Pilea peperomioides: planting, maintenance, care

Plant ID card
Botanical name	Pilea peperomioides.
Common name	Chinese money plant, missionary plant, UFO plant.
Origin	Southwest China.
Dimensions	The Pilea peperomioides is approximately 50 cm tall.
Foliage	The erect, bushy foliage of Pilea peperomioides is composed of small, round, fleshy leaves. They are perched at the top of long petioles that can measure around ten centimeters long.
Bloom	The flowering of Pilea peperomioides is very discreet and almost non-existent when grown indoors. In spring, its foliage is adorned with small, very light green flowers.
Exposure	Pilea peperomioides needs a lot of light to grow well. The ideal is to place it near a window but without direct exposure to sunlight.
Ground	Pilea peperomioides thrives in light, draining soil to limit any exposure to stagnant water.
Rusticity	10°.

With graceful rounded leaves, the

Pilea peperomioides

has an original silhouette to say the least.

And in addition to being aesthetic, this plant has the particularity of being easy to maintain.

Where to place

Pilea peperomioides

?

For the Chinese money plant to flourish without requiring too much care, it is imperative to install it in conditions that suit it:

• Location:

  to grow well,

  Pilea peperomioides

  needs a lot of light.

  So reserve a very bright location for it while ensuring that it is not exposed directly to the sun's rays which could burn its leaves.

  As its leaves tend towards the light, remember to turn the pot regularly so that the

  Pilea peperomioides

  maintains a harmonious appearance.

  Also, it flourishes more in a humid room, and is therefore a perfect plant in a bathroom for example than in a room where the air is dry;

• Soil:

  because the Chinese money plant loves light, well-drained soil, it will thrive perfectly in a mixture of heather soil and peat soil.

  You can also add a layer of clay balls or gravel to the bottom of the pot to ensure proper drainage.

How to maintain

Pilea peperomioides

?

Easy to live with, the

Pilea peperomioides

requires little care.

However, be sure to water it

regularly

while protecting it from stagnant humidity, its weak point.

• Watering:

  to grow well,

  Pilea peperomioides

  must be watered often, about twice a week in summer and every 10 days in winter.

  However, make sure that the water is well evaporated between two waterings, it must not stagnate at the risk of causing the roots to mold;

• Repotting:

  Pilea

  peperomioides

  likes it when placed in a pot that is not too wide and especially shallow.

  In the spring, approximately every two years, repot the

  Pilea peperomioides

  , when it begins to be too cramped;

• Diseases and parasites:

  Pilea

  peperomioides

  is not very subject to diseases, apart from powdery mildew.

  This fungal disease leaves a white, mealy coating on the new leaves.

  To avoid this, make sure that the

  Pilea peperomioides

  is not exposed to stagnant humidity.

  In the event of an invasion, quickly remove the affected parts and spray the leaves with sulfur.

Also read: The 12 easiest indoor green plants

How do you know if a Chinese money plant is thirsty?

Are the leaves of your

Pilea peperomioides

tending to fall?

So maybe there’s

a lack of water

!

Remember to water it once or twice a week, while taking care to avoid stagnant water which can also damage the appearance of its leaves.

Does

Pilea peperomioides

flower?

The Pilea peperomioides flowers but its flowering is discreet Copyright (c) 2022 Heike Rau/Shutterstock.

No use without permission.

The

Pilea peperomioides

flowers but its flowering is discreet.

In fact, in spring, it is adorned with

very small

light green flowers.

However, when the plant is grown indoors, flowering rarely occurs.

My

Pilea peperomioides

has yellow leaves, what should I do?

It is not abnormal for Pilea peperomioides

leaves

to turn yellow, as long as new ones continue to appear.

They will eventually fall off on their own but if you find this unsightly, you can remove them as soon as they start to wilt.

How to take cuttings from

Pilea peperomioides

?

Pilea

peperomioides

is very easy to cut.

To do this, wait until spring to

collect the shoots

that form at the base of the plant.

Place them in water to allow the roots to develop.

You can also plant them directly in a pot, making sure to keep the soil moist at all times.