Fittonia albivenis
Mosaic Plant, Fittonia, Painted Net Leaf
South America | Tropical
This little plant packs a punch. Their bright green leaves are strongly contrasted by veins in brilliant white, pink, or red that creates the look of an intricate mosaic with contrasting grout or a depiction of the nervous system.
color, pet friendly, moderate, bright indirect, drought averse, petite, clusters, bushy or dense, shelf, tabletop, tropical, low light tolerant
This plant prefers to stay fairly moist, but certainly not soggy sopping wet. Check the soil frequently in summer to determine if it's starting to dry out. In winter, you can be a little more lax, allowing the top inch or so to dry out before watering again.
Medium to bright, indirect light is ideal for the Fittonia. However, they can tolerate low light, as well. Just take extra precautions when watering and don't expect the plant to grow very much.
Thrives in higher humidity—try to provide additional moisture by grouping your Fittonia with other humidity lovers or placing in a humid spot, like the kitchen or bathroom. Of course, a humidifier will be your best bet for guaranteed humidity.
Fittonia enjoy the balmy warmth of the tropics, preferably between 65-85°F. Definitely avoid cold drafts and sudden temperature changes.
A non-toxic plant pal! You can introduce this plant to your whole family, pets and children included. While it'll be a sad day for you and your plant if someone takes a nibble, you don't have to worry about poisoning anyone!
Indoors, this plant can grow up to 3-6 inches tall with a 12-18 inch spread (when mature and with enough light)!
Tightly packed leaves stack up along an upright stem in pleasantly full clusters. Will eventually creep out in a vining pattern that can create quite a pleasant ground cover if allowed.
Petite green leaves are almond shaped with highly contrasted veins that can range from a bright white to a soft pink or a bright red depending on the variety.
A bit finicky about humidity and temperatures, this plant will thrive and look fantastic as a ground cover in a terrarium.
Water
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Keep soil just moist, but not soggy.
This plant prefers to stay fairly moist, but certainly not soggy sopping wet. Check the soil frequently in summer to determine if it's starting to dry out. In winter, you can be a little more lax, allowing the top inch or so to dry out before watering again.
Light
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Bright, indirect light.
Medium to bright, indirect light is ideal for the Fittonia. However, they can tolerate low light, as well. Just take extra precautions when watering and don't expect the plant to grow very much.
Humidity
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Sensitive to low humidity—keep in a humid spot.
Thrives in higher humidity—try to provide additional moisture by grouping your Fittonia with other humidity lovers or placing in a humid spot, like the kitchen or bathroom. Of course, a humidifier will be your best bet for guaranteed humidity.
Temperature
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Enjoys warmer temps.
Fittonia enjoy the balmy warmth of the tropics, preferably between 65-85°F. Definitely avoid cold drafts and sudden temperature changes.
Toxicity
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Non-toxic. Completely pet safe!
A non-toxic plant pal! You can introduce this plant to your whole family, pets and children included. While it'll be a sad day for you and your plant if someone takes a nibble, you don't have to worry about poisoning anyone!
Size
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A petite plant pal.
Indoors, this plant can grow up to 3-6 inches tall with a 12-18 inch spread (when mature and with enough light)!
Format
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Low bushy clusters of densely packed stems.
Tightly packed leaves stack up along an upright stem in pleasantly full clusters. Will eventually creep out in a vining pattern that can create quite a pleasant ground cover if allowed.
Leaf Shape
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Deep green with high contrast veins and an almond shape.
Petite green leaves are almond shaped with highly contrasted veins that can range from a bright white to a soft pink or a bright red depending on the variety.
Pro Tip
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Consider terrarium life.
A bit finicky about humidity and temperatures, this plant will thrive and look fantastic as a ground cover in a terrarium.
Thrives in a rich, very well-draining potting mix—you can use a good quality potting mix labeled for indoor plants or make your own mix. You can try a 1:1:1:0.5 mix of potting mix, orchid bark, perlite, and activated charcoal. Ensure the pot has the appropriate drainage and don't forget to pour out any excess water collected in the drainage tray or cachepot.
Try to repot every 2-3 years in the spring, especially when tending to a younger plant. Increase the pot size by about 2 inches each time. Once mature and becoming unwieldily to maneuver—you can reduce your repotting frequency and switch to a routine of refreshing just the top few inches of soil. More on repotting here.
If you're not already planning to repot, you can fertilize during the spring and summer months. Once to every two months should be plenty. No fertilizer is necessary during the winter when plant growth naturally slows down. You can try a balanced liquid or water-soluble fertilizer—always diluted more than the recommended strength. More on using fertilizer here.
Can be prone to legginess (or straggly, elongated growth). Regular pruning of the new growth (up to a third of the whole plant) will promote a fuller, bushier appearance. New leaves will emerge from the cut stem. Plus, you can use these stem cuttings to propagate! In addition, it's always good practice to regularly remove yellowed or dying leaves and any fallen plant debris. Ensure your scissors or pruners are sanitized to avoid spreading disease or pests. More on grooming techniques here.
Since Nerve Plants grow in dense clumps, you can always divide these into multiple plants when repotting. You'll simply pull apart the roots into your desired clumps. Or, if a bit rootbound, you may need to cut them apart. You can then pot each one up into their own appropriately sized vessel. If you'd like to propagate without dividing your plant, you can also try a stem cutting. You'll need to take an apical stem cutting (the top of the stem where there is new growth). Try to cut a decent section with 3-5 leaves and cut just below the lowest leaf. Remove the lower leaves to ensure a clear stem before rooting in water or another medium. Once the roots are a few inches long you can pot up your new Nerve Plant! More on propagation techniques here.
A white mold covering the surface of the soil or full-on mushrooms sprouting in the soil or even popping out through drainage holes.
It can be frightening to notice mold or mushrooms growing on the soil. However, these fungii are usually benign and won't harm your plant directly. The real danger is that you're creating an environment that promotes fungal growth and is quite likely overly wet. Ultimately, these could be warning signs that you are overwatering.
If you want to eliminate the mold and mushrooms, you can simply remove and replace the top inch or so of soil. You can also try a soil soak of neem oil, which acts as a fungicide. But try not to overdo it, since you're delivering neem oil in a water-based solution, too much will do more harm than good. The most important factor will be to evaluate your watering frequency and ensure you aren't overwatering. While the visible fungii aren't problematic for your plant, sustained overwatering will eventually lead to a fungal infection at the roots, the cause of dreaded root rot.
Multiple leaves are wilting and turning yellow—particularly the older, lower leaves. You may also notice stunted growth and mushy stems.
The most likely culprit is overwatering and initial signs of root rot. When a plant's roots sit in waterlogged soil for too long, a fungal infection can quickly take over, causing the roots to rot (turning brown and mushy).
First, ensure that your plant has appropriate drainage (both in terms of well-draining soil and plenty of drainage holes in the plant's container).
If you think you've caught the overwatering early on, you can simply let the plant dry out more than you have been. Allow the top few inches of soil to dry out before watering again. Continue monitoring and only water when needed. You may also try using chopsticks (or something similar) to poke holes in the soil to help the roots get more oxygen. And finally, you can try to "wick" the excess moisture out of the soil by placing the whole pot (with drainage holes) in a tray or container with dry soil. This new layer of dry soil should soak up some of the excess moisture from the waterlogged areas around your plant's roots.
However, if you suspect a serious case of root rot, you'll definitely need to take a peak at the roots by removing the plant entirely from their container. If there are any black and mushy roots, trim them back completely before repotting with fresh soil in a new or sterilized container.
Multiple leaves are dry or shriveled, perhaps beginning to yellow or brown.
The shriveling of entire leaves is often a sign of dehydration from either too much light or not enough water. If accompanied by major wilting and any softness, this is more likely a sign of not enough light or too much water.
The key is a well tuned balance between the amount of light and your frequency of watering. Instead of going by a set schedule, check-in with your plant to see if they need the water or not. You'll want to allow around half the soil to dry out completely before watering again. While this may be on a consistent schedule for some months, as the seasons change, so will the amount of light and therefore your watering schedule must shift.
Leaves turning brown just on the edges or tips. These edges may gradually change from yellow to brown, crispy, and possibly a bit curled.
Browning just on the edges of tips is usually a reaction to low humidity. Since many of our houseplants have tropical origins, they also thrive in humid conditions. Our average indoor humidity is usually adequate, but some plants are simply more sensitive to changes in humidity than others. You may notice this more acutely when conditions are particularly dry—like when you turn on the heater in winter.
Try to accommodate your plant's needs by locating them in more naturally humid places, like the bathroom or kitchen, or grouping a bunch of humidity-loving plants together. But the only way to truly guarantee increased humidity is to get a humidifier!
Once you've addressed the problem: If the brown tips bother you, you can trim them back. Do your best to follow the shape of the leaf to help them look natural. Also, try to cut just short of the discolored edge so it doesn’t expand.
