Temperature
65–80°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Nerve plant
Fittonia albivenis
Nerve plant wants medium light and water every 3 to 6 days, once the surface is just dry to the touch. Non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Light
Medium
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
Three feet back from a north or east window. Direct sun scorches it in an afternoon.
Water
Every 3–6 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the surface is just dry to the touch, not on a schedule.
Humidity
50% and up
Wants 80%. Struggles in dry winter air.
Difficulty
Moderate
Scores 3 of 5: Scores 3 of 5: it faints flat whenever the soil dries and recovers within hours of watering, which is dramatic but forgiving. Below 50% humidity the edges crisp permanently.
Habit
Spreading
Grows to 3–8 inches. No support needed.
Non-toxic to cats and dogs
Eating a large amount of any plant can still cause mild stomach upset.
Detail for cats → Detail for dogs →
What each authority says
- ASPCA — entry under a synonym: Fittonia verschaffeltii
- Non-toxic to cats and dogs
- NC State Extension
- Entry exists and records no poison data.
DISPLAY — in-content responsive
Light
Medium light. Three feet back from a north or east window. Direct sun scorches it in an afternoon.
Water
Every 3 to 6 days in a 6-inch pot, when the surface is just dry to the touch.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | keep evenly moist |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | the surface is just dry to the touch |
Soil and potting
Two parts peat-free potting soil, one part perlite.
Repot roughly every 1.5 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. The individual diagnosis pages are not built yet.
- Drooping page not written yet
- Brown crispy edges page not written yet
- Yellow leaves page not written yet
Pest and disease guidance for this species consulted at the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, checked 2026-09-11.
Propagation
Stem cutting in water or soil. Roots in 10 to 21 days.
A cutting without a node will not root. It may stay green in water for months and never produce a single root, because it has no growth point.
| Preferred method | stem cutting |
|---|---|
| Medium | water, soil |
| Time to root | 10–21 days |
| Node required | Yes |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Fittonia verschaffeltii Checked 2026-09-11.
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Fittonia albivenis (consulted; entry exists and records no poison data.) Checked 2026-09-11.
- Wikidata entity Q144956 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Fittonia albivenis Accepted name; family Acanthaceae. Checked 2026-09-11.
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — Fittonia albivenis Pest and disease guidance. Checked 2026-09-11.
- Photograph: Louise Wolff --darina 00:12, 7 May 2005 (UTC), Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 3.0.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02