Pilea Soil & Plant Care Guide

The pilea plant (stinging nettle family) is a perennial succulent native to South China’s Yunnan Province.

Its common names include the Chinese money plant, missionary plant, UFO plant, friendship plant, and pancake plant.

Some of its popular varieties are:

• Pilea peperomioides (Chinese money plant/ UFO plant/ pancake plant): Pilea peperomioides plants have dark green leaves. Each pilea leaf is joined to the plant’s crown by a petiole (leaf stem).
  
• Pilea mollis (moon valley): The pilea mollis plant has sawtooth-edged leaves with textures like the moon's craters.
  
• Pilea cadierei (aluminum plant): This pilea houseplant has dark green leaves with four silver metallic patches.
• Pilea involucrata (friendship plant): The pilea involucrata has velvet leaves with deep veins.

But regardless of the variety, the care aspects are more or less similar. 

Let’s explore the best soil mix and other elements of pilea peperomioides care:

1. The Best Potting Soil for Pileas

The best potting soil for a pilea houseplant will have:

• Good drainage: To prevent root rot, it must be a well-draining soil that retains some moisture. 
  
• Plant food: The soil should have nutrients and organic matter to help your pilea flourish.
  
• Sufficient aeration: The potting mix should be fluffy and light with air pockets. This ensures that indoor plant roots have access to oxygen.

Our Rosy pilea soil meets all these requirements, making it the ideal option for indoor plant parents. 

2. Essential Pilea Care Tips 

Follow these handy guidelines for your pilea plant (ideal for a beginner):

• Avoid overwatering: Overwatering can lead to droopy, curling leaves, and yellow leaves. Only water the plant when the soil’s top 1-2 inches are dry.
  Hot tip: Use dechlorinated tap water or rainwater for watering, as high chlorine levels can damage your plant. To dechlorinate the tap water, keep it in an open container for 24 hours until the chlorine evaporates naturally.
  
• Provide good drainage: Ensure the plastic pot or terra cotta pot you use has a drainage hole. Remember, a terra cotta pot dries faster than a plastic one.
• Find the right temperature: Pilea plants love high humidity and temperatures of 15-30°C (59-86°F) during the growing season (spring-fall).
• Avoid direct sunlight or bright light: Give it bright indirect light but not direct sun (or low light!). Periodically rotate the houseplant, so it gets even sunlight. 
• Fertilize the pilea plant: Fertilize it monthly during the growing season to stimulate new growth. 

Note: Lower leaves drop with age. It isn’t a sign of bad care.

3. Pilea Propagation

The quickest way to propagate pilea is from a stem cutting (preferably from a new growth without a pilea leaf). 

Follow these steps to propagate pilea peperomioides:

• Take a stem cutting from the mother plant.
  
• Place the cuttings in a well-draining container with moist soil. 
• Keep it in a warm spot until they root. New plants should root in 3-5 weeks.

4. Repotting Pileas

Here are some repotting tips:

• The pilea babies (plantlets that grow on the stem or roots of the mother plant) are slow growers. Repot them once a year in their growing season (or until the new plant is 2-3” tall.)
  
• The larger the baby plant is during repotting, the better it’ll survive without the mother plant.