Natural leaf aging
An occasional yellow lower leaf on a healthy nerve plant is completely normal.
Diagnosis
Natural leaf aging
What's happening
Fittonia retires its oldest leaves to put energy into fresh growth at the tips. If only one or two of the lowest, oldest leaves are yellowing and the rest of the plant looks full and colorful, nothing is wrong.
How to fix it
Snip the spent leaf off where it meets the stem if you prefer the tidier look, and carry on with your normal care. Just keep an eye out that the yellowing stays limited to the oldest leaves and doesn't start climbing up the stems, which would point to a watering problem instead.
If that doesn't fix it
This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.
Read the full Nerve Plant care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this