Prayer plant pests, webbing or sticky leaves: causes and what to do
6 results in the diagnosis tree begin with pests, 5 of them marked likely when the answers fit. They are ordered here for Prayer plant (Maranta leuconeura), using what its sources say about pests and diseases, humidity and watering and 2 problems recorded for it.
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Maranta leuconeura, widely known as the prayer plant due to its daily sunlight-dependent movements, is a species of flowering plant in the family Marantaceae native to the Brazilian tropical forests. It is a variable, rhizomatous perennial, growing to 30 cm (12 in) tall and broad, with crowded clumps of evergreen, strikingly-marked oval leaves, each up to 12 cm (5 in) long. Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Native range: C. & E. Brazil (wet tropical). Also sold as Cathedral Windows, Herringbone Plant, prayerplant, Rabbit Tracks, Red-Veined Prayer Plant and Ten Commandments.
What Prayer plant’s sources say that bears on this
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by mealybugs and greenhouse red spider mite. Diseases: usually none.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
- ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Watering
- Through the growing season keep the potting soil evenly moist, then water less in winter so the soil can dry out.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Water moderately and feed once a month. In winter, less water is needed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
How this shows up on a Prayer plant
Fine pale speckling on the leaves, then webbing at the tips: spider mites
Seen side-on, the prayer plant looks dusty and bleached. Under a lens the undersides move with minute mites, and silk gathers where leaves meet the stem.
RHS lists spider mites among the pests it may attract. They feed from the underside, so the damage shows on top long before the mites are noticed.
Telling it apart: Where the damage starts. Mites stipple the whole leaf in fine dots; sun scorch bleaches the side facing the window.
RHS · read 13 September 2026White, cottony tufts in the joints of the leaves: mealybugs
Clusters of white wax sit where each leaf joins the stem and along the undersides of the prayer plant. Lifted with a cotton swab, each tuft holds a soft, pale insect, and the leaves below are sticky.
RHS lists mealybugs among the pests it may attract. The wax keeps them dry and hard to reach, so they multiply in the sheltered joints of the crown.
Telling it apart: Where the white is. Mealybugs gather in joints and under leaves; a powdery coating across the top of a leaf is mildew.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Possible causes, likeliest first for a Prayer plant
Most likely spider mites
Ranked higher because Prayer plant's recorded problems point this way.
- Fine pale speckling on the leaves, then webbing at the tips: spider mites RHS
Why: Spider mites feed on individual leaf cells, and each emptied cell shows as a pale speck.
What to try:
- Move the prayer plant away from other plants.
- Wash the leaves, top and underside, with a strong spray of water in a shower or sink.
What would settle it: Hold a sheet of white paper under a leaf and tap the leaf. Tiny specks that move across the paper are mites.
Most likely mealybugs
Ranked higher because Prayer plant's recorded problems point this way.
- White, cottony tufts in the joints of the leaves: mealybugs RHS
Why: Mealybugs are soft insects that cover themselves in white wax, which gives the cottony look.
What to try:
- Move the prayer plant away from other plants.
- Wipe off every insect you can see with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, testing a single leaf first.
What would settle it: Touch a tuft with a cotton swab. If a small, pale, oval insect is underneath, it is a mealybug.
Most likely scale insects
Why: Scale insects settle in one place under a hard or waxy shell and feed on sap.
What to try:
- Move the prayer plant away from other plants.
- Scrape the scales off with a fingernail or a soft brush, then wipe the stems and leaves.
What would settle it: Push a bump gently with a fingernail. Scale comes away and leaves a mark; a bump that is part of the prayer plant does not move.
Less likely for a Prayer plant, still possible
Questions
- What usually causes pests on a Prayer plant?
- For Prayer plant: spider mites, mealybugs and scale insects.
- How can I tell which one it is on my Prayer plant?
- What can you see? Fine webbing, and tiny pale speckles on the leaves; White, cottony tufts in the leaf joints; Small brown or pale bumps on stems and leaves that do not move; Clusters of small, soft insects on the new growth; Tiny dark flies around the soil; Sticky, shiny residue, but no insect I can see.
- What do Prayer plant's sources say about its pests and diseases?
- RHS: Can be troubled by mealybugs and greenhouse red spider mite. Diseases: usually none.
- What does this look like on a Prayer plant?
- Seen side-on, the prayer plant looks dusty and bleached. Under a lens the undersides move with minute mites, and silk gathers where leaves meet the stem. Telling it apart: Where the damage starts. Mites stipple the whole leaf in fine dots; sun scorch bleaches the side facing the window.
Other plants that show pests
Peacock plantCurled, sticky new leaves with green or black insects: aphids
AlocasiaFine pale speckling on the leaves, then webbing at the tips: spider mites
Aloe veraSticky leaves and immobile shell-like insects on the stems
Areca palmDull, finely mottled fronds and faint webs: spider mites
Arrowhead plantCurled, sticky new leaf blades with green or black insects: aphids
Asparagus fernCurled, sticky new fronds with green or black insects: aphids
Something else wrong with the Prayer plant?
What this does not cover
This page orders a decision tree's results using a plant's sourced care. It has not seen your plant, its pot or its window, and two problems at once are common: that is the usual reason a confident answer turns out wrong. The questions in the diagnosis tool narrow it further than a list can.