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How do you take a fantastic genus such as fittonia and make it bigger ? Why , make countlesscultivated Fittonia variety show , of path !
That ’s precisely what the Argyroneura Group , sometimes referred to asFittonia argyroneura(fit - TOH - neeuh ar - ji - roh - NYUR - uh ) does by group all of the lighter - veined cultivar ofFittonia albivenistogether . All the dark - vein cultivars belong to to the Verschaffeltii Group .
These herbaceous perennials belong to theAcanthaceaefamily and expand a genus that only has two species ( Fittonia albivenisandFittonia gigantea ) .
With its parent plant coming from the South America rainforests of Peru , the wet needs of these plants can make them seem more difficult to wish for than they are . However , they are comparatively easy to raise , and this group has even been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit .
While it shares its parent flora ’s common name of mosaic plant and face plant , the Argyroneura Group has its own name calling , such as :
Some of the more popular cultivars in this group include :
Silver Fittonia Care
Size & Growth
As with their mother plant , the Argyroneura Group are fairly small works that generally achieve 3″ – 12″ inches tall with a bedspread of 6″ to 18″ inches .
Taking up to 3 years to pass on mature sizing , they tend to be slow growers indoors but a little faster when planted .
While not a hard rule , members of the Argyroneura Group tend to have lighter green , ovate leave of absence evaluate 3″ to 6″ in tenacious and 1″ to 3″ inches across and fuzzy green stems .
The ashen veins of this mathematical group are always clean , ranging from greenish - lily-white to silver , yellowish , and white .
Some cultivar may also be variegated .
Flowering and Fragrance
seldom flower indoors , these cultivars have belittled white to white-livered flowers that uprise on 3″ in spike which are often partially hide .
Indirect Light & Temperature
This mathematical group can plow humiliated light circumstance but may lose a chip of its colour as a result .
So rather , they ’re best suited for bright , collateral sunlight or under fluorescent grow lamps .
Outdoors , they also enjoy dappled sunshine .
Avoid verbatim sun , as the green leafage will easily scorch , but you may prefer to have a bit of sunrise or evening exposure safely .
While average house humidity levels are enough for Fittonias to get by , especially in a kitchen or bathroom , it ’s honest to augment this with a humidifier , frequent misting , or a pebble tray ,
Ideally , it would assist if you celebrate these plants in ambient humidity of 60%- 90 % percent .
Due to their tropical nature , nerve industrial plant do not grow outdoors beyond USDA hardiness zones 11 to 12 , although some specific cultivars have slightly better cold tolerance .
That said , expose your fittonia to draught or temperature below 50 ° degrees Fahrenheit can seriously harm them . So seek to keep them in an area where the temperatures do not overleap below 55 ° degrees Fahrenheit .
idealistic indoor temperature are between 60 ° and 80 ° degrees Fahrenheit .
Watering and Feeding
The Argyroneura Group has inherit its parent plant ’s substance abuse of dramatically fainting if denied water for a few daylight and can likewise bounce back forthwith once tended to .
You should water when the soil has dried 25 % pct recondite ( ex : 1.5″ inches down on a 6″ inch pot ) using the soaking - and - dry method .
While one or two fainting spells can be harmless ( albeit panic - induct , if you do n’t fuck what ’s pass ) , repeated fainting charm can run to permanent price .
alimentation is a simple matter of seize a balanced liquid houseplant fertiliser and diluting it by half .
A 5 - 5 - 5 ratio is in general prefer for mostFittonia albiveniscultivars .
feast the plant monthly throughout springtime and summer , but avert prey in fall and wintertime .
Soil & Transplanting
These plants need good , loamy , but well - drain soil to flourish .
Most tropical houseplant admixture will influence , as will peat - based commixture .
You may opt to repair the soil with perlite to ameliorate drainage and aim for a pH of around 6.5 .
Fittonias profit from frequent repotting , so expect to give it a new pot of soil every spring .
Grooming And Maintenance
This plant can grow fairly slow but will pick up the pace in the ripe conditions , so you may need to cut back once in a while .
Pinch off the stem tips to prevent leggy growth and advance a more dense coming into court .
Some growers also prefer to pinch off the flower spike so the plant wo n’t waste resources on bloom .
Maintenance is pretty elementary with nerve plants , usually want a bit of pruning here and there .
You ’ll want to abstract off the summit of the stem to preclude them from make leggy .
Unlike many flora , it will not germinate multiple stems from the pinched billet , but it will still give a broad appearance due to the denseness of its foliage .
In the event , your plant produces a spike , and you are n’t concerned in flowers , pinch it off so the plant continues to focus on its foliage .
How To Propagate Green Nerve Plant
Air layering is one of the more interesting way you could propagate these plant .
However , cuttings are the more popular method , with stems being easier than leaf cuttings .
Propagate press clipping using either territory or water .
White Nerve Plant Pests or Diseases
Mealybugs and rot are the two biggest enemies of Fittonias .
Other pests include :
foliage spot is also a common trouble , and the Argyroneura Group are rather intolerant of cold and drouth .
The serious intelligence is that all Fittonias are entirely non - toxic to both homo and pets .
Argyroneura Group Uses
Alternating Argyroneura Group and Verschaffeltii Group member can make a striking argument , and both make for a beautiful ground cover in tropical zones .
As with the parent species , member of this group make excellent hanging plants but will solve in almost any container .
The Argyroneura Group is well - suited to terrariums , especially dwarf cultivar , for those who require the complete environment .
