Pocket BotanistCheck these first
- Check if the soil is bone dry.
- Feel the air around the plant to see if it feels very dry.
- Look for signs of spider mites on the undersides of leaves.
Likely causes
Underwatering
Most likelyHow to tell: The leaves look wilted and limp, and the soil feels very dry or pulls away from the sides of the pot. The plant will often perk up quickly after a good soak.
What to do: Water the plant thoroughly until water runs out of the drainage holes. Make sure the entire root ball gets moistened. Resume your normal schedule of watering when the top inch of soil is dry.
Low Humidity
Most likelyHow to tell: The leaves droop and the edges may start to look crispy or brown. Prayer plants love moisture in the air and will wilt if the room is too dry.
What to do: Place a humidifier near the plant or group it with other plants to create a microclimate. You can also set the pot on a tray filled with pebbles and water, making sure the pot sits above the water line.
Find out what's wrong with your prayer plant
The list above covers the usual causes. Pocket Botanist looks at a photo of your actual plant and tells you the likely cause, how serious it is, and what to try first. Identification and a health check are free.
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When to worry
Prayer plants naturally fold their leaves up at night, which is normal behavior. Worry if the leaves stay limp and drooping during the day when they should be flat.
Stopping it coming back
Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy and maintain higher humidity levels.
Keep your prayer plant healthy from here
Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked. Identification and a health check are free.
Questions people ask
- Will my plant recover after drooping?
- Usually, yes. If the plant is just thirsty, it will often bounce back within a few hours of watering.
- Does temperature affect drooping?
- Yes, cold drafts or heat vents can cause stress that leads to drooping. Keep your plant away from direct airflow.
More problems with Prayer plant
- Why are my prayer plant's leaf tips turning brown?
- How do I get rid of pests on my prayer plant?
- Why are there spots on my prayer plant leaves?
- Why are my prayer plant's leaves turning yellow?
- How do I fix root rot on my prayer plant?
- Why are my prayer plant leaves curling?
- Why is my prayer plant losing leaves?
- Why is my prayer plant looking leggy?
Back to the Prayer plant guide
This article was generated with AI from the plant’s care profile and is general information, not horticultural advice. Read about how we build these guides.