Fittonia plants are growing in popularity as the years go by, and for a good reason. These plants are gorgeous plants with an eye-catching appearance that livens up any room you place them in. But do these plants offer any other benefits apart from their appearance? Let’s find out!
Fittonia plants are very easy plants to care for, and they do not need much care from you to thrive. They offer some benefits, including medicinal benefits; they increase the humidity in your home and purify the air. They come in many varieties, so you can easily find one that suits your style.
Fun Facts About Fittonia Plants
Fittonia plants, also known as Fittonia albivenis and nerve plants, are beautiful plants that will grow about 4 to 6 inches in height and spread between 12 and 18 inches.
These plants are evergreen herbaceous perennial plants that are great as indoor plants. These plants are hardy to the USDA Hardiness Zones 13b.
Fittonia plants have many interesting facts about their growth and care, but what is more interesting to us are the benefits you get when having this plant as part of your houseplant collection. So, let’s find out what they are!
7 Benefits Of Fittonia Plants
Fittonia plants have numerous benefits that make growing a Fittonia plant worthwhile and well worth the little bit of effort it takes to care for the plant. Let’s go through the seven main benefits of Fittonia plants.
1. Fittonia Plants Help Purify The Air
One great benefit that Fittonia plants offer when you keep them in your home is that they are brilliant air-purifying and air-cleansing plants.
With the pollution rates in the world rising fast, it is essential now more than ever to help keep the air in your home fresh and clean, and Fittonia plants can help with this immensely.
Fittonia plants can absorb and eradicate toxins like benzene, toluene, xylene, and nitrogen dioxide from the air in your home, which helps make the air easier to breathe. Fittonia plants can also help lower the carbon dioxide levels in your home, making the air cleaner and fresher.
These plants can help people with respiratory problems because of their air-purifying capabilities, as they can absorb the toxins from the air that affect our respiratory systems.
It is best to keep numerous Fittonia plants in and around your home to help fight the pollution in the air around your home.
2. Medicinal Benefits Of Fittonia Plants
Fittonia plants are not only good for air purification, but this plant also offers some medicinal benefits too. This plant has been used in traditional medicine for a few tribes in the Ecuadorian Amazon for centuries and is still used today.
These tribes have used the Fittonia plant to help with muscle pains and headaches, and the leaves are used to make teas and cure toothaches. It is vital to note that these claims have not been scientifically tested and proven, so using this plant for medicinal purposes may not work for some people.
3. Fittonias Come In A Wide Variety Of Colors
Fittonia plants are known for the colorful veins that run through their leaves, which give this plant a highly unique appearance. These veins in the leaves can take on a wide variety of colors depending on the plant variety you buy.
The varieties of Fittonia plants you get are:
- Purple vein – these Fittonia plants have large dark green leaves with lavender-colored veins running through them.
- Black Star – these Fittonia plants have lovely dark green leaves with dark red veins running through them
- Pink Angel – this Fittonia plant is a more compact plant that boasts small, hot pink leaves
- White Anne – this variety has dark green leaves with white veins running through them, giving the plant a striking, almost variegated appearance
- Frankie – this variety also has a very distinct look with light pink leaves that have dark green edges
- Juanita – this Fittonia plant has bright red veins running through large green leaves
With this variety of Fittonia plants available to you, you are sure to find a Fittonia plant in the style and color that matches your home well.
4. Fittonia Plants Are Low-Maintenance
Fittonia plants are not only popular because of their air-purifying abilities; these plants are also very low-maintenance and require very little attention and care from you to ensure that they thrive in your home.
These plants are native to South America and grow naturally in the tropical rainforest habitats they have there, meaning this plant needs to be planted in soil, making the plant’s care exceptionally easy.
With Fittonia plants, as long as you keep the plant in a bright location, where it receives 6 to 8 hours of indirect sunlight daily, and you ensure you water the plant twice a week, or when the soil is dry, then your Fittonia plant will grow happily without issues.
5. Fittonia Plants Increase Humidity Levels
Fittonia plants can also help increase the humidity levels in your home, which helps to reduce dryness in the air, making the air easier to breathe. This capability can help you, and it can help some of your other indoor houseplants that require a higher humidity level to thrive.
Fittonia plants are one of the best plants to help increase the humidity levels in your home. So, if you have a problem with dry air in your home, which can affect people with respiratory problems like asthma and allergies, you will benefit from having a Fittonia plant or two around your house.
If you keep other plants indoors that you know can struggle when kept in dry conditions, then placing a Fittonia plant close to them can help them survive in drier climates.
6. Fittonia Plants Are Non-Toxic
Fittonia plants are non-toxic to both humans and animals, so you can rest easy knowing your children and pets are safe if they are around the Fittonia plant or consume a leaf or two. This plant will not cause any intestinal problems unless consumed in excess, but it will not kill you or your pets.
7. Fittonia Plants Are Perfect Ornamental Plants
Fittonia plants are known for their beautiful appearance, especially when you plant all the different varieties together, making a stunning centerpiece for your garden or a room in your home.
These plants have veins in their leaves that can be a striking white, pink, or red, making the plant extremely eye-catching.
These plants bloom when they are fully mature, but they rarely bloom when kept indoors as a house plant. However, their leaves more than make up for this lack of flowers as they are stunning on their own.
You can place your Fittonia plant in a hanging pot to create a lovely effect in your home with the plant hanging down. Their great looks and versatility make Fittonia plants excellent ornamental plants.
