Chinese money plant

Light and exposure

The Pilea likes bright but filtered light. Place it near an east-facing window or a few metres from a south-facing bay behind a sheer curtain. The direct summer sun scorches its leaves, while a corner that is too dark makes it lose its compact shape and stretch towards the glass.

It always grows towards the light. A quarter turn every eight to ten days is enough to keep a regular, upright rosette, otherwise it quickly leans to one side.

Watering

Moderate watering is the rule. Let the top two centimetres of the potting mix dry out before giving water again, then water letting the excess drain away. Always empty the saucer: the Pilea fears too much water far more than thirst.

Leaves that yellow and soften at the base almost always betray one watering too many and the start of root rot. Foliage drooping over dry potting mix, on the contrary, means it is thirsty. In winter, space out clearly, one watering every ten to fifteen days is enough.

Soil and repotting

A light, free-draining potting mix suits it. Take a mix for houseplants and lighten it with a handful of perlite or coarse sand so the water passes through quickly. A pot with drainage holes is essential, standing water at the bottom is its worst enemy.

Repot in spring, every one to two years, into a pot only slightly larger. No need to drown it in a large volume. Take advantage of repotting to detach the well-rooted babies growing at the base.

Temperature and humidity

The Pilea is happy at normal indoor temperature, between 15 and 24 degrees. It tolerates a little coolness in winter but does not go below 10 degrees, and it freezes well before zero. Keep it away from a radiator as well as from a cold draught near a door.

It is not demanding about humidity and copes with the dry air of our heated homes, unlike many tropical plants. If the leaf tips brown in winter, move it away from the heat source.

Pruning and upkeep

The Pilea needs almost no pruning. Remove the old yellowed lower leaves as you go, by hand or with clean scissors. A wipe with a damp cloth now and then restores their shine.

If the main stem goes bare and stretches with age, you can cut it back firmly: the stump reshoots into new growth, and the cut top can be rooted. The offsets at the base thicken the pot if you leave them in place.

Pests and diseases

Indoors, the Pilea mainly picks up troubles linked to too much water. Root rot, encouraged by a waterlogged potting mix and a saucer that is never emptied, is by far its number one cause of death: brown, soft roots, leaves falling all at once. It is prevented by measured watering and real drainage.

As for pests, watch for mealybugs, those cottony clusters in the hollow of the leaf stalks, and spider mites which settle in when the air is dry near the heating. A cotton bud soaked in methylated spirit deals with them while the attack is limited.

Propagation

This is the great pleasure of the Pilea, and its big asset. It spontaneously produces offsets, small identical plants, at the base of the mother stem and sometimes along it. Wait for an offset from the soil to reach five to seven centimetres, clear away the potting mix, cut it off close while keeping its roots and repot it straight away in a small pot. It starts off on its own.

The offsets growing on the stem, without roots, are treated as cuttings: in a glass of water, they root in two to three weeks before repotting. A single healthy Pilea provides enough to give away plants all year round, which earned it its nickname of missionary plant.

Month-by-month care calendar

Green Hub tips

• Turn the pot a quarter turn each week. Without this gesture, the Pilea quickly leans towards the window and grows crooked.
• Let the base offsets grow to five centimetres, then detach them with their roots and repot: a Pilea to give to each friend.
• In winter, the danger is watering. Dry potting mix, emptied saucer, spaced-out waterings: it is too much water that kills the Pilea, not thirst.
• The ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to cats and dogs. Like any plant material, however, it may still cause digestive discomfort if a large amount is chewed.