Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Fishbone Prayer Plant (Ctenanthe burle-marxii)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Fishbone Prayer Plant, Burle Marx Calathea, Fishbone Calathea, Never Never Plant.

More about fishbone prayer plant

About Fishbone Prayer Plant

Ctenanthe burle-marxii · also called Fishbone Prayer Plant, Burle Marx Calathea · houseplant

The Fishbone Prayer Plant (Ctenanthe burle-marxii) is a compact Marantaceae foliage houseplant prized for silvery leaves with herringbone markings that fold up at night. It wants bright indirect light, consistently moist soil, and high humidity. Not individually ASPCA-listed, so treat as a verify-with-vet plant rather than confirmed pet-safe.

Cold limit: USDA Not frost hardy; grown as a houseplant. RHS hardiness H1b (USDA zone ~11-12) — outdoors only in frost-free tropical climates, otherwise keep indoors above about 10C. (18-24C, with a minimum around 10-15C)

Watch for — Yellowing leaves: Usually overwatering or soggy, poorly drained soil; can also follow cold draughts. Let the top inch dry between waterings and ensure the pot drains freely.

What fishbone prayer plant's hardiness rating actually means

Fishbone Prayer Plant is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Its RHS rating of H1b means: Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season. On the US scale that maps to USDA Not frost hardy; grown as a houseplant. RHS hardiness H1b (USDA zone ~11-12) — outdoors only in frost-free tropical climates, otherwise keep indoors above about 10C. — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 10 °C (sustained cold below this is damaging). Fishbone Prayer Plant has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for fishbone prayer plant as it gets too cold:

Below about about 10 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches.
A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover.
Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.

Can fishbone prayer plant go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually.
Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C.
It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when fishbone prayer plant can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.

Fishbone Prayer Plant hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is fishbone prayer plant cold hardy?

Fishbone Prayer Plant is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Indoor-only in almost every home. Fishbone Prayer Plant can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA Not frost hardy; grown as a houseplant. RHS hardiness H1b (USDA zone ~11-12) — outdoors only in frost-free tropical climates, otherwise keep indoors above about 10C.); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature fishbone prayer plant can survive?

What hardiness zone is fishbone prayer plant?

Fishbone Prayer Plant is rated USDA Not frost hardy; grown as a houseplant. RHS hardiness H1b (USDA zone ~11-12) — outdoors only in frost-free tropical climates, otherwise keep indoors above about 10C. and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can fishbone prayer plant survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually. Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C. It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

What happens to fishbone prayer plant below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 10 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches. A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover. Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.