Marantaceae
Prayer plant
Maranta leuconeura
- Family
- Marantaceae
- Genus
- Maranta
Pets and kids
- CatsSafe
- DogsSafe
- KidsSafe
Why
Cats: Safe
Sources below say it is non-toxic to cats. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.
- Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Prayer Plant - ASPCA ASPCA Animal Poison Control
- Houseplants: Safe and Toxic Varieties | Home Garden Education Office | College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources | University of Connecticut University or extension
Dogs: Safe
Sources below say it is non-toxic to dogs. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.
- Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Prayer Plant - ASPCA ASPCA Animal Poison Control
- Houseplants: Safe and Toxic Varieties | Home Garden Education Office | College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources | University of Connecticut University or extension
Kids: Safe
Sources below say it is non-toxic to young children. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.
- Prayer Plant - Is It Poisonous or Toxic? Poison control
- Nonpoisonous Plants - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Poison control
Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free
Is Prayer plant safe for cats, dogs and kids?
Is Prayer plant safe for cats?
Our sources call Prayer plant non-toxic to cats. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.
- Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Prayer Plant - ASPCA ASPCA Animal Poison Control
- Houseplants: Safe and Toxic Varieties | Home Garden Education Office | College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources | University of Connecticut University or extension
Is Prayer plant safe for dogs?
Our sources call Prayer plant non-toxic to dogs. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.
- Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Prayer Plant - ASPCA ASPCA Animal Poison Control
- Houseplants: Safe and Toxic Varieties | Home Garden Education Office | College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources | University of Connecticut University or extension
Is Prayer plant safe for kids?
Our sources call Prayer plant non-toxic to young children. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.
- Prayer Plant - Is It Poisonous or Toxic? Poison control
- Nonpoisonous Plants - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Poison control
Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.
See all cat-safe plants, dog-safe plants and child-safe plants.
Common names
By language (13)
- Chinese
- 豹紋竹芋, 豹纹竹芋, 白脉竹芋
- English
- Prayer plant, Prayerplant
- Finnish
- Nukkumatti
- German
- Gebetspflanze, Pfeilwurz
- Hebrew
- מרנטה, צמח תפילה
- Indonesian
- Tanaman doa
- Italian
- Pianta della preghiera
- Latvian
- Baltdzīslu maranta
- Macedonian
- Молитвено растение
- Persian
- مارانتا لوکونورا
- Portuguese
- Maranta-pena-de-pavão
- Spanish
- Maranta, Planta de la oración, Sapito
- Swedish
- Moses stentavlor
Synonyms
- Calathea fascinator (L.Linden & Rodigas) L.H.Bailey
- Calathea kerchoveana (É.Morren) André
- Calathea leuconeura (É.Morren) N.E.Br.
- Calathea leuconeura (É.Morren) G.Nicholson
- Calathea massangeana É.Morren ex L.Gentil
- Calathea massangeana (É.Morren) G.Nicholson
- Maranta depressa É.Morren
- Maranta fascinator L.Linden & Rodigas
- Maranta kerchovei Van Geert
- Maranta kerchoviana É.Morren
- Maranta leuconeura var. erythroneura G.S.Bunting
- Maranta leuconeura var. kerchoveana Petersen
- Maranta leuconeura var. kerchoveana É.Morren
- Maranta leuconeura var. leuconeura
- Maranta leuconeura var. massangeana É.Morren ex Planch.
- Maranta leuconeura var. massangeana É.Morren
- Maranta massangeana É.Morren
- Maranta massangeana (É.Morren) W.Bull
- Maranta massangeana unranked atrata G.Nicholson
- Maranta massangeana unranked florentina G.Nicholson
- Maranta massangeana unranked metallica G.Nicholson
Flowers
- In flower
- December (from 7 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Photos
FlowerPhoto: rebecca bachman, CC0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: rebecca bachman, CC0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Kurt Stüber [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Arne Holgersson, CC0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: C T Johansson, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Talita lemos, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Gustavo Sandres, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Daderot, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Marconi Tio Bahia tk, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Gabriel Cardoso Fialho, CC0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: João Medeiros, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Tiago Makoto, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
More in Maranta
- ArrowrootMaranta arundinaceaMarantaceae
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- Maranta furcataMarantaceae
- Maranta humilisMarantaceae
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- Maranta amazonicaMarantaceae
- MarantaMaranta gibbaMarantaceae
- Maranta pohlianaMarantaceae
- Maranta soboliferaMarantaceae
- Maranta amplifoliaMarantaceae
- Maranta anderssonianaMarantaceae
- Maranta burchelliiMarantaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0); common names from SimplePlant editors (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.