While they may serve as ground cover in the tropics, nerve plants that are used as houseplants are best suited to be grown in a terrarium or in hanging baskets, due to their need for humidity and their compact size. Homeland herbaceous perennial plant Fittonia is South America. They are also very effective in pots, creating small lush and bold masses for indoors. It’s important that you water between feedings to flush the soil out and prevent the buildup of mineral salts. Fittonia plants can be separated into two groups. A landscape horticulturist by profession, she has been designing, installing, and maintaining various landscapes and gardens for residential and commercial use. It gets its nicknames, Nerve plant or Mosaic plant because of the distinct, veined appearance of its beautiful, ornamental leaves. They do well in indirect, filtered, or dappled sunlight from a window, as well as fluorescent lighting. If the leaves of your plant begin turning yellow and limp, it’s a sign that you may be over-watering or that the soil is waterlogged due to poor drainage. Family: Acanthaceae. It should look like the picture above. It’s a really satisfying thing to do and makes a nice feature in a room. From spring through fall, you should feed your nerve plant small amounts of a balanced fertilizer every few months. Here are some of our favorites: The leathery ovate deep green leaves are laced with white to greenish-white netted patterns. The nerve plant, or Fittonia argyroneura, from the Acanthaceae (Acanthus) family, is a tropically found plant with striking leaves of pink and green, white and green, or green and red. Instead of the usual white and pink venations, the nerves of this fittonia are lavender in color against the dark green leaves. degree in Agriculture specializing in Ornamental Horticulture. There are many pink variegations of Fittonia, but the Frankie Nerve Plant (Fittonia albivenis ‘Frankie’) is one of my favorite varieties, as its leaves boast more pink than green. Check my resources page for advice about what humidifier I recommend. Fittonia plants are beautiful tropical houseplants that have patterned leaves with pink, red, light green or white veins. I hope this article will teach you all you need to know to grow a healthy, vivacious, nerve plant. Plants from the Fittonia genus, also known as nerve plants because of the bright leaf veins, are popular houseplant choices because of their gorgeous appearance. Happy gardening. As a ground cover plant native to tropical rainforests, nerve plants need partial to full shade to flourish. If you are top dressing with granular fertilizer, you should also be conservative with the amount. They will grow year round indoors under fluorescent light but come summer, they should be put outside to grow thicker and to keep the color vibrant. If you don't keep your Fittonia in a terrarium, just make sure to mist it every day, just to keep the humidity high enough. Although the most popular vein color is silvery white, you can also readily find varieties with veins in pink, white, and green. These remains are quickly broken down and converted into nutrients by a bountiful array of organisms in and around the soil. Always be sure the container your fittonia nerve plant is in has a drainage hole, and never allow it to sit directly in standing water. It adds a distinctive touch to indoor decor because nerve plant's rich green leaves are touched with bright pink, red, or white veins. In fact, she gets a … Nerve plants grow at the level of the rainforest known as the forest floor. Plants that grow at this level are well protected, and this area doesn’t receive much sunlight, since it’s blocked by the thick canopy of tree crowns high above as well as by the understory of smaller trees and shrubs growing closer to the ground. If your budget’s a little tighter, we recommend the Silver Nerve Plant – Fittonia Verschaffeltii – 2.5″ Pot as the absolute best value for money. Fittonia is often called a "nerve plant" or "mosaic plant." Mealybugs and aphids often attack the new growth of fittonias. Juanita looks like a normal dark green nerve plant lightly spray-painted pink on the edges. Low light is her kinda light. With average rainfall between 100 and 120 inches (2500-3000 millimeters) per year in this region of the Amazon Basin, the moisture the rain brings is retained at this level because the canopy blocks solar radiation as well as light, thus protecting the ground from daily changes in temperature that cause the transference of water from the earth and the plants to the atmosphere above in areas that are more exposed. Here are some common fittonia varieties: Click to see some good example images. The glossy elongated green leaves are heavily covered in pink nerves. I could never tire of looking at them and they always draw positive comments from visitors. There are a wide variety of fittonia plant cultivars that provide a wonderful assortment of different sizes and leaf coloring patterns to choose from. This genus is considered a representative of The acanthus family and comprises about ten species. They are fairly easy to care for - they can tolerate a range of lighting conditions and like to be kept moist. I’ve put together a great collection of books, tools and resources to help you to keep your plants healthy and develop your gardening skills and knowledge. A popular foliage house plant, Fittonia or Fittonia albivenis is actually a genus of low spreading evergreen perennials that originally grew in Peru but is found in the Andean rainforests of South America too (1). Red or pink-veined nerve plants belong to the Verschaffeltii Group. Organic mulch should be applied and worked into the soil as it decomposes (2). They can be readily inserted into the soil and allow the roots to form (4). Sometimes, fittonias will get too leggy if there is not enough light exposure. Although their native habitat is in the hot climate of the tropics, you may be surprised to learn that fittonia plants don’t require high-heat environments. 2015. I absolutely love growing nerve plants due to their their unique and stunning foliage. Temperature: Keep at 60 degrees F … resemble nerves. Remember that their location on the rainforest floor is quite shady and protected from the heat of the sun. Toxic Principles: Non-toxic. The rainforest floor also tends to be quite humid. The best solution is to prune or trim the fittonia plant and use the cuttings to start new fittonia plants. Help. Normally grown as a houseplant, nerve plant (Fittonia spp.) The nerve plant, or Fittonia, is an eye-catching houseplant that is popular for use in hanging baskets, container gardens, and terrariums. These overgrowths should be trimmed to strengthen the plant’s form and since fittonias can easily develop roots, these cuttings can also be used as propagules. The ideal temperature for them to survive is 60-80°F (16-26°C). Increase Humidity. The soft stems and leaves of nerve plants and the moist soil that they need make them vulnerable to fungus infection. Plant in fast-draining soil. (2) Neal, N. “Gardener’s Guide to Tropical Plants”. This smaller variety has longer dark green leaves with criss-crossing white venations. Fittonias are not drought-tolerant but they will perk up once watered (4). 2017. When it comes to associating tropical rainforests with high humidity, you are hitting on a key element that’s necessary for growing a healthy, happy nerve plant. They should not be planted too deep, just at the level of the ground to keep the leaves away from the soil and avoid pests and diseases. Nala the nerve plant may be small in stature but she sure has a striking look to her. The green leaves are relatively large, curled on the edges. They also need bright indirect light Very few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you). Posted by just now. If your nerve plant is one of the smaller varieties, placing it in a terrarium or a covered garden is a great way to recreate the humid environment of the rainforest floor and encourage your colorful nerve plant to really shine. Heat and moisture act to speed up this nutrient recycling process even more. The specific name albivensis literally means “white veins.” Common names for this type of Fittonia, including nerve plant, silver net leaf, silver threads, and silver Fittonia, are descriptive of the intricate leaf veins of this lush tropical plant. What sustains the vegetation in these soils is the thin layer of topsoil made up of decaying plant and animal remains. Without adequate humidity, fittonia leaves will quickly wither and wilt. Nerve plant, commonly called fittonia, are a perfect medium care plant. P. 256. Nala is an easy grower that doesn't mind to be in the shade. One way is to use a room humidifier. But don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that Fittonia plant care requires you to turn your home into a steamy hothouse. My personal favorite place to put nerve plants is into a terrarium. Botanical Name: Fittonia verschaffeltii ‘Black Star’ ‘Black Star’ is a lovely houseplant with dark emerald green leaves… They prefer humid environments and will benefit from regular misting. Fittonia are a truly classic terrarium plant. Fittonia is also sometimes referred to as the ‘mosaic plant’ or the ‘painted net leaf’. Storey Publishing. Close. Nerve Plant Care - How To Grow Fittonia Plants, How To Fix An Overwatered Plant - Step By Step Guide, Aeroponics Systems - Easy Guide To Growing With Aeroponics, Philodendron Birkin Care (Complete Guide), Why Is My Indoor Palm Tree Dying? Outdoors, fittonias work well with large plants as they can prosper and be tucked underneath them. Fittonias nerve plants loosing nerves. But they will need supplements to keep the whole plant healthy and lasting. Rainforest soils are usually well draining and poor in nutrients, due to millions of years of weathering and leaching caused by the wet climate. They go by common names such as mosaic plant and painted net leaf, as well as nerve plant. The only cost was a fairly cheap glass terrarium off amazon, and all other materials were sourced from around my house and garden. March 11, 2016. Treat any infestations or diseases immediately and isolate the plant to prevent the problem from spreading to your other plants. These cuttings can be replanted in the original fittonia plant to help thicken the plant. With characteristic bold colours and deeply veined leaves (hence, Nerve Plants) they draw the eye and demand your attention. The specific name albivenis signifies “white veins”. Nerve plant is a low-growing creeper that is a perfect fit for terrariums or bottle gardens. It is native to rainforests, so it is used to warm and moist environments.
Akai Mpd226 Review,
Growing Woodlovers Indoors,
Supergirl V Superman,
Cry Babies Walmart,
Houses For Sale Annapolis Valley,
Comes A Dawn Jorge Luis Borges,
D&d Religious Names,
Beet Juice Benefits,
Rare Bird Alert Dc,