pilea plant in a home in Denver, Colorado

My sweet Pilea soaking up the sun

pilea/chinese money plant

(pilea peperomioides)

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Pilea/Chinese Money Plant/Pancake Plant/UFO Plant The pilea plant is a succulent that originates from damp, rocky areas in China(1) and is, interestingly enough, a part of the stinging nettle family (although it won't sting you!)(3)

RECOMMENDATIONS

LIGHT
bright/indirect

Although they will live in relatively low-light spaces, they prefer bright, indirect light and it's best to avoid direct sunlight.(1) If you're wanting to keep the shape of the plant symmetrical you'll want to turn the plant accordingly each time you water.(1)

WATER

moderate

Although pileas love humidity they do not like their soil to be overly wet.(1) It's best to water when the top two-thirds of soil are dry making sure to pour out any water resting in the bottom of the pot.(1) Make sure the soil is well-draining and the pot has a hole.(1)

FERTILIZER

light

"Feed in spring and summer only, with a balanced organic fertilizer, used every other week at half strength."(1)

POTTING

You'll want to use well-draining potting soil and a pot with a hole in it.(2)

TO PROPAGATE

Pileas put out precious little pilea pups you'll simply need to snip off and let root in water for a bit.(2)

Non-toxic to pets

MY EXPERIENCE

LIGHT

The first time I got a pilea it seemed really happy in an east facing window with partially blocked light. He really seemed happy there so I always just assumed that's the kind of light they preferred. I hadn't realized how big pilea leaves could get but once I did I started prioritizing giving them a lot more light. I put one under a grow light and DANG, the leaves started getting bigger so quickly!

WATER

When I got my first pilea I had read that they liked bottom watering so that's what I did for years. But suddenly I felt like they could never get enough water that way so I started top watering again (also because I have a friend with a beautiful pilea plant and I asked her and she said she top waters so I feel that wasn't the issue). I feel like I still haven't quite mastered watering these friends but I'm working on it!

FERTILIZER

I usually had only been fertilizing once in the spring, before with plant food but this spring with my home-made compost. I'm really working on making bigger leaves so let's see how it goes!

POTTING

I had always used just regular potting soil with my pilea but I decided this summer (July 2025) to try adding a bit of perlite to make sure it drains well. It turns out that that's the pilea plant (I have several!) that got the big leaf when I put it under the glow light.

TO PROPAGATE

When treated right I've found rooted pups fairly easy to propagate.

Did I miss a great pilea fact?

Any experience you'd like to share?

Feel free to contact me and leave a (kind-hearted) comment!

References

1. https://libguides.nybg.org/pancakeplant

2. https://worldofsucculents.com/pilea-peperomioides-chinese-money-plant/

3. https://thelittlebotanical.com/how-to-care-for-the-chinese-money-plant/