Among the trendiest houseplants, the Chinese money plant (also known as the pancake plant, friendship plant, coin plant, or UFO plant) is adored for its unique appearance. The round, coin-sized leaves are thick and glossy. Each leaf is attached to the crown of the plant by a petiole (leaf stem) that connects directly to the leaf underside, giving it a very unique appearance. This houseplant’s tendency to create lots of small “daughter plants” that are easily separated from the parent plant means it’s a great houseplant for sharing with friends and family. To top it off, Pilea peperomioides care isn’t difficult, making this a terrific choice for houseplant lovers of all abilities.
Pilea peperomioides care requirements
Chinese money plant isn’t persnickety when it comes to its care. However there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
First, at maturity, the plant reaches about 12 inches tall with an equal width; be sure it has plenty of space to grow and develop new leaves. If Pilea is happy, it may produce small white flowers on pink-tinged stems. You can consider your thumb very green if the plant comes into flower. That means you’ve done everything right!
Signs of a healthy plant also include leaves that are a rich green with a crisp texture. The petioles (leaf stems) of this plant are naturally long, but if the plant is receiving ample sunlight, they will not be elongated or pale in color. Another sign of a healthy Pilea peperomioides is no brown on the outer edges of the leaves. Below, I’ll share some information on what it means if the leaf margins turn yellow or brown.
If you’re wondering exactly what you need to do for Pilea peperomioides care, read on. I’ve included lots of tips for maximizing the growth and health of this popular houseplant.
The best potting soil for Chinese money plants
Chinese money plants prefer well-drained potting soil. Don’t use garden soil to plant this houseplant, and don’t buy the cheapest potting soil you can find. Instead, use a high-quality organic potting soil. One that’s based on peat moss or coir fiber and perlite is best. If you want to make your own potting soil for a Pilea peperomioides, here’s a great post that includes 6 DIY potting soil recipes, including a well draining one for houseplants that’s perfect for the job.
If you purchased your Chinese money plant from a greenhouse or nursery, chances are it’s already planted in a great potting soil, so there’s no need to repot the plant until it outgrows the pot (more on how to do this later).
The best kind of pot for Pilea peperomioides plants
Most houseplants are purchased in plastic pots, but occasionally some nurseries sell Pileas in terracotta pots, which can dry out very quickly. Terracotta is very porous and should be used only for plants that prefer to be kept on the dry side. I suggest using a plastic or glazed ceramic pot for a Pilea peperomioides. If yours came in terracotta, consider following the repotting instructions below to move it into a plastic or ceramic container.
If you like the look of a terracotta pot but don’t want to have to water the plant all the time, do what I do. Either hide the plastic pot by displaying it inside of a decorative terracotta pot (sneaky!) or paint the inside of the terracotta pot with a spray sealant prior to planting your Pilea. That’s what I did and it worked great (see post photos).
No matter what your container is made of, be sure it has a drainage hole in the bottom. Pilea peperomioides do not like to have their roots sitting in water. Good drainage is key. And if there’s a saucer under the plant, make sure water doesn’t sit in it for longer than an hour or two. Otherwise root rot is the result. My watering tips later walk you through the best method of watering Pilea peperomioides plants.
Ideal light level for Pilea peperomioides
Another aspect of Pilea peperomioides care is the amount of light the plant receives. All houseplants have light level preferences based on their native growing conditions in the wild. Some houseplants prefer low light levels while others like bright, sunny locations. The Chinese money plant falls somewhere in the middle. The best light level for a Pilea peperomioides occurs in an east- or west-facing window, which is also true for many other houseplants, including shingle plants and philodendrons.
Here’s how to tell if your window is an east- or west-facing window and if the light levels are prime for this particular houseplant.
- If the sun shines directly into your window from early to mid morning, it’s east-facing (also called Eastern exposure). This exposure provides medium light and is perfect for Pilea peperomioides care.
- If the sun shines directly in your window in the late afternoon and evening, up until sunset, it’s west-facing (western exposure). This is also moderate light, but since the sun can get quite hot in the late afternoon, it’s typically slightly brighter than east-facing. This is the second best light for Chinese money plants.
- If the sun never shines directly into your window, it’s north-facing (northern exposure). This is very low light and is not suitable for growing this particular houseplant.
- If the sun shines directly into your window throughout most of the day, from late-morning through mid-afternoon, it’s south-facing (southern exposure). This exposure is best for high light-loving plants (hello, succulents and cacti!).
Of course another factor is whether or not the light coming into the window is filtered. Few houseplants like bright, direct sunlight on them, Pilea peperomioides included. Filtered light that passes through a sheer curtain or never shines directly on the plant is great. Sometimes light that’s too bright and direct can cause leaf burn on certain plants.
If you only have a window that’s north-facing and receives minimal light, consider getting a tabletop grow light to put over your Chinese money plant for supplemental light.
How often to water Chinese money plants
How often to water a Pilea peperomioides depends on a few different factors, including the size and material of the pot, how dry your home is, and the quality of your potting soil. As mentioned before, terracotta pots dry out quickly, so you’ll have to water more frequently to ensure moist soil. If your plant is near a forced air heat register or in a very warm room, the same will occur. Rather than watering your Chinese money plant on a schedule, feel how heavy the pot is just after you thoroughly water it. Then pick the pot up every two or three days to see how much lighter it gets. When the pot is very light (and ideally just before the plant wilts), it’s time to water.
How to water a pancake plant
There’s no best way to water a Pilea plant, but there are certainly several wrong ways to do it. Do not leave the plant sitting in water, but don’t just sprinkle it lightly with water either. Ideally, you should take the pot to the sink and run water through the soil until at least 20% of the water that goes into the pot drains out the hole in the bottom. This helps flush out excess fertilizer salts and keeps the tips of the leaves from turning brown due to salt burn. I water my Pilea every 7 to 10 days, but your home’s conditions may mean the plant requires more or less frequent waterings to achieve ample soil moisture. The weight of the pot is the best indicator (along with sticking your finger into the soil for a “feel test”). Yellow leaves are often a sign of over- or under-watering.
The best water to use to water houseplants is de-chlorinated tap water. You don’t need to buy fancy de-chlorination tablets; simply let an open container of water sit on the counter for 24 hours for the chlorine to dissipate. You can use rainwater, too, if you have a rain barrel.
In addition to being regularly watered, Pilea peperomiodes plants also love high humidity. To increase the humidity level around the plant, especially in dry climates and homes, use a humidity tray such as this one beneath the plant’s pot.
When and how to fertilize Pilea peperomioides
When it comes to fertilizing Pilea peperomioides, don’t overdo it. Unfortunately, most houseplants are killed with kindness. You really only need to fertilize Chinese money plants once a month. And only feed the plant when it is in a state of active growth. This is typically from early spring through early fall (which is April through September, here in Pennsylvania).
Use a liquid organic houseplant fertilizer by diluting it to half of the recommended strength and then watering the plant with it. Do not fertilize a dry plant; instead water it first and then fertilize the next day.
If a white crust develops on the soil of your Pilea peperomioides, it’s a sign of fertilizer salt build up. If this occurs, hold off on your fertilization for a few months. In addition, make sure you’re flushing water through the pot each time you water. Evidence of salt buildup also shows up as a white crust on the outside of terra cotta pots.
How to divide a Pilea plant
Another important aspect of Pilea peperomioides care is regular division to keep the plant from being crowded in its pot. Happy plants produce small daughter plants called offsets or pups. They grow from the root system a few centimeters away from the base of the mother plant. These offsets should be separated when they’re an inch or two tall.
To divide Pilea peperomioides offsets, dig down into the soil at the base of the offset to expose the roots. Then use a sharp pair of needle-nose snips or a clean knife to separate it from the parent plant. Each little offset doesn’t have to have many roots, but there should be at least a few there. When dividing Chinese money plants, you don’t have to uproot the entire plant, but you certainly can, if it makes the job easier.
Immediately pot up the offsets into new pots of fresh soil. If you accidentally break the roots off of one of them, put the base of the broken offset in a little cup of water. This generates new root growth. Once you see roots form, you can pot that one up, too. Or, you can sink the base of the broken offset into a pot of potting soil. Keep it moist. Eventually new roots will form below the soil as if it were a stem cutting, instead of an offset.
Thankfully Pilea peperomioides is very easy to divide in this manner, which is why it has yet another common name: the pass-along plant. People have been sharing offsets of this great little houseplant plant with friends, family, and neighbors for generations.
Watch this video for more tips on dividing houseplants.
Potting up a Chinese money plant
The last task when caring for Pilea peperomioides is called potting up. When your plant gets crowded in its pot, it’s time to transplant it into a larger pot. You’ll know it’s time to move your plant up to the next size pot when it dries out quickly, when the roots circle around inside the pot, or when there are so many offsets that they’re filling the pot.
When potting up a Chinese money plant, choose a new pot that’s just one or two inches larger in diameter than the old pot. If your Pilea was in a 6-inch pot, pot it up to an 8-inch and so on.
Tip the plant out of its old pot and gently loosen the roots. This is especially important if the roots are circling around inside the pot. Prune off any rotten or damaged roots. Spread the roots out into the new pot and fill in around them with fresh houseplant potting soil. Do not bury the plant any more deeply in its new pot than it was in its old pot. Aim for the exact same level. And, do not fertilize newly transplanted houseplants for at least 3 months after the process to avoid burning developing tender new roots.
For more information on Pilea
As you can see, Pilea peperomioides care isn’t overly challenging. Just remember to give the plant optimum light, water, and nutrition. With a bit of skill and a little luck, you’ll be passing baby Pileas along to friends soon enough!
If you’d like to learn more about growing Pilea peperomioides, here are some of our favorite houseplant-related books:
- Houseplants and Grow in the Dark by Lisa Steinkopf, the Houseplant Guru
- Plant Parenting by Leslie Halleck
- The New Plant Parent by Darryl Cheng
- How Not to Kill Your Houseplant by Veronica Peerless
And for more on growing houseplants, check out these articles right here on Savvy Gardening:
- How to repot a Phalaenopsis orchid
- Fertilizing houseplants 101
- The best low light succulents
- Caring for air plants
- Houseplant pests and how to get rid of them
Have you grown a Chinese money plant? Tell us about your experience in the comment section below.
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My pilea peperomioides is full of flowers. Since it will not propagate by seed, should I cut off the flower stems to restore strength to the mother plant?
I would suggest cutting off the flower stalks before the blooms can develop into seeds.
As someone who has zero knowledge in how to take of plants, to me this sounds like a plant that needs more maintenance than I thought. Just bought one, and I really hope I can keep it alive and healthy.. maybe I should have started with a cactus hehe. Thank you for the thorough explanation though! I will try to follow your tips!
I’m in a tricky situation I really want to purchase one but my room is a North West facing window
What would you advise?
Could you provide supplemental light with a small grow light? They’re pretty inexpensive and widely available. Just a table-top grow light would do great.
So glad to find you. I’m outside gardening right now, but I’m planning on spending some quiet time perusing this site after dinner. Looking forward to learning and confirming much info/help through this site. Thank you.
Mine came from the nursery with some brown leaves (around the edges). Should I cut the stems with the damaged leaves? I don’t want the plant to spend energy keeping a leaf alive if it is damaged. Also the soil feels really tight and I cannot get the moisture meter through the soil to check how dry the soil may be. Would you recommend repotting?
I would recommend trimming off any damaged leaves and repotting into new, houseplant-specific potting soil.
Hello, My Pilea has grown too tall and crooked for the space I have it in. Can you please advise what I can do? I love it so. Thank you
I would take some cuttings of the main stem and root them to form new plants. It’s pretty easy to do. Pilea typically roots nicely. Then leave the “mother stump” intact in your pot and it will resprout.
I’m seeing a couple of yellow leaves. What is the cause? (probably over watering?)
It could be over watering, or if it’s the lowest leaves, a possible lack of nitrogen. Be sure the soil isn’t too soggy and fertilize twice monthly from March through October. Here’s more on how to fertilize houseplants: https://savvygardening.com/houseplant-fertilizer/
My plant is quite tall (over 12 inches) but while it continues to grow new leaves at the top, the bottom leaves keep dying, so only the top half of the plant has leaves with a weird long trunk at the bottom. I’m sure it’s getting too big for it’s pot and want to re-pot it but I wanted to bury some of the trunk. Is that bad? Is it essential that I only pot it to the current level?
I would not suggest burying it deeper. Instead I would start a new plant by taking a cutting of the one you have. Or, do it through air layering.
I recently bought a pilea. The leaves are lighter green on the mother plant the pups are dark green. The lower leaves are turning yellow. Also some if the small leaves are turning dark. Should I repot the plant?
Yellowing of lower leaves can be a sign of nitrogen deficiency. I suggest fertilizing your plant if you haven’t done that in a while. Once you separate the pups, the mother plant should green up again.
I took home my first pilea plant from a greenhouse here in Chicago a few weeks ago. I noticed the leaves have been dropping more and more each day. I made the mistake of adding fertilizer to it a few days after bringing him home and I might have over done it. Not sure what to do now. I really hope I can keep him alive.. I like this plant and it was a journey finding one here in the city.. Help!
Fertilizing probably wasn’t the best idea. Run water through the pot to try to flush some of the excess fertilizer salts out of the soil. That should help. Also, make sure it’s receiving enough light. It’s not unusual for houseplants to shed some leaves when moved from a greenhouse to a home environment so don’t give up on it yet!
My plant keeps dropping leaves and is not growing
If it’s a new plant it may just be a response to its new environment. Often houseplants drop leaves when you bring them home because they are used to the brighter conditions of a greenhouse. New leaves will form and the plant will be fine. This adjustment period can take up to 8 months.
My pilea leaves started to turn black and droop. What should I Do?
That’s often a sign of overwatering. Be sure there is a drainage hole in the bottom of the pot and reduce your watering. Cut off any damaged leaves.
Hello. On July 22, you responded to a reader with a leggy plant with the suggestion of cutting the mother stem. Could you elaborate? Do you mean to physically cut the stem (even if without leaves) into sections and root each section? Should the crown and each section sit in water for a time or should I apply some rooting hormone and go right into the soil? Or have I misunderstood your advice? Thanks so much in advance.
Hi Brian – Yes, I meant cutting the stem into sections and rooting each section. Immediately after taking the cuttings, dip their base into rooting hormone and stick it right into a pot of new potting soil. Cover the pot and cutting with a clear plastic bag to keep the humidity high for about 4 weeks after taking the cutting. By then new roots will have developed and you can remove the bag.
Hi! I have tried growing roots in water, it is working and i got a lot of half inch long roots but some leaves are turning yellow. Can i plant it straight into soil? How do i adjust the plant from water to soil? Thank you!
Way to go! Sounds like you’ve done a nice job propagating your plant from leaf cuttings. Once that leaf starts to turn yellow, it’s time to plant the cutting in soil. There’s no transition plan necessary. Just pot the rooted cutting into a clean pot of sterile potting soil and you should be good to go. Don’t plant it too deeply (just the roots should be beneath the soil). Eventually the original leaf will turn yellow and die, and it will be replaced by a new plant.
My question is regarding the new growth leaves…they are smaller then the older leaves and malformed, partially curled downward. The underside of most of her leaves have perfectly spaced white grainy dots that might be a water quality issue perhaps? And she doesn’t appear to have any pests.
Thank you.
Downward curled leaves and distorted growth sounds very much like aphids or spider mites. I suggest treating the plant with insecticidal soap, being careful to apply it to both upper and lower leaf surfaces and to the stems. Make two applications about 14 days apart. Spider mites are very difficult to see without a hand lens.
Hi I need to transfer my pilea to a larger pot due to circling compacted roots. Is it safe to do so in January as do not want to stress it.thank you
I suggest waiting until spring to do any repotting. Just before a period of active growth is the best time for transplanting houseplants.
Hello 🙂
My Plants seem to grow nicely, lots of pups. The stem does not get tall though, despite new pups and leaves keep growing. How to help Pilea grows taller?
Your plant must be very happy and receive adequate light. It seems to be doing well. I wouldn’t worry about it not growing taller.
My piles is infested with gnats – can I mix water with dish soap when I water my pilea?
Thanks
I would not recommend that. Instead, follow the instructions for fungus gnat control in this article: https://savvygardening.com/types-of-houseplant-bugs/
Hello! I just got a pilea a few days ago and it came in a two inch container. The plant doesn’t quite look root bound yet but there are quite a few roots growing around the sides. Should I repot it yet? Or wait a few months? The pot just seems quite small. Thanks
I suggest waiting until spring to do any repotting. The best time is just before a period of active growth.
Hi there!
My friend bought me one of these cuties for Christmas and I am just not sure what to do with it now. Ive got brown spots starting on the leaves and I am worried. Also I have an east facing window but unfortunately due to things in front, I do not have much sun come in, I have bought a grow light and I just want to know how long you recommend I use it for on the plant daily and if I should have it directly on the pilea? Thank you!
Depending on what kind of grow light it is, it should be about 4-6 inches above the plant. I suggest leaving it on for 14 to 16 hours per day.
Great info! Glad it sounds like I’m doing things right lol Any suggestions in helping my pileas grow fuller? I have two sitting next to the northern facing windows, indirect bright light, and they are growing up but not as full as I’d like. Thoughts?
I suggest turning the pot a quarter of a turn every few days to ensure that all sides of the plant receive equal amounts of light. This ensures even, healthy growth.
Mine keeps growing up on a tall woody stem so the leaves are at the top (like a tree) is there a reason for this? Thank you!
Sounds like your Pilea is stretching for the light. I suggest moving it to a brighter location.
Hello, My pilea has what looks like tiny green leaflets on three stems…what are they? Thanks
I think it might be developing some new stems? Wait to see what they grow in to. The plant might just be filling out a bit.
Hello! Thank you for all this wonderful information! I just got a Pilea plant for my birthday and its super cute! However, it is a small plant….in a BIG pot. Well, bigger than I would think it should be anyway. It came from a greenhouse garden shop. Can a pot be too big? Thank you!
Nope. I wouldn’t worry about it. It will eventually grow into its pot.
Hi there. I have a 4 year old plant that measures
23 inches tall. It faces the SE window. (It is now winter here in Canada) and I keep the plant away from cold windows & drafts.
This plant produces a lot of pups which I transplant.
Question: I use rainwater but lately several leaves turn brown and stems fall off.
What am I doing wrong?
Id like to send you a picture
Thanks
Hi Shanny – It’s typical of this plant to shed a few lower leaves in the autumn each year. The stems and leaves turn yellow, then brown, then drop off. If it continues to happen or if it happens to the upper leaves, then there may be a problem. If you have not changed anything about the plants care or location, I would chalk it up to the natural lifecycle of the plant to shed a few older leaves each season.