Pilea peperomioides: Plant Care Tips

Perfectly round, smooth leaves is what makes the Pilea peperomioides, or Chinese Money Plant, an all time favorite. This plant is also known as the Pass it on Plant because, once mature enough, it sprouts babies all around the soil so you can share it with your favorite people. This China native, although it is very easy to care for, not a lot of people really understand its needs. So, that's why we're here!

Here are some tips to make your plant grow and thrive in your home.

Light:

Pileas love very bright, but indirect sunlight. Some direct morning sun is fine, but too much sun can cause burn damage. Indoors it will thrive if placed by a window or door that receives some direct morning sunlight, and bright indirect sunlight the rest of the day. They shouldn't receive more than 2 hours of direct morning sun, because excessive sunlight will damage it. You'll know it is not receiving enough light if leaves start to fold downwards. 

Water:

Watering is usually the problem with Pileas. Overwatering, to be exact. Pileas need to dry out completely between waterings. When watered, they like their soil to be completely saturated, but it needs to dry completely before watering again. The recommended way to water Pileas is through bottom watering. This way they will absorb the water they need, and you don't need to worry about underwatering them. Wilted leaves usually mean they need water, while dark brown spots in leaves or stems could mean overwatering.

Soil:

Pileas need a well draining potting mix. We recommend to use an indoor potting mix, with peat moss and perlite or vermiculite, or create your own mix half peat moss, half perlite.  

Food:

You can add a balanced slow release fertilizer and forget about it for the next few months. If you prefer to use fertilizer diluted in water, then you can fertilize once a month. Always follow the fertilizer’s instructions.

Repotting:

Pileas like to be a bit tight, so you can repot once a year to give it a new potting mix, or when it gets too tall for the current pot. They grow better in shallow pots, because their root system is not very deep, it grows sideways. Hence, sometimes it is better to use a pot that is not that deep, but wide. Always use pots with drainage holes. 

Propagation:

Pilea propagation is very easy. Babies will sprout from the soil, and can carefully be removed to make new Pilea plants! They can also be propagated through stem cuttings. 

Toxicity:

Pileas are pet friendly! Meaning, they are not toxic to cats, dogs, nor humans. 

Facts:

•Lighting is very important to make these plants happy. 

•Pileas are very easy to care, just don't overwater them. Let them be, and they'll be fine.

•This plant has many nicknames. To name a few: Chinese Money Plant, UFO Plant, Pancake Plant, Friendship Plant, Pass it on Plant, Coin Plant, etc.

•Part of its Latin name "peperomioides" means "peperomia-like".

Don't forget, if you have any questions, just ask us! We'll try to help.

Thanks for reading!

Written by Deb, Co-Founder of Clorofila

You can follow her at @homeofdebs