Complete Care Guide: Ctenanthe
Complete Care Guide: Ctenanthe
In this article, you'll find…
Plant Info
Care Guide
Lighting
Watering
Humidity
Soil Needs
Types
Propagating
Common Issues
Frequently Asked Questions
Plant Info
The Ctenanthe -- or, more specifically, the Ctenanthe Burle-Marx, but it's the most common ctenanthe in cultivation -- is a member of the prayer plant family with elongated leaves that are at the ends of long petioles. The leaves themselves are striped with light and dark green in a fishbone pattern, and the undersides of the leaves are a nice reddish pink.
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Common Name(s) |
Ctenanthe, Ctenanthe Burle-Marx, Fishbone Prayer Plant |
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Botanical Name |
Ctenanthe burle-marxii |
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Botanical Family |
Marantaceae |
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Mature Size |
Medium-large |
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Lighting |
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Watering |
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Humidity |
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Soil Mix |
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Flowers |
Small, yellow, not particularly showy |
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Hardiness |
Tropical -- keep above 15C/60F ideally |
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Native Region |
Brazil |
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Toxicity |
Safe! |
Take a look at this care guide as an infographic!
Care Guide
Ctenanthes will spread horizontally once they reach their mature size, from rhizomes -- horizontal stems that are just below the soil's surface. In pots, this means that you'll eventually need to upgrade to larger pots as the petioles reach the edges of your current pot (or earlier, as it gets root-bound, of course).
Like the rest of the prayer plant family, Ctenanthe leaves move every day -- folding up at night, and returning to a mostly-horizontal position in the daylight. Botanists aren't entirely sure why they do this, though the prevailing theory is to do with capturing nighttime rainfall.
Lighting
Like most prayer plants, Ctenanthes are more than happy to live in a low-light area of your home, and in fact won't handle direct sunlight very well at all! They're used to the dappled, indirect sunlight of the rainforest floor, after all. Brighter light will mean faster growth, however.
Make sure to check out our general article on lighting!
Watering
Ctenanthes are definitely thirsty plants! Keep the soil consistently moist, but not waterlogged. If they dry out, they will quickly go brown and crispy, so keep on top of watering them -- the plant will likely survive if you miss it by a couple days, but you'll lose leaves. In heat waves under bright light, this can even mean daily watering.
Make sure to check out our general article on watering!
Humidity
A well-known problem for all prayer plants -- including the Ctenanthe -- is brown, crispy edges appearing on leaves. This is commonly attributed to a perceived sensitivity to chlorinated water, but in reality it's most commonly a humidity issue -- make sure to put your Ctenanthe near a humidifier, in a naturally-humid area of the house, or grouped together with other plants to create a microclimate.
Make sure to check out our general article on humidity – including a couple common myths!
Soil Needs
Well-draining soil is nice for all houseplants, but the most important feature for Ctenanthes' delicate root system is moisture retention! You don't need chunkiness or any sort of grit.
Suggestion: Start with 2-3 parts peat-based potting mix or coco coir and mix in 1 part perlite or vermiculite. That's probably all you need!
Don't know why you're adding these things? Check out our article on potting mixes!
Types
There aren't really any well-known varieties of this plant, though there is a very similar-looking plant called the Calathea Freddie that is often misunderstood to either be the same as the Ctenanthe or a variety of it.
Propagating
Ctenanthes don't propagate as easily as you might think -- you can divide the rhizome, though, which is the simplest way for people to propagate on a smaller scale.
Common Issues
Watering issues -- both over- and under-watering -- are common with Ctenanthes, as well as having too low humidity.
All houseplants are susceptible to pests, including mealybugs, spider mites, and more -- but ctenanthes, like all prayer plants, are spider mite magnets. Check the undersides of the leaves regularly!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I tell if I've overwatered my Ctenanthe?
Leaves that yellow all at once are almost always an indicator of overwatering (or an old leaf dying naturally). If you start seeing these, repot it into dry soil immediately, and remove any rotten roots.
Does the Ctenanthe REALLY need high humidity?
Short answer: Yes! Longer answer: it depends -- your Ctenanthe will survive with lower humidity, but you're very likely to get brown, crispy edges on your leaves.