantly colored and refined of all maranta cultivars. It grows to 8 to 12 inches in height and 12 to 18 inches in spread and the deep, jewel-like leaf coloring combined with the delicate silver veining gives it a sophisticated, almost formal aesthetic. It is found in specialist prayer plant collections.
52. Maranta Leuconeura Erythroneura
This is the full-name form of the classic Herringbone Prayer Plant, distinguished in specialist botanical contexts from other red-veined forms by its particularly vivid, almost fluorescent red veining against a deep green and pale green two-tone leaf background. It grows to 8 to 12 inches in height and 12 to 18 inches in spread and is the most intensely colored of the red-veined maranta forms. In ideal high-humidity conditions the red veining is extraordinarily vivid and makes it one of the most striking small houseplants available.
53. Calathea Stromanthifolia
This species produces broad, oval, glossy, mid-green leaves with a subtle lighter green central zone and slightly wavy leaf margins that bridge the aesthetic gap between the stromanthe and calathea groups. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and is primarily a species of botanical interest rather than a mainstream ornamental plant, found mainly in specialist plant collections. It is a useful reference plant for understanding the evolutionary relationships between the closely related prayer plant genera.
54. Calathea Bella
Calathea Bella is a charming, compact species with oval, slightly glossy, pale to mid-green leaves marked with a delicate dark green herringbone or feathered pattern on the upper surface and pale, silvery-grey undersides rather than the vivid purple typical of most calatheas. It grows to 12 to 18 inches in height and spread and the lighter, more silvery underside coloring distinguishes it from most other calathea species. It is found primarily in specialist botanical collections and dedicated prayer plant nurseries.
55. Calathea Micans
Calathea Micans is a small, compact species with narrow, lance-shaped, dark green leaves with a subtle lighter central zone and the characteristic purple undersides of the calathea group, growing in a dense, low clump that typically reaches only 12 to 18 inches in height and similar spread. The small leaf size and compact, low-growing habit make it one of the better calathea species for smaller spaces, terrariums, and close-up shelf display. It is found in specialist prayer plant collections and botanical gardens.
56. Calathea Warscewiczii Velvet Touch
Velvet Touch is a select cultivar of the large Warscewiczii species in which the velvety texture of the already notably textured leaf surface is further enhanced and more uniformly distributed, creating an even more tactilely exceptional foliage surface than the standard species. It grows to 24 to 40 inches in height and spread and is a collector’s variant found in specialist prayer plant nurseries and dedicated enthusiast collections. The extraordinary velvety leaf quality combined with the dramatic fishbone patterning makes it one of the most sensory-rich foliage plants available.
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57. Calathea Roseopicta Illustris
Illustris is a cultivar of the Rose-Painted Calathea with broad, oval, deep green leaves marked with a distinctive, broad oval ring of lighter green running inside the leaf margin and a pale pink to cream central zone, creating a bulls-eye or target-like concentric pattern quite different from the central rosette designs of other Roseopicta cultivars. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and the concentric ring patterning is a unique and eye-catching foliage design not seen in most other prayer plant relatives. It is widely available at moderate prices.
58. Calathea Argentea
Calathea Argentea is a species with broad, oval, broadly silver-green leaves with a narrow dark green border and a slightly glossy surface, producing a luminous, almost metallic foliage effect. It grows to 18 to 24 inches in height and spread and the broadly silver leaf surface gives it a striking, cool-toned aesthetic unlike the warmer greens and vivid patterns of most other calathea species. It is found in specialist botanical collections and dedicated prayer plant enthusiast nurseries.
59. Calathea Ornata Regalis
Regalis is a large-growing form of the Pinstripe Calathea with broader leaves and bolder, more widely spaced pink pinstripes than the standard Ornata, creating a more dramatic and large-scale version of the classic pinstripe pattern. It grows to 24 to 36 inches in height and spread, making it one of the larger Ornata forms and an impressive floor-level specimen for rooms with adequate humidity. The combination of large leaf size and bold pink striping makes it one of the most ornamentally striking of the Ornata cultivar group.
60. Calathea Fasciata
Calathea Fasciata is a striking species with large, oval, slightly glossy leaves marked with broad, alternating bands of dark green and lighter silver-green running across the leaf in a pattern bolder and more widely spaced than the fine pinstripes of the Ornata group. It grows to 24 to 36 inches in height and spread and the bold, wide-banded pattern gives it a more graphic and contemporary aesthetic than the more delicate stripe and feather designs of many other calatheas. It is found in specialist collections and is growing in availability as interest in the broader calathea group expands.