About Pilea Peperomioides

Also called the Chinese Money Plant, Pancake Plant or UFO Plant, the Pilea is one of my first and favorite houseplants. Known for its circular leaves attached to a long petiole, is definitely one of the most unique and alien looking plant I own.

It originates from Yunnan province of China and popularize in Scandinavian interiors in the 1940's. The Pilea Peperomioides hit social networking stardom on Instagram in 2017 making it one of the most sought after plants and in my opinion, continue to do so in many parts of the world like Australia and Philippines.

How To Care For Pilea Peperomioides

Lighting: Prefers to be in bright indirect light, but can also thrive in low to medium light and from all direction. Like most plants, the light intensity can vary the growth rate and shape of the plant.

Watering: I usually allow the soil to dry out between watering when it comes to my more mature and larger Pilea, however if your Pilea is a baby one, I would recommend to water when the soil is about 90% dry. I also use filtered or distilled water, to prevent the leaves from browning or getting pores as this plant is very sensitive to the chemicals in tap water.

Potting Mixture: Equal parts of regular potting soil and cacti soil is perfect for the Pilea. I'll sometimes add some perlite or pumice to give it a bit more drainage.

How To Repot and Propagate Pilea Peperomioides

Not only is the Pilea easy to care for as an indoor houseplant, but they are also easy to repot and fun to propagate. Here is a video on how to care and propagate your Pilea Peperomioides.

What Does It Mean When The Leaves Curl?

In this recent video I did on my Pilea Peperomioides, I answer the most common questions I get about the Pilea. What does it mean when the leaves curl inwards vs outwards? or Why does the leaves turn pale?

I also share that my Pilea is not perfect, he's dropped a lot of leaves at the base, and I gave this guy a bit of a face lift to make it look full. Watch the video to find out how.