Close-up of a round green leaf of Pilea peperomioides on white background

Pilea peperomioides baby plant in a nursery pot on white background

Pilea peperomioides foliage close-up on white background

Pilea peperomioides plant with round green leaves in a nursery pot on white background

Pilea peperomioides plant with round green leaves in a nursery pot against a white background

Urticaceae

Pilea peperomioides

Chinese Money Plant

5 for 4Pet Friendly

Pilea peperomioides has round glossy leaves on long stalks radiating around an upright stem. Basal pups can form additional crowns around the main plant.

Read full guide to Pilea peperomioides

€9,75

VAT included · plus

Choose a size

M Pot Ø 12 cm · approx. 20 cm tall

Variant

Sizes are approximate. Height is measured from the bottom of the pot to the top of the plant; diameter at the widest point.

4.6/5 store rating · 20,000+ customers served

Hand-checked before shipping

28-day plant guarantee

Tracked shipping

Care at a glance

Pilea peperomioides

Light

Bright indirect • approx. 10,000–20,000 lux

Watering

Water when ~30–50% dry

Substrate

Aerated • Moisture-buffered • Balanced organic + mineral • Medium

Temperature

Ideal: 18–24 °C • Avoid below: 10 °C

Humidity

Average 40–50%

Growth habit

Upright clumping herbaceous perennial.

Support

not needed

Growth speed

Average

Cultivated size guide

Height: 45 cm • Spread: 45 cm

Toxicity & safety

Non-toxic

Origin & habitat

Native to China (southwestern Sichuan, western Yunnan)

Outdoor growing

Outside from 10 °C · sheltered spot

How to read these values

These care values give practical guidance for growing the plant. Adjust care for pot size, substrate, temperature and how quickly the substrate dries.

For more detail, read the full product description or visit our Plant Care Guides.

Light: level and approximate lux at leaf level.
Watering: “% dry” shows how far the substrate should dry before watering again.
Substrate: structure, drainage, moisture retention, base material and particle size.
Temperature: “Ideal” shows the preferred range; “Avoid below” marks the cold-stress threshold.
Humidity: target range; steady conditions usually matter more than exact numbers.

Growth habit: how the plant grows, such as upright, climbing, trailing, clumping or rosette-forming.
Support: whether a stake, pole or trellis is needed, optional or unnecessary.
Growth speed: expected pace under suitable growing conditions; use as a guide, not a promise.

Cultivated size guide: approximate dimensions for an established plant in the stated growing context. Height is measured upwards from the growing surface; foliage height excludes flower stems. Trailing length follows a stem, while foliage drop is the vertical distance from the crown to the lowest leaf tips. Spread is the width of the leafy plant or crown, not an individual leaf. Flowering height includes the flower stems. A container guide applies to pot-grown plants; an in-ground guide applies to plants rooted in the ground. Size also depends on age, conditions, pot space and training.

These figures do not describe the size supplied and are not fixed upper limits.

Toxicity & safety: irritation, toxicity or physical hazards such as spines or bristles.
Origin & habitat: native range, hybrid background or typical habitat where relevant.
Outdoor growing: when a potted indoor plant can be placed outside and what outdoor protection it needs.

Pilea peperomioides

The fleshy leaves are almost circular, with each long stalk joining close to the centre of the blade. They are held at different angles around the main stem, creating a light, open crown.

The plant grows upright and also produces pups from the base. Older stems show the scars of fallen leaves, while new pups can develop into extra crowns and gradually turn a single-stemmed plant into a clump.

Foliage, size and growth of Pilea peperomioides

Typical size: About 20–30 cm tall and wide indoors.
Leaves: Round, glossy leaves are often around 10 cm across when mature.
Growth: An upright stem can produce pups around the base and gradually form a fuller clump.
Flowers: Small white to pinkish flower spikes are possible, though uncommon indoors.

Origin & background

Natural origin of Pilea peperomioides

Pilea peperomioides is native to southwestern Sichuan and western Yunnan in China, where it grows on shaded, moist rocks in forests at about 1,500–3,000 m. Norwegian missionary Agnar Espegren brought a living plant home from China in 1946 and shared pups with other growers, helping the species spread through Scandinavia and later across Europe.

Plant care

Growing Pilea peperomioides at home

Light: Bright indirect light keeps the stem compact. Turn the pot regularly as new leaves open.
Temperature range: Keep it around 18–24 °C. Protect it from prolonged temperatures below 10 °C.
Room conditions: Use 50–60% as the normal humidity range. Keep the plant away from cold draughts and strong heat sources.
Watering: Let the surface begin to dry and lift the pot to judge how much moisture remains. Water thoroughly, then empty any water left in a saucer or outer pot.
Potting mix: Use a loose houseplant mix with reliable drainage. A pot only slightly wider than the roots is easy to manage.
Feeding: Feed lightly while leaves and pups are developing.
Shape: Support an older leaning stem with a loose tie to a slim stake, or leave the pups in place for a fuller clump.
Repotting cue: Repot when roots crowd the container, the mix has deteriorated or drains slowly, or the clump becomes unstable. Keep the same pot size if roots still have room, refreshing the mix or improving stability instead.
Propagation: Start new plants from rooted pups or healthy stem cuttings.

Issues & solutions

Problems and solutions for Pilea peperomioides

The stem stretches and the gaps between leaves widen: Light is too low. Move the plant to brighter indirect light and rotate it as new growth develops.
Lower leaves yellow while the stem base becomes soft: Yellowing lower leaves and a soft stem base in persistently wet mix warrant checking the roots. Dark or brown tissue is not automatically rotten. Keep every firm root and sound stem section intact, removing only mushy, hollow or foul-smelling decay with disinfected tools. Repot viable rooted growth in fresh, airy mix if the old substrate is damaged.
Dark spots continue to spread across the leaves: Dark leaf spots may follow persistent leaf wetting, physical damage or infection. Check whether the marks actually spread before removing any leaf. Water the mix directly and improve gentle airflow; isolate actively spreading damage and remove only severely affected or clearly decaying tissue.
Fine pale stippling or webbing develops: Spider mites may be feeding on the leaves. Check the undersides, isolate the plant once confirmed and use a treatment labelled for spider mites on indoor ornamental plants, repeating it as directed on the label.
Cottony clusters or fixed brown bumps appear on stems and leaf stalks: Mealybugs or scale insects are likely. Confirm which pest is present, isolate the plant and use a treatment labelled for that pest on indoor ornamental plants, repeating it as directed on the label.

Safety

Pilea peperomioides: precautions for people and pets

Pilea peperomioides is widely regarded as low risk for cats and dogs, although eating decorative plant material can still cause stomach upset. Keep it out of reach of children or pets that frequently chew houseplants.
Chewing a large amount can still cause an upset stomach.
If a large amount is eaten and symptoms continue, contact a veterinarian or medical professional.

Names & etymology

What does Pilea peperomioides mean, and who first published it?

Pilea alludes to a felt cap through Latin pileus, referring to the small cap-like flower structure over its dry fruit. Peperomioides means Peperomia-like and refers to round leaves carried on stalks fixed close to their centre.

John Lindley established the genus Pilea in 1821 in Collectanea Botanica, plate 4.

Friedrich Ludwig Emil Diels first described Pilea peperomioides in 1912 in Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, volume 5, page 292.

Plant names, growth habits, natural habitats and indoor care guidance are checked against trusted botanical, habitat and horticultural references before publication.View our plant care resources and references.