Fittonia albivenisNerve Plant

The appeal of Fittonia albivenis is entirely in the leaf: a small deep green oval traced with a fine network of white, pink or red veins, dense enough that a planted block reads as a woven pattern rather than as individual plants. It creeps flat, rarely exceeding 0.2 metres.

It comes from the humid understorey of the Peruvian rainforest and it does not compromise on moisture. Given shade, humidity and steady water it is one of the most decorative fine-textured groundcovers available; allowed to dry out, it collapses within hours.

Specifications

• Height0.1 to 0.2 metres
• Width0.3 to 0.5 metres, spreading by creeping stems
• Native toThe rainforests of Peru and northern South America
• FoliageSmall ovate deep green leaves traced with fine white, pink or red vein networks; evergreen
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilPrefers moist, humus-rich, free-draining media
• LightPartial shade to full shade; bright indirect light indoors
• WaterModerate to high; will not tolerate drying out
• ClimateThrives in humid tropical conditions and controlled interiors; frost sensitive

Additional Features

• UsesInterior planters, terrarium and green wall planting, shaded courtyard groundlayers
• SpacingPlant 0.2 to 0.25 metres apart for a closed mat
• Low MaintenancePinch back running stems to keep the mat dense; needs reliable irrigation rather than skill
• Pest ResistanceGenerally sound; mealybug appears where airflow is poor
• FormFlat, dense, finely patterned mat with strong close-range detail
• VersatilityEqually at home in terrariums, planters and shaded tropical beds

The Nerve Plant provides the finest-textured decorative groundlayer available for humid, shaded interior schemes.