Pilea Peperomioides Care: Chinese Money Plant

Are you looking for house plants that suit your table at home or office? Well, this Chinese money plant perfectly fits what you are looking for! A Pilea plant is compact and well-suited to container culture.

The flat, spherical leaves of the Pilea plant are the standout feature. Long, thin, scarlet stems support gleaming, leathery, thick, dark green pancakes (thus the alternate name of pancake plant). 

They aren’t savory, but they are certainly pleasing to the eye. Many people also refer to them as the UFO plant.

Each of its lily pad-like leaves floats on delicate-looking stems that bob around in a light breeze. A white or lighter shade of green dot will appear near the top of each leaf, where the branch meets the leaf and holds it in place.

Everybody has heard of the phrase “caring for plants.” It’s a task that many people love to tackle. If you want to grow your own plant or help care for one, this blog post will be perfect!

And Pilea Peperomioides’ care guide is what we’ll be talking about today. Want to grow your own Pilea plant in your plant collection? Read below to find out more!

Pilea Peperomioides Plant Care Basics

Before anything else, we provide you with the plant’s overview to make it easier to know about them.

Now that you know these gorgeous plants let us know the essential tips to grow them! Enjoy reading!!

Potting Soil

It is essential to use well-draining potting soil which has a loose structure. Use a good amount of perlite or sand for this purpose.

This plant thrives in soil with a pH of 6.0-7.0. The important thing is to provide the UFO plant with a potting medium that retains moisture.

Pro tip: Using an organic potting mix in your Pilea Peperomioides plant is also best.

Direct Sunlight Not Recommended

If treated as an indoor plant, your small plant grows well in indirect light that is mild to bright. The delicate leaves will be burned if exposed to intense, direct sunlight. You will notice brown spots forming.

While this plant can adapt to lower light levels, it will become lanky, produce fewer offshoots, and the coin-shaped leaves will likely shrink in size.

Remember that if you expose the leaves to too much light, they will turn purple or appear washed out. Burn spots can occur if the light level rises quickly, such as if you’ve been keeping it in low light and suddenly brought it into direct sunshine.

This plant is the healthiest and most appealing when grown in bright and moderate light.

Pro tip: To maintain your plant looking symmetrical, rotate it regularly.

Watering Needs

This evergreen perennial has a water need of medium. Leave your plant to dry out between waterings before you water your Pilea again. Drooping leaves indicate that your Chinese money plants are dry, signaling it’s time to water.

If you’re a slacker when watering your houseplants, watch for signs of underwatering and overwatering. However, if you’ve overwatered your plant, it may also begin to droop. So, if your Pilea is flopping, double-check the soil before reaching for the watering container.

Pro tip: Remember that if you’re supplying good levels and the weather is warm, you might need to water a few times a week. Also, ensure that the excess water drains from the drainage holes to prevent rotting.

Ideal Temperature & Humidity

For the Friendship plant, the typical household temperature and humidity will suffice. Avoid arid conditions as much as possible, which usually means keeping the plant away from heating vents or baseboards. On the other hand, excessively humid environments will make it difficult for your Chinese money plants to thrive.

Combining that with low light and cool temps gives you the perfect recipe for yellowing leaves and different fungal and root rot problems.

The Chinese money plant is resilient to freezing temperatures, and a period of cool weather may encourage them to bloom with their tiny white flowers on pink stems.

However, if treated as an indoor plant, keep it from temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). On the other hand, a brief period of cold exposure throughout the winter months may aid in flowering.

Necessary Fertilizer

Pilea Peperomioides will produce a lot of growth and many pups regularly, so they’ll need to be fed now and then to keep everything running well. But don’t go overboard.

In the spring and summer, Pilea peperomioides benefit from monthly fertilization. Use a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer to produce healthy Pilea peperomioides for optimal results.

When the plant has gone into dormancy in the fall and winter, don’t fertilize it.

Propagating Mother Plant

Ready to propagate the baby plants out of your Pilea plants? One of the most appealing features of this plant is how simple it is to propagate by removing the endless supply of offsets and runners it produces. And by that, the mother plant should be given essential care to grow baby plants! 

Now, here’s how you will propagate your Pilea peperomioides:

• You’ll notice a lot of growth points or “offsets” after the parent plant reaches a specific maturity level. The primary stem will be the largest, and smaller counterparts will emerge as miniature wooden stems with small leaves.

• To remove the baby plant from the mother plant, gently dig around in the dirt to reveal the offshoot’s roots. Then cut the main root an inch or two below the earth using a clean knife or pruning scissors.

• Move the split cutting into damp soil in a separate potting container as soon as possible.

• Keep moist soil (but not wet) until the new plant has established a root system in the new container, then resume your regular watering and fertilizer routine. You can now notice the baby plant’s roots are fully established, and you can put it into its new pot.

Growth Zone

Because a Chinese money plant is hardy down to USDA zone 10, most gardeners will grow it in a small pot inside. The Missionary plant is perfect for your yard if you live in a tropical or subtropical climate.

Potting and Pruning

A few things to consider when selecting a pot for your Chinese money plant is good drainage. Simply said, make sure the pot has a drainage hole! You can choose any 8 to 10-inch pot with at least 2 to 4 drainage holes at the bottom to care for Pilea.

The Pilea adapts well to plastic, ceramic, and terracotta pot; however, if you choose terracotta pots, be aware that terracotta absorbs water from the soil, so you may need to water your Pilea more frequently.

Depending on the type and current state of the plant, pruning should be done at the start of the growing season or in the winter.

Pruning is required at least once a year for plants that need it, but we recommend pruning many times yearly to remove all dead leaves and superfluous branches.

Pilea Peperomioides Varieties and Similar Plants

Pilea is a genus of easy-to-grow houseplants with unusual variegated or highly textured plant varieties that cascade beautifully. They make a terrific centerpiece because of their small size. Due to their trailing tendency, many Pilea cultivars are also suitable for hanging baskets.

If you wish to grow these lovely houseplants, we provide them below the Pilea types and varieties! 

Here are some of them:

Pilea Cadierei

Except in tropical areas (USDA Zones 10+), these Aluminum Plants will grow 12-18″ tall and can only be kept inside as a houseplant. Beautiful, oval-shaped leaves are accentuated with metallic silver to create a quilted appearance on this plant. Pilea Cadierei is recognized for its enormous root structure, which can break a container to acquire extra room.

Pilea Microphylla 

This plant is native to Mexico and Brazil. While it isn’t well-known as a houseplant, it may grow indoors with the proper humidity. The Artillery Plant is also known as the Artillery Fern, even though it is not a fern.

The term “artillery” alludes to how the plant, like an artillery shell, “pops” its tiny, green blossoms to release seeds and pollen, allowing it to self-seed over a large region.

Pilea Nummulariifolia

This Pilea, sometimes called Creeping Charlie, is easy to manage and thrives inside hanging baskets. This plant, native to South America and the West Indies, is generally considered invasive when planted outdoors due to its rapid growth.

Pilea Nummulariifolia has scalloped margins and medium-sized, bright, glossy green foliage. The sunken veins in each leaf give the leaves a puffy or wrinkled appearance.

Pilea Peperomioides Plant Diseases & Pests

Pilea peperomioides are not vulnerable to any specific pests or illnesses.

However, when cultivated inside, it is susceptible to a range of common houseplant pests. Keep a watch out for mealybugs, scale, fungus gnats, and spider mites, and treat them as needed if an infestation appears. You can apply neem oil to prevent a breakout.

Certain environmental factors can also aid this type of behavior. Again, the Pilea is a hardy plant that rarely succumbs to illness. The markings should be isolated and not spread, so remove the afflicted leaf or leave it alone if the harm is minor.