Nerve Plants, Shrimp Plants & relatives · 2 genera covered
A diverse tropical family represented in indoor cultivation primarily by Fittonia (nerve plants) and Justicia (shrimp plants). The two genera have almost nothing in common in terms of care. Fittonia is a humidity-demanding low-light terrarium plant while Justicia is a bright-light flowering shrub. Read the genus entries rather than assuming a shared care approach.
Low, creeping, mat-forming plant with intricate white or pink vein patterning on dark green leaves. The veining is so dense it gives the leaf surface a mosaic or stained-glass quality. One of the most detailed leaf patterns of any common houseplant. Collapses dramatically when dry and recovers quickly with water. The collapse is useful as a watering signal but repeated wilting reduces the plant's long-term health.
Terrarium growing is where Fittonia excels. The enclosed humidity eliminates its primary care challenge and allows the leaf patterning to develop to its full quality. In open indoor conditions it requires a humidifier nearby or placement in a naturally humid room.
Detailed CarePink to deep red vein variants of albivenis. The most vivid forms, including 'Ruby Red', 'Pink Star', and 'Frankie', have an almost luminous quality in good indirect light. More light-hungry than white-veined forms to maintain the intensity of the pink or red coloration, though still unsuited to direct sun. Care is identical to standard albivenis in every other respect.
ToxicityCompact, smaller-leaved forms. The reduced leaf size makes the vein patterning appear even more intricate relative to the leaf area. Ideal for terrarium use where their small scale fits well alongside other miniature plants. Care is identical to standard albivenis; if anything they are more sensitive to drying out due to the reduced leaf mass.
ToxicityOverlapping copper-pink to brick-red bracts forming pendant clusters that resemble prawns or shrimps. Small white flowers emerge from between the bracts. Flowers continuously in good light. One of the most reliably flowering indoor shrubs. In a bright position it rarely stops producing new flower clusters. Requires regular pinching to stay compact; unpruned plants become leggy within a season.
Detailed CareSmall, pendant, tubular flowers in scarlet and yellow. The two-tone combination is the distinguishing feature from brandegeana. More compact growth habit than the shrimp plant. Flowers most heavily in winter and autumn, making it useful for seasonal indoor colour when most flowering plants are dormant. Requires the same bright indirect light and regular pruning as brandegeana.
ToxicityGlossy, dark green leaves marked with bold white or pale-yellow veining, native to Brazilian rainforest. Produces a striking yellow-orange bracted flower spike when mature, but the plant often declines within a year or two after flowering, which is part of why it's less commonly stocked than its striking appearance would suggest. Watering consistency is the plant's real weak point — it wants soil kept reliably moist, and both under- and over-watering show up quickly as shriveling, yellowing, or dropped leaves.
Detailed CareSmall, pointed leaves speckled with pink, red, or white markings against green, native to Madagascar. Bred into many colour variants, all sharing the same care requirements. Grows quickly but tends to get leggy and sparse without regular pinching back, and light strongly affects colour intensity — too little light and the markings fade toward plain green.
Detailed Care