I am very excited to report Rouvalis has Pilea plants in stock!! These awesome plants have been sprouting up all over social media, but as it turns out, are relatively difficult to find in stores (more on that in a minute). Well, as I mentioned, we’ve gotten ahold of some, so stop reading right now and get your cute plant loving self down to Rouvalis!!
Just kidding, I hope you didn’t stop reading because I have so much more to say and you should know how to take care of the Pilea first. These plants really got my nerdy botanist blood flowing, and a little research only made my interest grow.
We’ll start with care:
Pilea like bright indirect light best. They can do pretty well in slightly shadier situations but it is important to know that the direct rays of the sun can scorch the leaves. I recommend rotating the plant from time to time as they tend to grow towards the light and can become a bit lopsided, but maybe you’re into that (symmetry isn’t everything).
Plant your Pilea in a good rich soil, in a pot with drainage holes. It is important that the roots are not sitting in water, so drainage holes are key. It also wouldn’t hurt to mix in a little bark mulch to add aeration to the soil. It is good to let them dry out between watering but not overly. If you notice the leaves looking droopy, it is time to water. I wouldn’t call these plants difficult to care for by any means, although they do have a few Goldilocks characteristics. Light and water, but not too much or too little.
In short: Bright sunny window, water well once a week. Ish.
Now for some history and other interesting facts:
Pilea peperomioides is a plant of many names. Chinese money plant, sharing plant, pass-it-on plant, pancake plant, UFO plant, missionary plant, and I don’t doubt I’m missing a few. I assume the pancake and UFO nomenclature is in reference to the shape of the leaves. Sharing plant and Pass-it-on plant comes from how easy it is to propagate.
