A prayer plant, Maranta leuconeura, is multiplied by dividing the rhizomes. NCSU Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox says propagate by rhizomatous division. UNL lists prayer plant under division. NCSU Wayne County includes prayer plant among houseplants you split at the roots.
Division
NCSU Wayne County: take the plant out of its pot. Gently pry the roots apart so you have two or more clumps. Pot each clump in a new container. You may need to stake a division until the roots take hold.
NCSU: stems are short and rhizomatous. The plant spreads horizontally. After you pot the clumps, keep the mix evenly moist in the growing season, in bright, indirect light. It wants high humidity: a humidified room, or a pot on a tray of wet pebbles. Poorly drained soil can lead to root rot.
For mix and a drained pot in general, see soil propagation.
Common mistakes
- Tearing a clump that has no roots of its own.
- A pot with no drainage, or mix that stays wet.
- Direct sun. NCSU: too much sun bleaches the leaves.
- A water-jar how-to. These sources name division, not a Maranta cutting in a jar.
People also ask
Can I take a stem cutting?
UNL lists division. NCSU’s plant page says rhizomatous division. Wayne County’s stem-cutting lengths are for houseplants in general, not a named prayer-plant recipe. This page stays on division.
Can I root prayer plant in water?
These sources do not give a water method for Maranta. Water propagation is for plants those pages cover.
When should I divide?
Wayne County does not name a month for prayer plant. NCSU does not either. Divide a crowded clump when you can pull rooted pieces apart.
Why did a division collapse?
NCSU: root rot in poorly drained soil, and the plant is intolerant of low humidity and cold drafts.