21 Stunning Varieties of Prayer Plants to Grow at Home

12. Makoyana

Goeppertia makoyana is a prayer plant from eastern Brazil that is also called “peacock plant.”

It seems that somebody, somewhere decided its foliage looked like the flashy feathers of a peacock, and the name stuck.

This species has glossy, oval-shaped leaves – the tops are creamy with medium green leaf margins, and darker green splotches radiating from the midvein.

Its other common name – which I personally find much more convincing – is “cathedral windows.”

This vivid moniker is inspired by the semi-translucent appearance of the leaves: when viewed from the underside, light shines through the leaves, revealing the same pattern on the leaf bottoms, but in purple instead of green.

Before the great calathea reclassification of 2012, this species was known as C. makoyana, and is often still described as such by vendors.

Cathedral windows exhibits a growth habit that is more upright than spreading, and can reach up to two feet tall and about one foot wide.

In 1993, this species won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in the ornamentals category.

You can find C. makoyana in a six-inch pot from American Plant Exchange via Amazon.

Learn about growing peacock plants here.

13. Orbifolia

Goeppertia orbifolia has broad, round leaves that are boldly striped in silver and light to dark green, with pale green undersides.

This stunning species, native to eastern Brazil, was formerly classified as Calathea orbifolia.

One of the larger prayer plants in this list, G. orbifolia can grow to be three feet tall with a three-foot spread.

This species performs well with slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil.

14. Ornata

Goeppertia ornata, or “pinstripe plant” as it’s also called, has dark green, elliptical, pointed leaves with thin, pinkish white stripes.

Pinstripe plant is also known as Calathea ornata and G. ornata majestica. It is native to southeast Columbia and southwest Venezuela.

Pinstripe plant has an upright growth habit. It can reach two to three feet tall with a two- to three-foot spread.

G. ornata is tolerant of slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil.

You can find G. ornata plants available from Fast Growing Trees.

Learn more about growing the pinstripe prayer plant here.

‘Beauty Star’ is a cultivated variety that has pointed, elliptical leaves which are light green with darker margins, dark green centers, and thin creamy pink stripes “painted” on the leaves.

Compared to the species plant, ‘Beauty Star’ has patches of lighter green behind its creamy pink stripes.

Because of the reclassification, make sure to look for this prayer plant as ‘Beauty Star’ calathea if you’re struggling to locate it.

With an upright habit, ‘Beauty Star’ can grow up to 12 to 18 inches in height with an equal spread.

15. Roseopicta

The species name for G. roseopicta means “rose-painted” – but that description, as well as the common name, “rose-painted calathea,” don’t really do justice to everything that’s going on with the pattern on its foliage.

As well as a feathery cream or pink outline on the oval-shaped leaves, there are wide, dark and light green stripes, a bright pink midrib, and wide emerald green margins.

And as new leaves are produced, their purple undersides are displayed.

This species is native to Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, and is also known as Calathea roseopicta and C. illustrus.

G. roseopicta grows to be 12 to 18 inches tall and has a one-foot spread.

This beautiful species won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 2002.

‘Dottie’ is a cultivated variety that has dark green, oval leaves appearing almost black in color, with thin, feathery pink leaf outlines and pink midribs, and undersides that are red to dark purple.

It is still often called rose-painted calathea ‘Dottie,’ and Calathea roseopicta ‘Dottie.’

‘Dottie’ will reach 12 to 18 inches in height with a 12- to 18-inch spread.

‘Rosy’ has large, rounded leaves that have blackish green margins surrounding an interior that is silvery mauve to bright fuchsia in color, with pink undersides.