Meet Pilea Peperomioides

Jane got her first Pilea plant back in 2004 from her friend Charlotte (who later became our awesome Office Manager). That's when her love for this unusual little plant began, thus planting the metaphorical seed for the rest of us here at Sugru HQ that has developed into a fully fledged obsession. 

Pilea may be having it's moment as of late - it's basically a Pinterest and Instagram celebrity - but thanks to Jane and Charlotte being early adopters, we've long coveted this fascinating potted favourite.

If you've never heard about Pilea, its an indoor plant, also known as the 'Chinese money plant', that was brought into Europe sometime in the 1940s by a Norwegian missionary on his way back from China. He started gifting the easy-to-propagate leaves to friends and family who in turn began to grow and gift pieces of the plant as well. The plant soon made its way across the continent and the rest of the world! What's so special about it is that Pilea has managed to survive (and in fact, garner a cult following in the process) without being sold commercially. 

We (and Jane, of course) love its irregular shape and beautiful silhouette. If you're an indoor plant fanatic, this little gem is one to add to your collection. It's minimalistic and modern, plus easy to maintain and propagate. It's super rare to find these in garden centres or botanical shops, making it a truly unique houseplant that you'll want to keep forever and share with your nearest and dearest. 

Pileas love indirect light, so make sure you put it somewhere bright. That being said, don’t be tempted to put it on the windowsill for any length of time. Make sure your pot of choice has drainage holes at the bottom. It's recommended to water them once a week, but this depends on the room and the soil's conditions. 

Pilea tends to send all its leaves in one direction, so it's a good idea to give it help in order to create your preferred silhouette. Jane created these little Sugru Mouldable Glue supports to help the plant stand tall and keep on thriving. 

If you want to propagate your Pilea, it's simple. The plant loves to poke babies up out of the dirt, so when they appear, cut each little plantlet with a sharp knife. You can either keep them in water for a bit or put them straight into soil.  After about a month, they will have anchored in the soil and will begin to sprout their brand new leaves! 

Are you a Pilea Peperomioides owner? Share your Pilea plant-caring tips with us over on social - tag @sugru on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter so that we can share it with the rest of our community!