Silver Sparkle Nettle

Nettle ‘Silver Sparkle’ (Solanum elaeagnifolium) is an adorable metallic-looking plant. It has tiny, button-shaped, silvery leaves with deep green veins strung together on red stems. When grown in the right conditions, this plant also produces small clusters of peach-colored blossoms. Other common names for this plant include Pilea ‘Silver Sparkle’, Grey Baby Tears, Grey Artillery Plant, and Red-Stemmed Pilea.

Best Locations For Growing Silver Sparkle Nettle

The small stature of this plant makes it perfect for any little bright spot needing some sparkle. Grow it on a nightstand, dresser, side table, or even as a ground cover in a terrarium. Silver Sparkle is non-toxic and safe to be grown anywhere in your home.

Silver Sparkle Nettle Sunlight Requirements

For best results, position this plant in bright indirect sunlight with up to 1-2 hours of direct sunlight in either the morning or late afternoon. A west- or east-facing exposure would be ideal for Silver Sparkle Nettle.

Silver Sparkle Nettle Care

Silver Sparkle Nettle prefers soil that is well draining and consistently moist. It only needs to be repotted if showing signs of being rootbound, e.g. roots coming out of the bottom of the pot. Pot this beauty in a soil blend of peat and perlite, or use any mix that drains well and retains a little moisture.

Watering Silver Sparkle Nettle

Silver Sparkle needs consistently moist soil and can be sensitive to water quality; use rainwater, distilled water, or filtered water to ensure the chlorine and salts in tap water don’t hurt the plant. Water this plant once the top inch of soil has dried. One of the great things about this plant is that it tolerates somewhat arid to average household humidity levels.

Feeding Silver Sparkle Nettle

During the growing season of spring and summer, feed this plant using a diluted, balanced (10-10-10), liquid fertilizer every two to three weeks. No need to fertilize Silver Sparkle Nettle during the winter months.