Warmth and humidity are what it wants; a bathroom windowsill or a terrarium suits it perfectly.
Care
Bright indirect light to part shade; no direct sun.
Medium-high — keep evenly moist. It collapses dramatically when dry and usually recovers within hours of watering, but repeated wilting weakens it.
Moisture-retentive peat-free houseplant compost.
Pinch out the tips and the small flower spikes to keep it bushy.
A half-strength balanced feed monthly in spring and summer.
Tip cuttings root easily in water or moist compost, and stems that touch the compost root on their own.
Month by month
Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.
- MayPinch out tips and flower spikes to keep it compact. how ›
- JulyCheck moisture often in warm weather; don't let it collapse. how ›
Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.
- MayPinch out tips and flower spikes to keep it compact. how ›
- JulyCheck moisture often in warm weather; don't let it collapse. how ›
Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
Common problems
How to spot it. Whole plant flops.
What to do. Dry compost — water at once; it usually recovers.
How to spot it. Brown, dry leaf edges.
What to do. Dry air; raise humidity or grow in a terrarium.
How to spot it. Stems blacken at the base.
What to do. Waterlogged compost or cold.
Questions
Nerve plant: is it hardy?
H1a: True houseplant, needs above 15°C. It survives heated glasshouse.
Can it grow in a pot?
Yes — small pots, bottle gardens and terrariums.
Nerve plant: when do you prune it?
Pinch out the tips and the small flower spikes to keep it bushy. In the calendar for UK, pruning falls in May.
When do you feed it?
A half-strength balanced feed monthly in spring and summer. Feeding months, UK: April–September.