Pancake plants, also known as Chinese Money Plants, UFO Plants, or Pancake Plants, are easy to grow with the right soil and bright, indirect light. Regular pruning helps maintain a compact shape and encourages new growth. Trim any leggy or overgrown stems using a sharp knife.
Pilea Peperomioides, also known as Chinese Money Plant, UFO Plant, or Pancake Plant, is a popular houseplant native to China with round, dark green leaves that resemble coins. It can bring good health and beauty to your home. To care for this plant, follow these steps:
- Place the plant in a spot with bright, indirect light, ideally near a west- or south-facing window.
- Use a well-draining soil mix that dries out relatively quickly, such as a succulent soil mix or an all-purpose potting soil with the addition of perlite or coarse sand.
- Water the plant when its soil feels dry, weekly in summer and fortnightly in winter.
- Apply a fertiliser every few months in spring and summer.
- Water the plant moderately but not overwater, as they like to dry out in-between waterings and don’t like to stay soggy. Water the plant approximately once a week, checking that the soil is dry to touch before watering.
In summary, pancake plants are low-maintenance ornamental plants that can purify the air and beautify homes. Proper soil, water, fertilization, and propagation are essential for their growth and health.
📹 Pilea peperomioides – Complete Care – Houseplant Basics – How to Grow Well (Chinese Money Plant)
Today we are taking a look at Pilea peperomioides, the Chinese Money Plant, Coin Plant, Friendship, UFO Plant or whatever fun …
What conditions do pancake plants like?
The Chinese money plant, also known as the pancake plant, coin plant, or UFO plant, is a popular houseplant known for its unique coin-shaped foliage and ease of care. It is a low-maintenance, air-purifying perennial that is pet-safe and easy to propagate. The plant can double in size within a year in the right lighting, making it a popular choice for sharing with friends. It is grown primarily for its unique foliage and does not often flower indoors.
Why are the leaves on my pancake plant turning brown?
Plants need the right amount of moisture to grow, and low humidity can cause brown tips in most houseplants, except for waxy plants like succulents and cacti and bulbous reservoir plants like ZZ plants. Houseplants originally originated in tropical areas with high humidity. To address this issue, group plants together and place a source of humidity near radiators, but avoid close to open flames or heat coils. If you’re feeling frugal, consider air drying your laundry in the house during dry months. This will help maintain the health of your plants and prevent brown tips.
Do pancake plants need direct sunlight?
The Pancake Plant is a creeping or trailing plant that thrives in well-lit areas but is protected from direct sunlight. It is easy to care for and can grow quickly, making it a great choice for those looking for a fast-growing houseplant. Green plants offer numerous health and wellness benefits, and to maintain their health, it is essential to provide adequate lighting, keep the soil moist, and avoid overwatering. These care tips help ensure the health and longevity of your green plants.
Can brown leaves turn green again?
The browning of leaf tips indicates that the soil has become too dry between waterings, leading to the plant dropping leaves. This doesn’t necessarily indicate underwatering, as it could have happened once. Trimming the brown edges can help restore the plant’s health. Brown patches all over the leaves may indicate overwatering, with yellowing often observed. Brown spots in the center of the leaves may be caused by too much direct sunlight, as some plants are sensitive to sunlight and can burn easily. To avoid this, relocate the plant to a location away from direct sunlight.
How often do you water pancake plants?
To maintain a healthy Pilea peperomioides plant, allow the top 2-3 inches of soil to dry between waterings. Deeply water the plant once a week, depending on the amount and quality of light it receives. Drooping leaves indicate water needs, so check soil moisture before watering. Rotate the plant periodically for even growth and clean the leaves frequently for efficient photosynthesis. Inspect the undersides and watch for pests during cleaning and dusting.
Remember that each plant is unique and may have varying needs, especially in their individual locations. Pay attention to the plant’s condition and watering needs to ensure a long and happy relationship.
Why is my pancake plant losing leaves?
Pilea peperomioides, also known as the pancake plant or Chinese money plant, can experience leaf drop in the fall due to cold or wet conditions. To prevent this, move the plant away from the cold micro-climate near a window. The plant may re-grow leaves near the top of the stem, but not all along. Providing ideal growing conditions should result in new leaves when the growing season begins, provided roots have not been damaged. For more information on care routines and other plant problems, refer to the Guide to Pancake Plant Care.
How to maintain a pancake plant?
Pileas, with their small root system, prefer moist conditions but appreciate humidity. Water sparingly, moistening the soil with room temperature water. Allow the top two-thirds of the potting mixture to dry before watering again. Remove run-off water after it drains. In winter, the plant requires less water. Keep the plant in a shallow container with a drain hole, as water vapor from rocks beneath the soil keeps it too moist for the delicate roots. To add humidity, place the container and its run-off dish on top of a tray of wet pebbles, allowing water to evaporate into the leafy area.
Does Pilea purify air?
The Chinese Money Plant, found in China, is known for its ability to quickly remove volatile organic compounds (VOCS) from the air. This plant is ideal for purifying the air and making homes more zen. The Corn Plant, also known as the Dracaena Plant, is known for its ability to absorb VOCs, reducing acetone, a chemical used in nail polish, from the air. The Rubber Plant is also a great remover of formaldehyde and is easy to maintain.
Should I cut brown leaves off?
Brown leaf tips or edges are common in indoor plants, especially spider plants and dracaena. To improve appearance, trim brown portions off the leaves with scissors. However, new browning may occur if the root cause is not addressed. Low humidity is the most likely cause, especially during winter months. Raise humidity levels using a humidifier, pebble tray, terrarium, or grouping plants together. Inconsistent watering or improper fertilization can also cause browning. To prevent further browning, water and fertilize appropriately and avoid excessive salt buildup in the soil.
Why are the leaves on my pancake plant turning yellow?
Pilea plants often experience yellowing due to low humidity and dry soil. To prevent this, it is essential to mist the leaves frequently and place them in bright indirect sunlight. Overwatering is the most common cause of yellowing leaves, especially when the top 25 of the soil in the pot is dry. In winter, allow the plant to dry out slightly between waterings, but boost humidity with regular misting, a humidifier, or pebble tray. When watering, ensure enough liquid flows from the drainage hole and into the saucer, discarding excess water and avoiding standing water.
“Wet feet” can cause roots to rot and lead to plant death. Proper and consistent soil moisture is crucial for Pilea care, as alternating between bone dry and wet soil from ill-timed waterings can create stress and cause the plant to yellow.
How to keep Pilea happy?
The Pilea plant prefers bright to medium indirect light, but can tolerate low light but may lose its vibrant color. Avoid direct sunlight to prevent scorching of leaves. Water when 25-50 percent of the soil volume is dry. Rotate the plant 2-3 times a week to prevent lopsided growth. Water when the top 75 percent of the soil is dry, ensuring liquid flows through the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot. The plant does not require extra humidity, but a generous misting every now and then is appreciated.
📹 How To Care For Pilea Peperomioides | Houseplant Care Tips
Since my Pilea Peperomioides made a cameo appearance on my last video I got a lot of questions on how to care for the Pilea, …
This is the best plant I ever bought! I bought mine at a discount price because it was the last one left at the store and it hadn’t been cared for. It was so wilty and sad. But I revived it like a superhero and it’s thriving now! I live in a condo on the north side of the building and lots of trees in front of the windows, so not much light in this place. But my sweet pilea is doing great on the window sill. So whimsical and brings me so much joy 🙂 Thanks for the tips. I’ll re-pot soon.
I just received this plant, around the same size you first got this one, and it had 6 leaves drop off after shipping. Just put it near a south facing window, and gave it its first water and I can already see the leaves in the middle growing and uncurling! Excited to see how much it grows over the next year now
Hi Christian!! I believe I mentioned to you a few days ago that I just got this plant!! Happily, it had six babies that I was able to separate because I had to repot the Mom!! Unfortunately, some of the leaves broke off and little tiny leaves are starting to emerge, it’s such an amazing plant!! I put the babies right under grow lights to give them a better chance of surviving but my question is… How do you get the saucery leaves SO shiny, yours is just GORGEOUS!!💖🙏🏼🙏🏼
Your pilea is beautiful! My god I don’t know how you’ve managed to hold off on propagating those large pups! I’ve got 7 that I propagated and I love them all. If you prefer the way he looks with all those babies then just sit back and enjoy them that way. I’d say your plant has the look of abundance the way he is! 🌱
“I’m a plantaholic… Just like you! Just kidding! ” are you sure… are you sure you’re just kidding? hm. my 60+ plants would beg to differ. lmao i love your energy towards the hobby, kudos to you! edit: i bought an adansonii and a rhaphidaphora today as well as a golden pothos and a few moonstone succulents 🥴 my addiction 🌱
My best friend gave me one of these about a year ago. It has died on me like 3 times but keeps coming back to life and it amazes me every time! I keep mine on the window above my sink which is south facing and it loves it there. I have moved it and every time I do, all the leaves fall off. I hate it because the sill is not very wide so it’s been in the same 4″ pot and I want to transfer it because it’s been growing a ton of babies that keep dying. I was able to propagate one of the babies for my sister, but I want mine to grow big and beautiful and I don’t know how to get it there!!
Just spectacular! I bought mine from the botanical garden and it flowered and also gave me 3 little plants I took off and planted in smaller pots. It just keeps sending out new plants. I didn’t fertilize and water when I remember. The major problem is yellowish discoloration around the edges. Sunburn or needs fertilizer? Should it stay under complete shade with filtered light from southward facing window? Hope to grow like yours!
I have had to settle on keeping my 2 faves. One is large and bushy style, just let it go wild. The other I’ve really tried to grow upwards and this is why I’ve sought YOU out. It started from a single stem….and got it pretty tall, perfect. Repotted when ready. Then it it got really unmanageable from the top, and sides, I couldn’t trim the stalk or top anymore….
Hi Crazy Plant friend 🙂 Thanks for your amazing and informative articles! I keep learning with you. Hope you can help me with my Pilea, it seems in distress but I am not sure why or what should my next move be. Older leaves are getting yellowish. It is on a south-west facing window. Roots seem healthy and watering is good. Wish you all the best and thanks again
Thanks so much for the info!!! I’m a plant orphan mother…people give me plants and I feel highly obliged to love them and I’m trying not to love them “to death”. Question on this one of mine (his name is Frank and he’s about a year old) He looks okay, not as full as yours so I’m going to take your tips but sometimes when I touch one of the stems it just falls off. Is that normal “older” leaf problem? The rest of the plant seems fine. Happens about once a month. Thanks so much! 🙏🏼
I have this plant and I think I did not pot it in the right soil mix. I did regular potting soil without orchid bark – should I repot it? I do have orchid bark here. My plant also has lots of young babies coming out – at least 4 right now – they are very little so am going to wait before I detach them. Thanks for this article.
I have started feeding my piela plant banana water -which I cut up 2 or 3 banana peels & fill the bottle with water & let set a couple days Then once a week strain that into a cup..so no peels are in the water, & my piela has taken off & growing like crazy…after the first week of this feeding I have baby shoots coming . The plant is so healthy .
Hi Christian. Any idea why the leaves of my pilea are curling?? The leaves are light green, not dark green like yours. I got these 2 pileas from a friend, she didn’t find them pretty anymore and bought new ones. I however know I will get them in better shape. Thanks to you u have a new addiction!! From plantkiller to 20 plants alive haha.
Hey bruh. Just got some pileas and prayer plants added to my collection, bumped into your vids, watched few of it and subbed since I’m also recently obsessed in collecting plants. I noticed in some of your vids you kept mentioning about your soil formula. Would you mind creating a article of how you do create your soil mix? Also, do you put any food plant, such as seaweed, seasol? If yes, how often and how much would you mix it into water, etc?
Hi there… thanks for all of your content! I really learn a lot from your articles. I’ve watched the one you did on propegating pileas and I tried to follow your steps. When I went to look at my cuttings that I had in water today I noticed that instead of roots growing, I had new baby leafs growing instead! That’s cool I guess, lol but I can’t grow a new pilea that way. What did I do wrong? Thanks for your help!
Okay SOS! I learned from this article my pilea probably isn’t getting enough light because the stems of the leaves are quite long and sparse. But another problem I’m having is the leaves closest to the bottom of the big stem keep falling off, they yellow and grow weak and just fall off on their own. Now I’m left with a long, empty stem coming out of the soil but I’m still seeing new growth at the very top. I’m confused and I don’t know how to help! I recently repotted because I noticed he was root bound but I’ve still got this long empty bottom part of the stem sticking out. Would love some tips and tricks!! xoxo
Just purchased a pilea plant, she is a beauty. Question, my daughter bent one of the stems (super hard to have plants with kids) and the leaf is started to brown up, should I snip that guy off ? and if so, from the bottom of the stem ? Also what fertilizer do you use for them? would a liquid fertilizer work?
Question! When you say water 2-3 time right through and allow to dry, do you mean that you’re waiting until you dont see anymore water actively running out of the pot and then popping back into the decorative pot? Im new to plants however more plant care tips I’ve watched for the other plants I have generally say to do this too. I really want to avoid root rot and want to make sure I’m doing this correctly! Hope this question makes sense 🙂
I have a few of these- two were growing like crazy and then stopped. It’s like they haven’t grown in months. My newest one has more than a dozen stems in one six inch pot and I’m wondering if I should propagate because they don’t look too happy. They don’t look bad- they’re green, no brown and no spotting or disease, but they just look “blah.”
Hi Christian, thank you for all you amazing plant articles and advice. I always come back to your articles when I am looking for my next indoor plant baby. I am however having trouble with my pilea Peperomioides. I got this guy about 2 months ago. He is medium size and has two big baby’s in the pot. I have have been careful not to over water. On the last week or so he has gone from deep green leaves to yellow with green vain leaves. Mostly at the bottom. He has grown 5 or 6 new leaves. I am worried about his deep green colour fading. I am in Australia. His terracotta pot in near a north west facing window with sheer curtains to defuse the light. This is the only window I have, the room is med/low to med/high light all day. To you have any ideas how to help my fading pilea Peperomioides?🌱🙏🏼
My Pilea is SO unhappy! She’s always growing but her leaves are often misshapen & the stems all eventually wither at the base of the spindly stalk & drop off. She doesn’t seem to be dying, but she’s DEFINITELY not thriving. I’m normally pretty successful with my plants. (I’m going to re-pot & change the soil in the next few weeks)
My pilea only has leaves at the very top and they’re not very big. The whole plant is about a foot and a half tall. She keeps giving me a baby, but it never gets bigger than 1/4″ before it dies. I water her only when she tells me (container she’s in is very light). I had her on a south wall beside a window but not in front of it. Hopefully I can bring her back!
Hi I follow you on insta and just came across your you tube today! Soo good seeing this article. Thank you so much for the tips. I’ve had my PP is the same pot for a few years and it just grows so slow. Now I will take on board your tips. Fingers crossed 💚 I will tag you when my pilea takes a turn on insta 😊
What do you recommend if the Pilea is not putting out any pups? 🙁 It’s in a south east facing window and is growing tall but still no pups. Should I cut it in half to encourage pup production? I am due to repot as well. My Pilea is still in it’s nursery pot and seems a little dehydrated. I have the premium potting mix, worm castings and cactus soil but no perlite. Do you think I have a good mix or should I purchase the perlite. Thank you for your help! I love my plants, just need some help from the village. <3
Hi Crazy Plant Guy, I acquired this plant a few months ago, and its doing well, already giving out many baby plants. However I’ve noticed white dots embedded in the underside of leaves. I’ve tried washing the leaves but they don’t come off easily. They don’t look like like aphids, gnats or mealybugs or anything I’ve seen before. Any insights?
Hi I recently came across your page and I have a pilea that I’m having a hard time with. I got it about a month ago and slowly the bottom leaves have started to turn from green to yellow and are falling off. I’m not sure if it’s because I moved it from it’s original plastic pot and into a decorative pot that has a drainage hole. I have it on top of my dining table where it’s gets light from the East window so indirect light. Any suggestions on what I could to do to save it?
HELP!!! I put my Pilea Peperomioides outside on a cloudy day to give it a good wash down and I left it out there! The next day was so sunny and when I brought it inside most of the leaves are sunburned and falling off! I am so so sad but what can I do to help or save it? Will leaves grow in where these are falling off? Should I cut the top and let it grow back more even. I don’t know what to do 😭😭😭
This is the one plant I just CANNOT figure out. I have 4 of these all around my flat and it’s all good while they’re small but as they grow at some point I always get curling leaves! I’ve tried everything from watering them more, less, giving them more light, less light… nothing helps. I will have the old leaves perfectly nice and round and all new leaves will be curled. So far I haven’t managed to fix them, they just stay curled. Other than that all 4 pileas grow fantastically – one of them just produced five pups, all nice and healthy-looking. I’ve had no other issues, no pests, just the damn curled leaves. It frustrates me… any ideas what else I could try?
I think I bought mine over watered from Home Depot. I replaced the dense wet soil about a week or two ago but it’s still dropping leaves. Is there any hope? I’m thinking maybe some of the roots are rotten and the plant can’t handle the leaf load it is carrying currently but I’m terrified of losing all the leaves. I have it about four feet away from an east window and have not watered it since replacing the soil (I couldn’t get all the wet soil off the roots). Do you have any tips?
I’ve had my pilea for over a month and just a couple days ago 3 of the new growth leaves turned brown and fell off. Any suggestions on what that could be? I recently moved it to about 6ft back from a North facing window when it was in an East facing window right next to the window. I moved it back in case it was light but I’m worried I over watered.
Hey thanks for the article! I got a baby pilea a few months back, but my pilea is starting to turn yellow and pale, and the stalks on the new leaves are getting shorter and shorter. Any tips on how to improve my plant’s condition? I water my plant once a week, and its under a fluorescent growing light, but its also next to my window which receives lots of indirect sunlight! I’m really scared my pilea is going to die!! :/
Thanks for the article! I got a few recently and they were doing great but suddenly they started to get black on their leaves. I posted around and some people told me to cut them off. On one I cut a lot off and repotted it. Both of them that have black leaves (it’s not just the bottom leaves) are under a covered skylight so they get a lot of filtered light and a LED grow light. The soil is a succulent mix with perlite and I only water when it is really dry. So as of today I still don’t really have a good answer to the black leaves. Any thoughts?
Hi What could be the reason of falling leaves of pilea. When I got the plants it was fine but after 2 weeks started falling off healthy leaves. Is it due to over watering or under watering? I reported the plant with fresh mix containing Coco peat and perlite. The original potting soil seems gets dry very fast and gets compact. I water it once a week after report and this happened. Any idea?
I got ALL the light. Mines been the same size for like 2 years. I’ve tried up-potting, down-potting. Moving closer to the window, moving further away… no change. I’ve fed him! Given him worm castings and root crack… I have no idea what his issue is. He’s aliving like a champ, but isn’t thriving at all.
would you mind making a article on high humidity low light prayer plant i will be purchasing one next week so i want to know how to take care of it coming from an expert like yourself how can i go wrong this plant is also very expensive i say that anything that you acquire needs your full attention if your not taking care of it its like money going down the drain
My Pilea had grown from a small baby into a tall beautiful plant then suddenly the leaves were not growing flat and the leaves on the bottom half of the plant started falling off and pups started growing from where the bottom leaves were. I assumed this is how it grows but I’ve seen no other Pilea that’s doing that. Is this normal? If not What can I do to remedy this?
I have a question. My pilea has tiny tiny white dots on it, is that normal?? I also have lots of tiny fungus knats (I don’t think I spelled that right) but what do you suggest I do for this nasty problem? I have tried the strips and yes it catches them but they still continue to develop. I was thinking maybe I should repot everything to get clean soil on them. Your thoughts??
I was repotting my pilea. It was pretty root bound, and the pot it was in was kind of circular, so it was hard to get the plant out. I ended up unintentionally breaking the main (tap) root off in a couple spots. I’m concerned the plant isn’t going to live now because the root system isn’t big enough for the plant. (Mine is slightly smaller than yours in this article.) Any thoughts or ways to help it? I added a little rooting hormone over it’s “injuries” in hopes that that might help….
You should only be gifted a Chinese money plant. Last Christmas I took 5 pups from mine and gifted them to friends. I wish I had left the pups now as the main plant hasn’t done so well and no more pups 🥲edit I should say my original was a gift. I gave my neighbour a pup and a few months later she sold a camper van and made double what she paid for it $$
Hi there! I have a adorable little 4″ Peperomia Rana that I got about 6 months ago (early spring). When I got it, it was small and compact with many dark green leaves. Over the summer the existing leaves have lightened to a light slightly unhealthy looking green and the stems are a few inches long on the longest ones. It looks like it’s trying to put out new growth around the base but any new leaves just shrivel and turn black. Sometimes even the long stems/leaves turn black and fall off. I water once a week and it gets medium indirect light. I don’t know if I need to prune it or really what to do at all. Please help!