prayer plant

American  

[prair] / prɛər /

noun

1. a plant, Maranta leuconeura, native to Brazil, that is widely cultivated for its variegated leaves that close up at night.

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Etymology

Origin of prayer plant

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

The prayer plant moves its leaves up at night and lowers them during the day, which is believed to maximize light absorption by following the sun’s movement.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 13, 2023

When I try to picture a prayer plant growing in the wild ground, my mind instead puts me back on the Universal Studios E.T.

From Salon • Jun. 11, 2022

Like others in the prayer plant family, the striking pink-and-green stromanthe’s leaves fold upward at night and splay out a bit when it’s sunny.

From Washington Post • Apr. 6, 2022