Nerve plant
Also called Mosaic plant, Silver nerve, Fittonia verschaffeltii.
| Light | medium light |
|---|---|
| Water | Every 3 days in the growing season, every 7 in winter |
| Humidity | high |
| Difficulty | moderate |
| Height | Up to 15 cm (6 in) tall |
| Pets | Cats safe, dogs safe |
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control, toxic and non-toxic plants, Nerve Plant entry.
The veining is the plant: a dense white, pink or red network over dark green, on a low spreading mat. It comes from the rainforest floor in Peru, which explains both what it wants and what it does when it does not get it. Kept humid and just moist in shade it is easy. Kept in a bright dry room it faints face down on the compost every few days, which looks fatal and is not: water it and it is upright within the hour. Doing that repeatedly does weaken it, so the honest fix is a more humid place rather than a stricter watering routine. A terrarium, a bathroom windowsill or the shaded end of a kitchen counter is where it thrives.
Ailments observed
| Limp, drooping leaves | Dry compost, which this plant announces more loudly than any other. Water it and wait an hour. If it does this weekly, move it somewhere less bright and less draughty rather than watering more often. |
|---|---|
| Brown crisp edges on the leaves | Dry air, a radiator, or too much light. Move it out of the sun and raise the humidity. A bathroom or a closed glass jar suits it better than a living room shelf. |
Filed underPlants that will not poison the cat, Plants for a bathroom, Plants for humid air, Plants for a balcony or a small space
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