A Chinese money plant, the neat little houseplant with round coin-shaped leaves held out on long stalks from a single upright stem.
Pilea peperomioides comes from Yunnan in southern China. It stays small, around 30cm each way, and the shape is what people want: a clean silhouette of flat round leaves on slender stalks, which is why it sits so well in a plain room. It throws offsets around the base and from the roots, and those little plants can be lifted and potted on, which is how it earned the name friendship plant.
Give it bright indirect light and keep it out of prolonged direct sun, which scorches and curls the leaves. Turn the pot every week or so, because it leans hard towards the light and will go lopsided if you leave it. Water when the top inch of compost feels dry and use a free-draining houseplant compost, since it will not tolerate sitting wet. Ordinary room temperature suits it, roughly 13C to 25C, away from draughts and radiators, and ordinary household humidity is fine. Feed monthly in spring and summer, and repot each spring into a slightly larger pot. The stem goes woody and bare at the base as the plant ages, which is normal rather than a fault.
Supplied as one established plant with a 2 litre root ball, ready to pot into a container of your own.
Cultural Information
Common Name: Chinese money plant, pancake plant, missionary plant
Fully Grown Height and Spread: Up to 30cm x 30cm
Growth Habit: Compact and upright on a single central stem
Perfect For: Desks, windowsills, shelves, bedrooms and living rooms
Foliage: Round, glossy, bright green leaves on long stalks
Flowering Time: Grown for foliage
Planting Position: Bright to medium indirect light indoors
Soil Type: Free-draining, peat-free houseplant compost
Hardiness: Tender, indoor only; keep above 10C
Maintenance: Easy; turn the pot regularly and water when the surface dries
Seasonal Interest: Evergreen foliage all year
Type: Evergreen foliage houseplant
