We love a good pilea plant, an on-trend indoor plant that even Joanna Gaines is a fan of [1]. Pilea plants, otherwise known commonly as the Chinese money plant, are beautiful houseplants that are distinguishable by their small, flat leaves that grow in clusters. They love indirect sunlight, and look good up on a shelf or placed as a decoration on a table. They're basically a dream plant [2].
Although pileas are generally easy to care for, you can still sometimes run into a few hurdles. Christopher Satch, the in-house plant scientist and head of education at The Sill [3], gave us some expert advice for when these obstacles arise. Read on to learn more!
POPSUGAR: Should I put my pilea plant in direct sunlight?
Christopher Satch: Like all plants, pileas "eat the sunlight," so making sure that they get at least some direct sun exposure, even for an hour or two, is important. However, don't cook it too much with direct sun. Pileas should get no more than four to five hours of direct sun. Partially obstructed sunlight is fine, and ambient light is fine as well.
PS: When should I water my pilea? Do they like to be spritzed?
CS: Like other plants, water when the soil is dry. Don't know when? Feel the soil an inch deep. If it's dry, then water. And do not spritz your pilea. These plants don't care about humidity that much.
PS: And how often should I fertilize?
CS: Fertilize about once a month.
PS: Why are the edges of my plant's leaves curling?
CS: Pilea leaves curl down at the edges with irregular waterings – it got too dry for too long. To fix this, water more frequently.
PS: Some of my plant's leaves are drooping — why is this happening?
CS: Older pilea leaves will droop! Your plant isn't sad, that's just what it does! If newer leaves droop, then it needs more water or light.
PS: Should I separate my pilea plants, or keep them all together in one pot?
CS: You can separate the babies when they're two inches tall, or leave them on.
PS: As my pilea plant gets older, its leaves are lowering, is this normal?
CS: Pileas drop the lower leaves with age, so don't fret.
PS: What does it mean if the roots are poking above the soil?
CS: In general, it depends on the plant. For epiphytes like orchids and air plants, and semi-epiphytes like monsteras, roots above the soil is normal. Epiphytes have what're called aerial roots, which are the roots above the soil. You can leave these be, but be sure to spritz them if it's an orchid or air plant. For terrestrial plants like pileas, roots coming out of the top or the bottom of the pot means it's time to repot into a larger pot.
PS: What do brown spots on the leaves mean? Is my plant dying?
CS: Most of the time, no. Remember, plants are living things. Just like we get sick, they get sick too. Occasionally, they will get a brown spot on their leaves if their leaves stay too wet for too long. Most of the time, it's a minor infection, but sometimes it could be serious, especially if it starts to spread into the plant. If it spreads, it's something to cut off. If it doesn't spread, it's no big deal. Pay attention to be sure that it's a fungus and not another thing that's wrong with the plant like under-watering.
PS: How can I speed up growth?
CS: More light and fertilizer! If your plant doesn't receive direct sunlight, it should at least get a tickle of direct sunlight. If it already gets some, then give it more.
