Plant care guide

Fittonia

Fittonia albivenis (Lindl. ex Veitch) BrummittFamily Acanthaceae

Also known as Nerve plant, mosaic plant

Small and colorful, with white, pink or red veins that draw a net over every leaf. Perfect for tables, desks and terrariums.

LightMedium or filtered indirect
WaterKeep the soil lightly moist
HumidityHigh
Temperature70–86 °F (21–30 °C)
PetsNon-toxic to dogs and cats
DifficultyMedium

Varieties we grow

Forest: Dark green leaves with red veins; very decorative in a small pot.
Joly Lemon: Lemon-green leaves with white veins; turns yellow if light is too low.
Lovers: Olive-green leaves with a white pattern.
Marble Green: Dark green leaves with bold white veins.
Mistral: Dark leaves covered in light pink veins; two-tone effect.
Pink: Leaves with vivid pink veins.
Purple Snow Anne: Leaves patterned in white and light pink with a dark green margin.
Red Flame: Green leaves with red veins.
Skeleton: Compact, with pinkish-red veins on lime-green leaves.
Tiger: Dark green leaves with a white striped pattern.
Whisper: Leaves with white veins forming a net pattern.
White Tiger: Dark green leaves with striking white stripes.
Zalm Ruby Lime: Leaves with a light pink pattern.

Light

It likes medium or filtered light, away from direct sun. With too much light it stays tiny and loses color; with too little, pale varieties such as Joly Lemon turn yellowish. A table a few feet from a window is usually perfect.

Watering

It prefers the soil always slightly moist, never soggy. If you forget to water it, it faints dramatically with every leaf drooping, but it perks back up within a few hours of a good drink. Even so, don't let it get to that point too often.

Soil and pot

Use a light mix that holds some moisture but drains, for example with coco coir and perlite. It's small and slow-growing, so it does well in 2.5–5 inch pots or in terrariums. Several plants together in one pot make a fuller mound.

Humidity and temperature

It grows best between 70 and 86 °F (21–30 °C) with high humidity. Below 59 °F (15 °C) it stalls, and above 90 °F (32 °C) its colors fade. In dry rooms, an open terrarium or a tray of pebbles and water helps a lot.

In the Dominican Republic

The humid climate here suits it well, but strong sun burns it right away; outdoors, only on a fully shaded porch. Indoors, air conditioning dries the air and crisps the leaf edges, so keep it away from the unit. In the rainy season it needs no extra watering if it's outside; just make sure it doesn't get waterlogged.

Also known as

Fitonia: Common Spanish name
Planta mosaico: Common Spanish name
Planta de nervios: Common Spanish name
Nerve plant: Common English name
Mosaic plant: Common English name
Painted net leaf: Common English name

Common problems

The whole plant suddenly collapsesIt's thirsty; water it thoroughly and it will recover within a few hours.
Dry, crispy leaf edgesDry air or direct sun; move it away from the air conditioning and sunny windows, and raise the humidity.
Black stems and dropping leaves with wet soilRot from overwatering; hold off until the soil is just slightly moist and check the drainage.
Tiny flies around the potFungus gnats; let the top layer dry a bit and use yellow sticky traps.