Pilea Peperomioides

Pilea Peperomioides

A bed of pilea peperomioide leaves lay in sharp focus, creating a small field of circular green shapes.

Chinese Money Plant, UFO Plant, Friendship Plant

Pilea Peperomioides

Care Guide

  • Pilea peperomioides do best with very bright indirect light, and can even tolerate some limited direct sun. They can tolerate medium to low light levels, but their growth will become spaced out and leggy, leaves will be much smaller, and it won’t put out any offshoots. To keep these plants happy and thriving, keep the light super bright. Grow lights are really helpful with Pilea, and can help ensure even growth when place directly above the plant.

  • This plant likes to almost completely dry out between waterings, and does not do well with water-logged soil. Watch for the leaves drooping, which is a clear indicator it needs water. I’ve found a watering schedule of about every 10-12 days works well in typical ambient conditions. When you do water your Pilea be sure to thoroughly soak it, watering until it’s coming out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot.

  • These plants are fairly hardy when it comes to temperature, and can tolerate temperatures down to 50F. However these colder temps are not ideal, and Pileas thrive in 65-75F.

  • Pilea does well in average household ambient humidity (40-60%), and too much humidity can actually keep the soil too moist for this plant's liking.

  • Pilea likes rich, well draining soil that retains some moisture, but doesn’t stay soggy. A mix of perlite, peat, and general potting soil works well. It should be at least a 50/50 ratio of perlite (or other draining agent) to soil. Pilea tolerates frequent repotting, and is ready for a bigger pot once you see roots peeking out of the bottom of its current pot. These plants must be potted in a container with plenty of drainage to prevent water from collecting and causing issues. Since these plants like their soil to dry out, Terra cotta pots are a great option as they help pull moisture from the soil. Just be sure to adjust your watering schedule to accommodate.

  • Pilea peperomioides are non-toxic for people and pets!

A healthy pilea peperomioides in a plastic pot.

Propagation

  • These plants are one of the easiest to propagate, as they grow offshoots of ready-to-go new plants! These will start growing out of the soil surrounding the base of the plant, and can either be removed to start new plants, or left to grow to create a fuller, bushy look.

  • To remove an offshoot for propagation, gently move the soil away from the base of the offshoot exposing the base stem. Cut that base stem to separate the offshoot from the mother plant.

  • The separated offshoot can be rooted either in soil or water. For soil, plant the offshoot in a small pot with the base stem completely covered in soil. Keep the soil consistently moist while the baby plant is rooting, and it should be established in a few weeks. If you root in water, put the offshoot in a container of water where the base stem is submerged and the leaves are above water. With this method you can easily see once roots have formed, and can then transfer the baby pilea to soil. Don’t worry if you don’t get the rooting process exactly right, 

    Pliea offshoots are hardy, root fast, and can tolerate a wide range of conditions.

Growth

  • Pilea will lean and grow towards their light source if it’s not directly above them (like a grow light), so for even, upright growth it’s recommended to rotate them on a regular basis. Rotate the plant so that it’s leaning away from the light, and it will start growing toward the light again. Rotate about every 2 weeks for the most even growth.