Part of the Plant Show & Tell Series & the Proots Questionnaire™
Plant Show-Off: Marguerite K. (Seattle, WA)
What kind of plant is this?
It’s a “Maranta leucorneura,” a.k.a. “Prayer Plant” although I originally thought it was a Calathea (the two species are pretty similar).
What, if anything, does this plant remind you of?
I think it’ll always remind me of quarantine, and the time I had enough time on my hands to think of “giving my Maranta a spa day” by taking it into the bathroom for a steam.
How did you come to own this plant?
I bought this one at Central Co-Op in Seattle.
If you remember how much it cost, if applicable, and want to share.
It was $12 during their 20% off plant sale.
How long have you had the plant?
Since November 2020, so about four months?
Interview With the Houseplant
What is your greatest virtue?
My modern dance abilities. My leaves literally bend and straighten very noticably, often a few times in the course of the day, which is why we’re sometimes called a “prayer plants,” even though most of us are agnostic at best. Isadora Duncan and/or Jennifer Beals from Flashdance.
What is its biggest weakness?
Water. But also, drying out. I love humidity and warm temperatures. I would love to live in Florida, but the governor is an ass. But too much water, and I drown and get all maudlin. Just water me whenever the topsoil is dry; I’m not a goldfish, alright?
Likes/Dislikes?
Warmth, humidity and indirect medium light. I love to take “spa days” in the bathroom. Plants need self-care too, yo.
Do you have a nickname?
Marantha. It’s a portmanteau of Maranta and Martha, after the great modern dancer/choreographer, Martha Graham.
Where do you live?
By a window, on a credenza, indoors. I like to think of it as my stage, although I also travel to the bathroom and kitchen, where I like to perform for steamy audiences.
What would be your ideal vocation/avocation/profession?
I would teach and perform modern dance, but would probably have to work as a receptionist as a day job.
What would be its D&D alignment?
Chaotic good.
“How to define ‘horticulture’? Hmmm…”
Which writer, living or dead, would you want to write your autobiography? Bonus: what would they write (poem, play, novel?)
Dorothy Parker, and a poem. Preferably a very bawdy one.
If a director were to make a feature bio-pic about your life, which director would you choose? Which actor (of any gender) would play them?
Jim Jarmush would direct Parker Posey as “Marantha Graham.”
Did you and the plant ever have a time when you faced a huge challenge, but you got past it?
Yes. About three weeks after moving to my current home, my leaves started to turn yellow and brown, and curl up. They were over-watering, so I had to enforce my boundaries. Also, it was very dry in the house, so I requested a morning misting and more humidity. Fortunately, they complied, so I won’t have to go to HR with this.
Favorite fictional character?
Lady Chatterley from Lady Chatterley’s Lover, by D.H. Laurence. She was also trapped, and spent a lot of time looking out windows.
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