FITTONIA

Normally grown as a potted houseplant, nerve plant (Fittonia spp.) is a spreading evergreen perennial with delicately veined, deep-green, ovate leaves.

Fittonia typically grows to a height of 3 to 6 inches with a trailing spread of 12 to 18 inches. In the right zone, the plant is sometimes grown as a creeping ground cover in filtered sun locations.

As beautiful as it is, Fittonia is somewhat temperamental and tricky to grow as a houseplant. It requires very high, constant humidity, such as is found in a terrarium, and cannot tolerate stagnant conditions. Nerve plant is also sensitive to strong, direct sunlight and will quickly suffer from leaf burn.

When grown indoors, pot a nerve plant in a peaty commercial potting mix. The plant needs to be kept constantly moist with a high level of ambient humidity provided by frequent misting or by placing the pot in a tray filled with pebbles and water. 

Light: As a tropical plant that naturally grows in the humid, bright shade of tropical forests, this plant prefers similar conditions when grown as a houseplant. It dislikes full sunlight, preferring bright, indirect sun, such as that offered by north-facing windows. You should keep a nerve plant under fluorescent lights or near diffused light coming in from a sheer curtain. You can also keep a nerve plant in the bathroom even if there's low lighting.

Watering: Keeping the plant appropriately moist can be a challenge. Nerve plant is prone to collapse if it's allowed to dry out.2 Although it will recover quickly if thoroughly watered, repeated fainting spells will eventually take their toll on the plant. At the other extreme, Fittonia plants that are allowed to stagnate in water will develop yellowed, limp leaves.