Fittonia, also known as nerve plant, is a genus of tropical flowering plants in the Acanthaceae plant family. Hailing from the rainforests of South America, usually Peru, these plants are also commonly cultivated as a houseplant in temperate climes.
What is Fittonia?
Fittonia are spreading, evergreen perennials with lush green leaves, accented with white to deep pink veins. They have fuzzy stems and small white flowers.
Though there are other species within this genus, the most commonly cultivated are Fittonia albivenis and its cultivars. These are popular as houseplants as they are prized for their interesting and decorative foliage.
Where to Grow Fittonia
Fittonia will like a position indoors that resembles their rainforest home as closely as possible. Creating the right conditions means thinking about light, temperature, humidity, and the soil or growing medium that you use in your container.
These plants do have a reputation for being somewhat hard to grow. But if you understand the environmental conditions required and meet them, Fittonia need not be too challenging to manage indoors.
Light Requirements
Remember, in the wild, these tropical plants grow as groundcover plants on the rainforest floor, in the shade and filtered light below the canopy created by the trees and other plants above. They, therefore, like bright but indirect, filtered light.
Too little light and these plants can lose vibrancy and their growth can slow down. But too much harsh, direct light and the leaves can burn. So keep these plants out of a south-facing window (in the northern hemisphere) during the brightest and hottest part of the day in summer.
Temperature & Humidity Requirements
As tropical plants, it should come as no surprise that Fittonia likes the heat. They must be kept at temperatures above around 13-15 degrees Celsius at all times, and ideally between 18 and 30 degrees Celsius.
Humidity is also very important when growing these plants. Fittonia needs a consistently humid environment, which must be maintained when growing indoors by misting regularly, grouping houseplants together, and/or placing pebble trays filled with water below your pots.
Soil/ Growing Medium
Fittonia needs a good quality peat-free potting mix that will not dry out, and yet will not become waterlogged too easily. According to Adi Pop from FarmerDB, you need to get the balance right and find or create a potting mix that is moist yet free draining, fertile and humus-rich – like the soil of the rainforest floor.
Planting Fittonia
When potting up a Fittonia into a new container, the best time is the spring. Make sure that you choose a container with good drainage holes at the base. And select one that is made from a material that does not lose moisture too quickly.
A glazed pot will be better than unglazed clay/ terracotta, for example. Plastic will also work well but of course, does not look as good and is not a sustainable or eco-friendly choice.
Select a container just a little larger than the plant’s root system. This plant stays compact in form without extensive roots, and so will need to be repotted only rarely.
You might also consider placing a Fittonia in an open terrarium, which could be good to provide the conditions it needs. But since good airflow can also be important for these plants, avoid placing them in a closed terrarium setting.
Caring for Fittonia
Fittonia can be a somewhat fussy plant, but the good thing is that it will certainly let you know if all is not right.
Watering
These plants have a tendency to ‘faint’ and go limp if they do not get enough water (or if humidity is too low). This can look rather dramatic, but plants will usually recover when they get water once more.
But too much water can cause saturation of the growing medium and lead to root rot. So it is important to get things right when it comes to watering. In fact, this is one of the most important elements of Fittonia care.
Water your Fittonia when the top of the growing medium feels dry. Water deeply each time you water, and use tepid rather than frigid water. Make sure that excess water can drain away freely.
Feeding
Feed Fittonia around once a month through spring and summer with a general-purpose, balanced, organic liquid plant feed that is not too strong. Note that you should not feed at all in the autumn or winter when growth will slow right down.
Common Problems
Fittonia can fall prey to several common houseplant pests. But by far the most common problems are those that arise from issues with environmental conditions or care. Most commonly, issues arise due to a lack of humidity, or due to under or over-watering.
Making sure that you have positioned a Fittonia in a suitable location and are caring for it correctly can usually help you to avoid many of the most common pitfalls.
Repotting
Since these plants naturally remain fairly compact and grow only slowly, they do not need to be potted up very often at all. Repot when they are root bound before this affects drainage or vigor. Once the plant reaches the largest desired size, you can also prune the plant to keep it smaller and avoid the need to place it into a larger pot.
Though Fittonia is not the easiest of plants to grow, its habit of going limp, when stressed, means that you can easily see when something is wrong and work to address it. And if you do so successfully this plant can grace your home for many years to come.
