Home»House Plants»Fittonia

The Fittonia argyoneura plant , also know as the nerve or mosaic plant , is a lovely tropic houseplant develop in the USDA hardiness zone 11 .

Fittonia does well in terrarium , hanging field goal , and on desks and tabletops .

Fiittonia nerve plant growing in the windowsill | duskbabe-depositPhotos

This pretty , colored mettle works grows wild as a ground masking in the tropic rainforest of Peru .

These plant hail from South America ( mostly Peru ) . Their botanical name honors Sarah May and Elizabeth Fittonia , well - known botanic authors during the 1800s .

Other common names admit :

Fiittonia nerve plant growing in the windowsill | duskbabe-depositPhotos

It belongs to the Acanthaceae family with popular Relatives , including the Zebra industrial plant , Shrimp industrial plant , and Mexican Petunia ( Ruellia ) .

In this article , we describe the many kind of Fittonia and share advice for keeping this plant successfully in your home base or office . Read on to get word more .

Fittonia Quick Care Facts

Why Is The Fittonia Plant So Popular?

Fittonia is a unmistakably pretty plant life with its dark greenish leafage and ornamental veining . The nervure in the leaves issue forth in a number of colouration , include white , silver gray , pink , red , and purpleness .

In add-on to being colorful , Fittonia is a lowly ( though enthusiastically spreading ) plant life that does quite well in low light .

These tone make the nervus plant the perfect choice for lighten up up various minor corner and crannies around your habitation or berth .

Nerve plants do not typically grow more than 6″ inches in high spirits but lean to spread .

The leaves are 2″ to 4″ inches foresighted and may be either oval or oviform . The mosaic industrial plant is typically olive green with shiny , colorful veining . Leaves grow in pairs on diametric side of wander , mat - forming , freely rooting stems .

Fittonia produces long , reddish , or white bract spikes bearing small , insignificant white or yellow scentless flowers in the unspoilt term . This is a rare occurrence for houseplant .

How To Grow Nerve Plants?

Remember that these works naturally spring up on the jungle floor in the tropics of South America , so they like low light .

Even so , you could keep your Nerve Plant in a windowpane with bright collateral light if you filter the sun with a sheer pall .

Bright luminousness encourages brighter colors , but unmediated sunlight will sear the leaf .

Nerve industrial plant also do well in grim or intermediate - light orfluorescent lighting .

temperature ranging from 65 ° – 75 ° degrees Fahrenheit is idealistic . Do n’t allow the temperature to drop below 60 ° degrees Fahrenheit .

When watering , you must expunge a felicitous medium between dry and quaggy potting dirt . If Fittonia dries out , it break .

Like all industrial plant , the nervus plant will suffer from root rot if you keep the soil too wet . Too much H2O and inadequate drainage will also have yellowed leaves .

Check frequently , and only water when the aerofoil of the potting soil begins to dry out out .

endeavor to keep an evenly moist soil . Always water with room temperature H2O to avoid shocking the root .

cheek plant like high-pitched ( 60 % – 70 % ) humidity levels . Dry air causes leaves to droop . veritable misting can help , or keep your Fittonia in a terrarium setting for unremitting high-pitched humidity .

To sustain constant high-pitched humidity , you may like to keep your Fittonia Nerve Plant in a terrarium .

Alternately , a naturallyhumid plant such as a bathroomor kitchen could knead .

Other elbow room to boost humidness let in setting your plant life on a tray of fuddled pebble and/or setting up a room humidifier .

If you plan to be away for a few day , drape a open plastic travelling bag or plastic wrap over your plants to avail them retain moisture and humidity while you are go .

Be sure to set up some sort of framework to prevent the charge card from lying right away against the leaves .

The Fittonia flora likes the same sort of soil as African violets . buy or create a light peat orcococoir - based mixture , full-bodied in constitutive affair and keep back moisture well .

you could keep your Nerve Plant Fittonia well - feed with a general - purpose fertiliser for houseplants .

To encourage outgrowth , fertilize as often as once a calendar month , but once every two or three calendar month is recommended .

Be certain to prey your plant a lower limit of two fourth dimension yearly .

Nerve Plant Care: Common Problems & Pests

Because nerve plant Fittonia has very specific environmental requirement , quite a few things can go wrong . take in out for

1 – leaf turning brownand shrink around the edges : This may be due to dry melodic line or ironical dirt . retard the soil to be certain it is somewhat damp , and take steps to increase humidness .

Learn Why Your Fittonia Leaves are Curling

2 – Withered foliage : If too much salt builds up in the soil , leaves will wither .

Reduce the amount of atomic number 11 in the soil by drenching the plant with urine and allowing the water supply to run through the territory until it is completely clear .

When your plant life recovers , repot it into fresh grunge and/or only make novel works using tip and stem cutting .

3 – plot of land of drab gray mould on folio : If conditions are too teetotal , mould spots will appear .

trim back off the affected leaves , and try covering your plant with a clear fictile traveling bag or plastic wrap ( as described above ) to boost and create a humid environment .

4 – leave-taking turning sensationalistic : This is a sign of overwatering . Always use a good deal with copious drainage fix in the bottom .

Be sure to apply a loose , well - draining , dampish soil mix . pay up close tending to your lachrymation schedule . Do n’t overdo it !

5 – Leaves Dropping : If the room temperature is too cold-blooded or if the plant is expose to intermittent cold drafts , folio drop can occur .

think to keep the temperature tender and changeless . Do n’t rank your plant too snug to a threshold or a windowpane that allows moth-eaten draft to move into .

6 – Leaves Shriveling : This can happen because the tune is too dry or because the plant life is getting too much sun . Remember to keep humidity high and direct sunlight low-spirited for Fittonia .

7 – Aphids : As with most houseplants , aphids ( and mealybug ) can be a problem for nerve plant Fittonia .

Avoid introducing aphid to your houseplant aggregation by cautiously examining every new plant you bring in .

face for the insects themselves and for the sooty mold and honeydew melon that attach to them .

Keep new plants isolated for a few weeks to be certain they are pest - barren . If you do find aphids on your plants , prove washing the plant with a strong stream of water .

This may be all that ’s needed to knock aphids off for commodity .

Snails & Slugs : If you keep your mosaic plant life outdoors in the summertime , you may also have problems with snails and slugs .

The nerveless , damp , drear environment provided by the leaves is pure for these gastropod , and they enjoy eating Fittonia plants .

If you begin to notice holes in the works ’s leave , suspect snail or slug .

The full elbow room to get rid of them is to simply plunk them off and dispose of them .

Nerve Plant Propagation

It ’s really jolly heavily not topropagate Fittoniaonce you‘ve set up a contributive environment .

The rambling plant grows promptly from tip press cutting and rooted stem firearm . It is also gentle to start stems from one pot to another .

These ground - track plants love to travel and spread along with the dirt , and they put down raw roots everywhere they go .

When you see that a stem is sprouting root , you may cut it off and give it its own throne .

Alternately , put fresh dirt in a pot and rig it alongside the “ parent plant . ”

manoeuvre the root root into the wise potting soil and get it take hold . Once it ’s establish , cut back the connection between the parent and the new plant .

If you require to take cuttings , you may trim off 2 - 4″ baksheesh newspaper clipping or trim tenacious stem cuttings into 2 - 4″ sections .

Be sure that each discussion section has a pair of growth nodes . Plant them in a fresh , dampish fittonia dirt mix at an slant or horizontally .

Keep your cuttings in a ardent setting ( 75 ° to 85 ° degrees Fahrenheit ) , and clothe a part of penetrate plastic over them to keep humidness levels eminent .

When the stems are set down roots , you may remove the plastic .

How Many Types Of Fittonia Are There?

Once you have established the perfect growing environment for Fittonia , you will naturally require to branch out and collect some of the many different types .

There are variations with white , red-faced , pink , royal , and even silvern veins ( aka argyroneura or silver nerve industrial plant ) .

There are also small - leaved varieties known as Nana cultivars . These compact plant are very popular and easy to grow .

vein approach pattern also vary from one character of Fittonia to another . For example , some varieties feature a very spectacular fishbone convention .

Here are some of the more popular and unusual Fittonia cultivar usable today :

Companion Planting

Once you have a good tropic environment localize up for your Fittonia , you’re able to add even more interest to your assemblage with attractive tropicals that bestow out the best in your Fittonia .

Plant them together in peak windows , terrariums , or prominent indoor planters .

3 Fittonia Buying Tips

1 – When you are just begin out , you may find you have better luck with diminished - leave varieties .

2 – Springtime is the best time to start out with Fittonia . buy small flora or start cuttings early in the spring . Establish them in broad , shallow pots for overwintering .

3 – Remember that Fittonia may not be clearly identified . Be on the lookout for it under its other uncouth names ( Fittonia Nerve Plant , Mosaic Plant , Painted Leaf Plant , Snakeskin Plant , Silver Nerve , Painted Net Leaf ) .

Enjoy Fittonia All Year Round

These tropical plants have no “ down ” meter . When you furnish them with the right setting , these north - facing window industrial plant grow and flourish all twelvemonth round .

set up a tropical retreat in your home allows you to collect these pretty plants and savour a riotous , light-green , keep , growing place throughout the class .

recollect to maintain a consistent , fond temperature and a highly humid environs in your plant blank space .

Keep your works reinvigorated and healthy by trimming off any damaged leaves .

Depending on how you have potted your plant , you could trail them to drift along or spill over the side of hanging baskets .

If you want a more compact appearance on some plants , pinch them back regularly to boost branch and a more compact growth habit .

In the spring , assess your works to see which one need repotting . Because these plants have shallow roots , you may not need to repot every saltation .

Plant in large , shallow pots or as a “ background cover ” around taller plants in large pots . Keep it as a specimen industrial plant in a terrarium , or take advantage of the industrial plant ’s cast way by restrain it in a hanging basket .

Sources:1|2