Care Tips, Propagation Methods, and Indoor Growing Guide
Whether you’re into Feng Shui or just like funky houseplants with flair, adding a Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides) to your collection makes cents. Its flat, coin-shaped leaves bring a whimsical charm—and a bit of prosperity—into any space. Beyond the aesthetic appeal, these plants are incredibly low-maintenance and rewarding to propagate, making them favorites for beginners and seasoned plant lovers alike.
I’ve grown Chinese money plants for years, and they’ve taught me a lot about what makes them thrive indoors. In this guide, I’ll share practical care tips, propagation tricks, troubleshooting advice, and more to help your coin plants flourish.
About Chinese Money Plants
Known as UFO plants, coin plants, or pancake plants, Chinese money plants are instantly recognizable by their round leaves and upright growth habit. Their central stems gradually turn woody as they age, and indoors they can grow impressively wide and tall with proper care.
Native to China’s high-altitude woodlands, Pilea peperomioides belongs to the Urticaceae (nettle) family—but unlike its prickly relative stinging nettle, it’s entirely pet-safe. In the wild, the plant grows up to 12 inches tall and wide, often producing offsets or “pups” at its base. Indoors, it can grow even larger with proper care. Although endangered in its natural habitat, the species is widely available at nurseries and among plant enthusiasts.
I like to display my Chinese money plants in terracotta pots surrounded by houseplants with more classically shaped leaves, as I find this highlights the money plant’s unique look and vibe. They also pair beautifully with other round-leaved plants like string of pearls or watermelon peperomias. Occasionally, a happy Chinese money plant will produce clusters of tiny pink or white flowers in spring, though the leaves alone are the main attraction indoors.
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Growing
Money plants can be displayed in terracotta, plastic, or ceramic pots, just like any other houseplant. But these adaptable plants can also be grown in terrariums as long as you can find a terrarium that’s big enough to house them. Chinese money plants require the same basic care as standard tropical houseplants, but their leaves and stems break easily, so you’ll want to handle them with care if you move your plants around!
Fertilizer
Gardening Products
Pests/Diseases
Chinese money plants are more likely to develop pests if they’re not given the right care. Or, if you bring your plant outdoors in the summer, insects may hitchhike their way inside.
- Pests, like scale insects, mealybugs, and spider mites, sometimes feed on the leaves; manage with organic insecticidal soap sprays. Fungus gnats may also invade if soil gets too soggy so don’t overwater.
- Yellowing and browning leaves, as well as leaf drop, may occur when plants are overwatered, underwatered, or not receiving enough light.
- Leaves with brown, dry edges may indicate that your plants need more humidity.
- Curling or deformed leaves often mean that money plants need more calcium. You can correct this issue by fertilizing your plants with a calcium-rich fertilizer or blending some pulverized eggshells into your potting mix.
Propagation
Chinese money plants are nicknamed the “friendship plant” for a good reason. These plants are one of the easiest plants to propagate and share with friends! You can do this through stem and leaf cuttings, but I find the easiest way to grow new Chinese money plants is from offsets.
Mature money plants will eventually produce babies or offsets around their base.
- When the offsets are a few inches tall, carefully excavate some of the soil around the baby plant’s roots and tease it apart from its mother. You may need to use a sharp knife to separate some of the roots.
- If your plant produced a lot of offsets, it’s often easier to de-pot the parent plant and gently shake the soil until the offsets begin to separate from their parent.
- Once you’ve separated the baby money plants, repot them in their own growing containers with a well-draining potting mix, water well, and care for them just like the parent plant.
Seasonal Care
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