Here's some tips on how to care for Fittonia albivenis , so that you can keep your Nerve Plant happy and healthy.
Nerve Plant
Fittonia albivenus, more commonly known as Nerve Plant (or sometimes mosaic plant) due to its colourful, veiny patterned leaves.
Readily available in a variety of vibrant colours, this compact houseplant is native to South America.
Fittonia make great terrarium plants, adding a burst of colour and variety to among the other greenery.
Light
Nerve Plants are best suited to bright indirect light, similar to the bright shade of the rainforest.
If light is too low, your Fittonia albivenis may slow its growth and lose some of its vibrancy. Too much harsh, direct sunlight can scorch your houseplant's leaves.
Soil
Fittonia do best in soil that drains well but retains some moisture. A peat moss or similar soil with a little bit of perlite added should do your Nerve Plant just fine, while adding a little extra drainage,
Watering
Watering your Nerve Plant correctly is key to it flourishing. If you let your Fittonia's soil dry out, the plat will collapse and begin to look wilted. If this happens, give it a good drink and it should recover in no time.
On the other hand, if you let your Fittonia stagnate by letting it sit in lots of water for long periods of time its leaves may go yellow and limp. A plant that's sitting in soaking soil can lead to root rot too.
You should aim to keep your Fittonia albivenus' soil consistently moist, but not soaking. A good guide is to water the plant when the top half of the soil is dry.
Humidity
Nerve Plants enjoy humid conditions which makes them great for closed terrariums and bottle gardens.
If not in a terrarium, give your Fittonia a boost with regular misting, or by using a pebble tray. You can also group plants together to create a humid microclimate.
Temperature
Fittonia albivenus do best in temperatures between 18-26°C. Try to avoid placing your Nerve Plant near dry hea
t sources that will suck moisture out of the air and avoid cold drafts.
Toxicity
Despite its slightly ominous name, Nerve Plants / Fittonia albivenus are non toxic and pet safe!
Growth
Nerve plants are generally compact growers and will reach a maximum height of 3–6 inches tall and spread to around 12-18inches when mature. Alongside their love for humidity, this makes them great candidates for terrariums. If you're interested in making a terrarium, we've written a guide on how to start.
In optimal conditions, your Fittonia will grow quickly. If your plant becomes a bit leggy, removing the tips will help to keep bushy growth occurring. You can also remove the plants buds to divert growth to the foliage instead, which is the real star feature of this plant.
You'll want to repot your Nerve Plant annually. Giving a half strength houseplant fertiliser feed once a month in Spring and Summer will also help give your Fittonia a boost.
You may notice that the creeping stems of your Nerve Plant will begin to root in the surrounding soil. If you like, in Spring, you can gently remove and repot this bits on their own to expand your Fittonia collection!