Nerve Plant — Growing reference
| Scientific name | Fittonia albivenis |
|---|---|
| Seed germination (days) | 14–28 |
| Soil temperature for germination (°C) | 21.1–26.7 |
| First harvest or flowering (days) | 45–90 |
| Measured from | Transplant |
| Plant spacing (cm) | 15.2–30.5 |
| Mature height (cm) | 7.6–15.2 |
| Mature spread (cm) | 30.5–45.7 |
| USDA hardiness zones | 11–12 |
| Light | Shade |
| Water | High |
| Sowing method | Cutting |
Growing directions
Root stem cuttings or plant specimens in consistently moist, humus-rich soil in full shade; nerve plant (mosaic plant, painted net leaf) is a Peruvian tropical creeping groundcover of the family Acanthaceae, producing small, oval, intensely patterned leaves in which a dense, intricate network of bright-white, pink, or red veins forms a complete lacework overlay on the dark-green leaf surface, creating a mosaic-like pattern that gives the plant its alternative common name. The leaf patterning is extraordinarily precise and complex — the entire leaf surface is filled edge-to-edge with this fine vein network, with no undecorated green area visible. As a creeping, mat-forming groundcover it spreads horizontally across the soil surface to create a dense, living carpet of patterned leaves in terrarium and deep-shade garden conditions. Fittonia is among the most humidity-demanding of all tropical foliage plants — it wilts dramatically at the first sign of dry air, then recovers equally dramatically when humidity is restored. This complete intolerance of dry conditions makes it ideal for terrariums and glass cases but challenging in open interior environments. Pink-veined ('Argyroneura'), red-veined ('Rubra'), and white-veined forms are the primary selections.
Source and local conditions
Typical planning ranges from OpenPlantDB (CC0). Cultivar, climate, season and growing method can change these values. Confirm the seed label and local guidance before planting.
OpenPlantDB · fittonia-albivenis
Source & verification
OpenPlantDB · CC0