How to grow pilea

What are pileas?

There are several pilea species sold as houseplants, but by far the most popular is the Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides). This plant is instantly recognisable thanks to its unusual disc-like leaves on long stalks, radiating out from the centre of the plant. It makes a quirky, characterful plant – a must for any houseplant collection.
 
Other pilea species are less widely available but very diverse in appearance, from small-leaved trailing plants to bushy species with brightly coloured or textured foliage. The trailing types are great for hanging planters and high shelves, while some of the small species are happy in terrariums.
 
Pileas are generally handsome, easy-care foliage houseplants that grow well in most homes.

Choosing pileas

Pileas can broadly be divided into two groups – upright bushy plants and trailing plants.
 
Popular bushy pileas include:

• Pilea peperomioides AGM (Chinese money plant or missionary plant) – the most popular pilea, it forms an upright plant with flattened disc-shaped leaves with a central stalk.

  Variegated means having leaves or other plant parts with streaks, blotches or patches of different colours. Typically, these would be a combination of two colours, such as green and gold or green and white.

  Variegated cultivars such as ‘Mojito’ are also available

• P. cadierei AGM (aluminium plant) – an upright plant with pointed dark-green leaves and silver markings

• P. involucrata AGM (friendship plant) – has deeply crinkled, nettle-like leaves, sometimes flushed with purple-bronze, especially the

  Gardeners often use the word variety when referring to a specific plant, but the correct botanical term is 'cultivar'. Whichever word you use, it means a distinctive plant or plants, given a specific cultivar name and usually bred to enhance certain characteristics, such as flower or fruit size, colour, flavour or fragrance, plant size, hardiness, disease resistance, etc. Additionally, it is worth knowing that, botanically, variety has another meaning - it refers to a naturally-occurring distinct plant that only has slight differences in its looks. For example, Malva alcea var. fastigiata differs from typical plants by having an upright habit.

  cultivar ‘Moon Valley’

• P. spruceana – a low-growing plant with burgundy-red, oval leaves that have silver-grey stripes. ‘Silver Tree’ has pointed leaves with a wider stripe 

Popular trailing pileas include:

• Pilea glaucophylla – with tiny silver-green leaves on long, thin, orange-red stems

• P. depressa – produces a cascade of small, rounded, glossy green leaves 

• P. nummulariifolia (creeping Charlie) – deeply veined green leaves on long pinky-brown stems            

Buying pileas

Pileas are available all year round in the houseplants section of many garden centres, as well as from most other houseplant retailers. The Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides) is the most widely available. Other species and cultivars may be harder to find – online retailers usually offer the largest choice. 
 
When buying, select the healthiest-looking plant, with plenty of new growth and no signs of withering or discoloured leaves (yellow or brown). Also check for signs of insect damage or disease. Take care to keep these tropical plants warm when taking them home in cold weather.
 
Bear in mind too that you may not need to buy a plant, as they are easy to propagate. If you know anyone with a thriving pilea, try asking them for some offsets or

A method of growing new plants from parts of an existing plant, such as sections of root, stem, leaf or bud. When prepared correctly and planted in the right conditions, they can produce roots and eventually become independent plants. There is a wide range of different methods for taking cuttings, depending on the plant and time of year.

Newly bought pileas can usually stay in their existing pot for the first year or so, unless the roots are congested (remove the pot to check). Pileas are generally fast growing, so check the roots each spring and repot if they’re starting to get crowded – usually every couple of years. 
 
Use peat-free multi-purpose compost and a pot that is only a couple of centimetres larger, to avoid overpotting. Using an overly large pot can mean the compost stays damp for too long, leading to root rot.  
 
Repotting pileas is easy – just follow our video guide:

Location

Pileas prefer bright but indirect light, in a warm room. Position them near a north-, east- or west-facing window. In a south-facing room, keep them set back from the window, especially in summer, so they’re not in direct sunshine. Keep them out of cold draughts and always above 10°C (50°F).

Watering

Water once the top few centimetres of compost start to dry out – check with your finger or by lifting the pot to feel its weight. Overwatering can lead to root rot. Ideally use rainwater or filtered water, although pileas are tolerant of tap water. They usually need less water in winter when growth tends to slow.

After watering, discard any excess water that collects in the saucer or outer pot. It’s important not to leave them standing in water for long, as waterlogged compost can kill the roots.

Humidity

Most pileas grow well in the relatively dry air found in most homes. But those with smaller, thinner leaves, such as Pilea glaucaphylla and P. involucrata, prefer slightly more humidity. A terrarium is ideal, or stand the pot on a wide dish filled with damp pebbles. See our video guide to increasing humidity for more tips:

Feeding

To encourage strong growth, you can feed pileas occasionally – every month or two – from April to September. Use a balanced liquid fertiliser and follow the dilution rates on the product. Take care not to overfeed, which can do more harm than good.

With upright bushy pileas, any tall stems can be cut back in spring or summer to stimulate new growth from the base. However, if your plant has become woody and/or is lacking vigour, it may be better to propagate new plants (see below), then discard the old one.
 
You can also trim back trailing species if they become straggly, to encourage bushiness.

Pileas are one of the easiest houseplants to propagate. There are four ways to do this:

• By offsets – the Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides) readily produces offsets (baby plants) around its base. Simply detach these when large enough and pot up individually

• By stem cuttings – propagate Pilea cadierei (aluminium plant), P. involucrata (friendship plant) and trailing species by taking softwood stem-tip cuttings in spring and summer. Insert these into a gritty, free-draining, peat-free compost, maintaining high humidity until well-rooted

• By division – clump-forming pileas can be split into several smaller plants in spring or summer. Make sure each new plant has plenty of roots and healthy vigorous shoots, then pot up individually

• By leaf cuttings – individual leaves of  P. peperomioides will root in water or in pots of moist compost. See our video guide:

Pileas are usually healthy, fast-growing plants with few problems, but check plants regularly for the following:

• Sap-sucking insects, such as mealybugs, red spider mites, scale insects and thrips

• Leaves that are flushed red-brown – often a sign of too much direct sun

• Yellowing between the leaf veins – usually a nutrient deficiency, so apply a balanced houseplant feed

• Curling or puckering leaves – indicates poor growing conditions, either too little or too much water, or not enough light

• White deposits on the underside of leaves – this may be harmless mineral deposits or sap leaking (guttation) due to temperature fluctuations

• Grey mould – especially common in humid conditions, such as in terrariums

​Also see the following guides:
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How to help a poorly houseplant

How to help a poorly houseplant

Leaf damage on houseplants

Leaf damage on houseplants