Prayer Plants - 4 Reasons Why Yours May Not Be Praying

One of the unique features of Prayer Plants (genus: Maranta) is their ability to 'pray' or close up their leaves in the evening. Their ability to do this stems from a part of the plant called the Pulvinus. The Pulvinus is a motor organ, and functions similarly to a muscle. This organ sits at the base of each leaf, and provides an increased range of motion for the leaf to move throughout the day! The movement itself is called Nyctinastic Movement, or sleeping movements and normally occurs as a response to darkness, as part of the plant's circadian rhythm. Several plant species have the ability for Nyctinastic Movements including Marantas, Calatheas, Stromanthe, and Ctenanthe - all of which are part of the family Maran