Goeppertia lancifolia, a houseplant with spectacular foliage

Goeppertia lancifolia comes straight from Brazil and its tropical forests, and belongs to the Marantaceae family. It has seduced gardeners the world over with its graphic, hand-painted foliage. In our latitudes, it is grown as a houseplant.

Like goeppertia crocata, Goeppertia lancifolia or Goeppertia insignis is a perennial with a dense, bushy habit. When fully grown, it can reach a height of 75 centimetres.

As its name suggests, its leaves mimic the shape of a spear. Long and slender, they have wavy edges and measure up to 45 centimetres in length. The light-green blades are adorned with dark-green, almost black spots on either side of the midrib. This contrast is enhanced by the purple underside of the leaf. Goeppertia lancifolia is sometimes referred to as the "Rio Peacock" because of the peacock-feather-like pattern of its foliage. In reality, it's goeppertia makoyana, with its oval leaves, that best deserves the title of peacock plant.

In the wild, Goeppertia plants flower every year. Indoors, however, the phenomenon is less common. However, small, spikes of light-green flowers may appear in spring.

If you listen carefully, you may hear a gentle rustling as the sun sets. This is your Goeppertia getting ready for the night: every evening, the plant folds its leaves in half to protect them from nocturnal parasites. This habit, which it maintains in our homes, has earned it the nickname of "prayer plant".