Nerve plant

Nerve plant: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low, creeping plant 10–15 cm tall and up to 30 cm wide; the stems root where they touch the compost.

Leaves

Oval, 3–8 cm, matt green with a fine network of coloured veins.

Colour

White, pink or red veins on green leaves; some varieties have almost entirely pink or red leaves.

Flower

Sometimes small, inconspicuous yellowish-white flowers in short spikes between green bracts; best removed.

Roots

Fine and shallow; they dry out quickly and do not tolerate wet feet.

Plants: March–April · Pruning: April

Why grow it?

• Beautifully patterned leaves that look good all year.
• Stays small and compact: ideal for a windowsill, a desk or a table.
• A star in terrariums and bottle gardens, where the air stays humid by itself.
• It shows straight away when it needs water by going limp.
• Happy in a bright spot without sun, where many flowering houseplants struggle.

Nerve plant: where does it grow best?

• Bright but out of direct sun: by a north- or east-facing window, or a little back from a sunny one.
• Warm, 18–25 °C, and never below about 15 °C; no cold draughts.
• Humid air: a bathroom or kitchen, a tray of wet pebbles or a terrarium.
• Light, humus-rich potting compost, acid to neutral, that holds moisture but drains well.

Light

Bright, out of direct sun

Potting soil

Multi-purpose compost or airy, humus-rich compost

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Watering

Moderately or generously

Size

0.15 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Temperature

Minimum 15 °C

Goes well with

• Maidenhair fern: Likes the same humid air and light shade.
• Spikemoss: A soft, moss-like plant that looks lovely beside the nerve plant in a terrarium.
• Foliage begonia: Larger, patterned leaves with the same liking for humid air.
• Calathea: Also beautifully patterned leaves, in the same bright spot without sun.

Nerve plant: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April.

1. Repot in March–April, when the pot is full of roots or the plant gets leggy.
2. Choose a wide, shallow pot with a drainage hole: the roots stay near the surface.
3. Use a light, humus-rich houseplant compost, perhaps with a little perlite.
4. Set the plant at the same depth as before; you can also put several cuttings together in one pot for a fuller plant.
5. Water straight away with lukewarm water and keep it in a bright spot without sun for a few days.

Care

Water

Keep the compost evenly moist, never soggy. Ideally use lukewarm, soft water; let the excess drain away.

Humidity

The more humid the better. Stand it on a tray of wet pebbles, among other plants or in a terrarium.

Feeding

From April to September, a half-strength liquid houseplant feed every three to four weeks.

Pinching out

Pinch out the tips regularly so it stays dense and branches better.

Flower spikes

Remove the inconspicuous flower spikes and the plant stays more compact.

Tip: Grow it in an open glass jar or a terrarium: the humid air keeps the leaves fresh and you need to water far less.

Nerve plant: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April.

When: In April, cut back long, bare stems. Throughout the growing season you can also pinch out the tips.

How:

• Cut long or bare stems back to just above a pair of leaves.
• Pinch out the tips of young shoots with your fingers: the plant then branches and stays compact.
• Use the removed tips as cuttings.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings

In spring or summer, take tips 5–8 cm long, remove the lower leaves and put them in a glass of water or in moist cutting compost under plastic. At 20–25 °C they root within a few weeks.

Layering

Creeping stems often root by themselves where they touch the compost. Cut them free and pot them up separately.

Division

When repotting, a full plant can be carefully divided into two or three pieces.

Nerve plant: how does it get through the winter?

• Houseplant: keep it indoors all year at no less than 15–16 °C.
• Do not leave it on a cold windowsill behind the curtains, or above a radiator.
• Water a little less, but never let the compost dry out; do not feed from October to March.
• In winter it can move closer to the window: the sun is weak and it needs the light.

Diseases and pests

• Collapsing: The compost has dried out. Water at once; within a few hours it stands up again. Do not let it happen too often, as it weakens the plant.
• Brown, crisp edges: Air too dry or direct sun. Raise the humidity and choose a spot without sun.
• Yellow leaves and stem rot: Too wet or too cold. Let the water drain away and move it somewhere warmer.
• Long, bare stems: Too little light or an old plant. Pinch it out regularly and root new plants from cuttings.
• Spider mite and mealybug: Fine yellow speckles or white fluff, especially in dry air. Rinse the plant with lukewarm water and raise the humidity.

Through the year

• January: Keep warm, at least 15 °C. Compost lightly moist.
• March: Repot in fresh compost.
• April: Cut back bare stems. Take cuttings. Start feeding.
• May: Pinch out the tips. Feed every three to four weeks.
• June: Keep out of direct sun. Take cuttings.
• July: Check the compost every day. Raise the humidity.
• August: Feed. Watch for spider mite.
• September: Last feed of the year.
• October: Away from cold windows and from the heating.
• December: Slightly less water, but never let it dry out.

Did you know?

• The genus is named after the Irish sisters Elizabeth and Sarah Mary Fitton, who wrote a popular botany book in the 19th century.
• Albivenis means ‘white-veined’.
• It belongs to the acanthus family, like the black-eyed Susan vine.