Houseplant to Collect: Fittonia

Of all the houseplants on my windowsill, I water my two Fittonia the most often. This is not surprising given that Fittonia spp. is native to the rainforests of South America where they flourish in the hot, humid environment of the jungle's understory. The foliage, which is veined in pinkish-red, white or green, give the plant its common names Nerve plant or Mosaic plant.

Fittonia does bloom, but the flowers are very unremarkable. The reason you want to grow this houseplant is its unique foliage.

How to Grow Fittonia

Light 
Fittonia grows happily in the filtered light of the rainforest. An east or north facing window that provides bright, indirect light is therefore perfect for this plant.
Too much sun can actually scorch the foliage. Even though my windowsill faces east, the summer sun can be a bit too intense for my Fittonia. When that happens, I shift their location away from the window ledge or into the shade of other large houseplants.

Water 
Keeping the soil consistently moist, is the biggest challenge this plant presents. I find I have to water my plants every three to four days. A little too dry and they droop. Really dry and a Fittonia will collapse altogether. Though they always look a little like they are on death's door at that point, I find they always recover when I water them. Although Fittonia will recover from the occasional fainting spell, allowing them to wilt repeatedly will eventually take a toll on the plant's overall health.
As well as a regular supply of water, Fittonia like humidity. That is why you'll often see dwarf varieties used in the moist environment of a closed terrarium. In my own experience, I find that keeping the soil consistently moist seems to suffice, but if the air in your home is really dry, you can mist the foliage of your Fittonia with tepid water.

Soil
A peat-based potting mix (like the ones typically used for African Violets) will help keep the soil of your Fittonia moist, but not soggy.

Heat 
A tropical plant like this one is never happy sitting on a cold windowsill. Try to keep the room temperature at least 65-70 degrees F. (18-21 degrees C.)

Fertilizer 
During the spring and summer feed your plant every other week with a liquid fertilizer formulated for tropical plants (following the package directions).

The leaves have a smooth finish, but the stems are covered in fine hairs.

Ongoing Care 
Fittonia can become leggy over time. Pinching back their growth will encourage a bushier plant. Flowers waste the plant's resources, so it's also a good idea to pinch off any flower spikes that will weaken the all-important show of leaves.

Propagation 
Spring is a great time to propagate cuttings. To make new plants, take a 2-inch stem cutting and root it in some moist potting mix. You'll know that roots have sprouted when you see signs of growth (typically in 2-3 weeks).

Pests & Problems
The foliage will warn you if the plant is unhappy with any of its growing conditions. Leaf drop is a sign that the temperature is too cold for its liking. Yellow leaves usually indicate overwatering. Dry, brown leaves are a sign there is not enough light and humidity.
Mealybugs, fungus gnats and aphids can all be potential problems. If you discover an issue with any of these pests, isolate the affected plant/s and treat the problem.

If you get the watering right, I think you'll find that Fittonia is pretty easy to grow. This plant is sure to make an attractive addition to your houseplant collection.

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Houseplant to Collect: Cocoon Plant, Senecio haworthii

The new year is well underway, but spring is still months away. The bleak winter weather has me craving something, absolutely anything, green! 

This seems to happen to me every winter. About this time last year, I bought a whole bunch of cute little succulents and did up a mini terrarium. 

Making up the terrarium was fun and it made me see the attraction of these popular plants. They're so easy going! Miss the occasional watering and its no big deal.

Perhaps that explains why, on my most recent nursery visit, I made a beeline for the table of succulent plants. What I came home with, however, wasn't green at all!

Isn't this the strangest looking plant? If you didn't know better, you'd think it was fake.

Senecio haworthii or Wooly Senecio is a dwarf shrub native to South Africa, so it has travelled a long way to come here to North America.

In its native habitat, it can be found on rocky mountain slopes where it grows to about foot tall (30 cm). Potted up as an indoor plant in my home, it is a mere six inches tall.

The long, tubular, succulent leaves resemble a moth's cocoon (hence the common name) and are covered in fine, silvery-white hairs.

Here are some basic tips on caring for a Cocoon Plant:

Light: Senecio haworthii needs full sun (4-6 hours of sun) or its growth will become leggy.

Water sparingly! These are drought tolerant plants that are used to extremely dry conditions. To avoid overwatering, allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings. When you do water, try to avoid getting water on the leaves. In the winter, the plant's growth slows considerably, so water very sparingly.

Soil: Cocoon Plants like sandy, free-draining soil. They'll rot in damp, soggy soil. To re-pot my plant, I used Miracle-Gro Cactus, but there are a number of other brands with soil mixes for cactus and succulents.

Care: Plants are best divided and re-potted early in the spring when they move into a phase of active growth. Senecio haworthii are quite happy to spend their summers outdoors but should be brought back into the house well before the first fall frost.

Fertilizer: Because the sandy soil Senecio haworthii prefers is low in nutrients, apply a fertilizer (labelled for cactus and succulent use) just once a year in the spring. Too much fertilizer can cause leggy growth.

This little fellow looks ready to propagate!

Propagation: The best time to start new plants from cuttings is in the spring when the plant is growing actively. Allow your cuttings to callous and dry for two or three days and then root them in sandy, free-draining soil.

Pests: Scale and mealy bugs will occasionally affect a Senecio haworthii, but generally they are pest free.

It brightened my mood considerably to pot up my new Senecio haworthii with a few other succulents. Now if only spring could come a little sooner...

Have a great weekend!

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