Rattlesnake Plant
4.5 out of 5 (58 experiences)
Browns easily
Survivor
About Rattlesnake Plant
Many of the houseplants we used to know as Calatheas now belong to the genus Goeppertia (say that three times fast). These plants have delightfully patterned leaves that come in all sorts of colors and shapes! Commonly known as prayer plants, the leaves of some species fold up at night through a process called nyctinasty meaning night movement! 😴
Taxonomy
Goeppertia lancifolia
Goeppertia
Marantaceae
Zingiberales
Also known as
Calathea lancifolia and Calathea insignis
How to care for Rattlesnake Plant
How often to water your Rattlesnake Plant
every 9
Rattlesnake Plant needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.
Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Water 0.5 cups every
9
Finding light for Rattlesnake Plant in your home
a window
Rattlesnake Plant may have difficulty thriving, and will drop leaves 🍃, without ample sunlight.
Place it less than 3 feet from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.
Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Rattlesnake Plant in your home 🏡.
How to fertilize Rattlesnake Plant
Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.
By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.
To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Rattlesnake Plant after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
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No new growth after two new leaves 😭 I received this little propagated rattlesnake and its growth and stunted since it’s pushed out two new leaves, I’ve repotted it about a week or two ago. #PlantsMakePeopleHappy #PropagationStation #NewPlantMom #RattlesnakePlant
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Leaves yellowing and not happy. What do I do? #GoeppertiaRattlesnakePlant
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What is happening to my Rattlesnake Plant??? She was repotted the day before yesterday and has since looked like this… I used a mix of indoor and moisture control soil. I did make the mistake of bottom watering her before reading that Calatheas really don’t like it 😭 i feel awful! Some of her leaves are curling and they feel kind of soft and wilty. Tips??
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Just wanted to show off my girl Athena real quick. She’s a rattlesnake plant! Just look at her all closed and cuddled up for the night 🥹 *please don’t say anything about her leaves, she’s sensitive ❤️🩹 my demon cat decided she wanted a taste 😭 #RattlesnakePlant #PlantAddict #PlantTherapy
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#HappyPlants #RattlesnakePlant #PrayerPlant I don’t know what I did to deserve this…BUT, my #RattlesnakePlant Sara just keeps busting out new leaves for me…2-3 at a time!!!! I feel so #blessed because it says they are difficult to grow and just look at her!!!! Meanwhile….i have #SpiderPlants that are supposedly so easy to grow and thrive on neglect and I can’t seem to keep them alive no matter what I do!! I guess I just buy more Rattlesnake Plants to make up for my losses. 😌🥰🥰🥰
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#FreshLeafFriday OH MY GOSH GUYS….just when I thought my #RattlesnakePlant Sara wasn’t so happy just look what she blessed me with!!! Not one but 2 new leaves getting big and strong!!! And there’s a fresh little green baby one growing too!! #PrayerPlant #HappyPlants #PlantsMakePeopleHappy #PlantAddict #NewGrowth #PlantLove #PlantMoms (excuse my dirty leaves…🫢😬…they are getting cleaned today)
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Prayer plant praying!! I got some good pics of my #RattlesnakePlant #PrayerPlant in prayer position last night. It’s the neatest thing! #PlantsAreAmazing #GodMakesBeautifulPlants #PrayEveryday I am so excited to bring Sara out into the common area of the house so we can enjoy her beauty.
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Reintroducing Cali as Mama Bear, Papa Bear and Baby Bear. I originally got these as one plant in water instead of soil. When I learned that they don’t really thrive in water, I planted her in soil. There were 3 groupings and I planted them all together but spaced a little as I put her in a 6” pot. The edges and tips started drying and turning crispy which google told me was from a lack of humidity. I placed a plate with rocks and water under the pot but it doesn’t seem to have helped too much. Then I was thinking the pot is too big (as I’m learning is the case with most of my plants) so the rock/water couldn’t actually get to the plant to be beneficial. So!! I’m really hoping this works, but I repotted Cali into smaller pots based on the groupings she already had. Maybe this way they can get more of the rock/water benefit, plus just have smaller pots and hopefully avoid the dreaded root rot as well. Wish me luck! Let me know if this seems like a good plan, or a bad one.🤞🏼
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cat nibbled my plant! hey everyone! my roommate’s cat has unfortunately taken a liking to cyprus and chewed off some of the leaves. what should i do, if anything, to recover/help the plant be okay?
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Plants helping through roots? Over the past several days, I have heard a lot about plants communicating and even healing each other through roots!! https:// I was wondering… if I had a dying calathea and potted it with a very healthy calathea, is there any chance that they could help each other? And is it worth a try? Probably the most interesting question I’ve ever asked on here… 😂🪴👯♀️. #HappyPlants #PlantsMakePeopleHappy #PlantAddict #Dyingplant #CalatheaCrew #PlantsHelpOtherPlants #tangoasksgreg #RootPorn @Nightshade @dreamlettuce @Justbeans #GregGang and also tagging @Kiersten and @RJG in case the Greg team might be interested! (For an insight someday?)
Care Summary for Rattlesnake Plant
Rattlesnake Plant
Greg recommends:
Water
0.5 cups every 9 days
Placement
< 3ft from a window
Nutrients
Repot after 2x growth
Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.
What other plant parents say
Browns easily 25
Survivor 21
Large, lush leaves 18
Fast grower 15
Blooms easily 2
Pest magnet 1
Easy to propagate 1
03/06/2022
My plant has been a pretty slow grower but from my experience it doesn’t brown easily. I love how the leaves go upward at night.
Survivor
12/27/2021
It’s a calathea so of course it’s going to be annoying about humidity and browning leaves and a magnet for pests. Not as big of a pest magnet as other calathea I have had though.
Browns easily
Pest magnet
11/05/2021
Browns easily but bounces back quickly with use of distilled water for misting and watering.
Large, lush leaves
Browns easily
10/02/2021
Easy to grow
09/29/2021
Easiest of all Calathea to grow. Fussy with water.
Large, lush leaves
09/15/2021
Super durable, went into depression and didn’t water plants for months. Killed almost everything but this guy came back strong
08/25/2021
Love the way the leaves move with the lighting.
Large, lush leaves
Survivor
08/17/2021
Managed to survive abuse by cat tho very fussy about placement
Survivor
08/08/2021
This is such a gorgeous plant!! I overwatered it pretty easily lol but it recovered easily!
Survivor
07/06/2021
You may think that it doesn’t need sun at all but it dose I made that mistake because it was droopy but I put it outside not in the direct sun it rose up again.
Blooms easily
Survivor
Large, lush leaves
Fast grower
06/29/2021
Of the calatheas, this is one of the easiest to take care of. Likes some additional humidity, but seems okay at 40-50% relative humidity.
Survivor
06/05/2021
the easiest calathea imo. good one to get your feet wet on!
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
Survivor
05/30/2021
Mine just sprouted new growth, first time since bringing it home. Fun watching the leaves open and close 🕺🏻. Mindful watering + 3ft from a south facing window 👌
Large, lush leaves
Survivor
Browns easily
05/28/2021
it closes at night!
Easy to propagate
Large, lush leaves
05/23/2021
I love that it dances! Don’t be worried by the foliage moving because it’s supposed to. So cute and endearing!
05/16/2021
Beautiful foliage and pet friendly! Seems more low maintenance than my other calatheas.
Browns easily
Fast grower
04/27/2021
One of my lower maintenance marantaceae! Thrives in a north window - avoid direct sun, but give bright indirect light. Water only with rainwater or distilled water and fertilize sparingly. Keep soil moist, but not soggy. In a north window this means watering every 1-2 weeks or so, depending on your substrate. Mine has tons of new shoots coming up! If I forget to water it for too long, it starts to brown & crisp up the edges of a few leaves. Don’t be surprised when it moves its leaves to collect more light and “prays” at night. So much personality in this plant family.
Large, lush leaves
Browns easily
04/10/2021
I’m new to owning a rattlesnake plant, but I really love them so far! I’ve noticed the new growth has trouble unfurling without humidity, so I keep mine next to a humidifier. Tons of new leaves shooting out. :)
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
04/05/2021
My favorite thing about the Rattlesnake Plant is that it keeps time. During the day, the leaves stretch outward, and during the night, they stand tall.
Care tip: Unlink other prayer plants, this one does prefer the soil to be nearly dry before watering.
Survivor
Browns easily
Large, lush leaves
04/02/2021
Hey sad super easily and will attempt to kill it’s self if it doesn’t have humidity in the room 24/7
Browns easily
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