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Oh, the glorious Chinese Money plant! With its cute circular leaves and unique form, it’s no surprise it’s one of the most popular house plants around. Money plant care is super easy and notoriously simple to propagate, giving this plant the nickname of the “friendship plant” and the “pass-along plant”. Why? Because so many plant parents love to gift them to friends!
Also known as the missionary plant, UFO plant and pancake plant; believe it or not, these names actually give some lovely insight into its history… Agnar Espegren, a Norwegian missionary, found this species in the Hunan Province in 1945. He took samples of the Pilea peperomioides under his care and brought them to Scandinavia, where the plant eventually spread.
We can’t go on about the Chinese money plant without getting into a little bit of Feng Shui. In Feng Shui, Chinese money plants are believed to attract positive energy, luck, fortune and wealth. We could all do with some of that, right?! The best place to put this plant is in the far left corner of a room, with access to bright and indirect light. That’s because that section of the room is considered to be the wealth and prosperity part of the room. No space on the floor? Try hanging your Chinese Money Plant in a Kokodama!
Although these are low-maintenance plants, you still need a little bit of knowledge up your sleeve to help your plant flourish. Read on to find out how to propagate Money plants and how to properly care for them, plus some top tips you don’t want to miss out on!
Basic Chinese Money Plant Care Tips
1. Lighting
The general rule of green thumb is to never put Chinese Money plants in direct sunlight. It loves natural light, but harsh or direct light can make the leaves change colour and burn them.
For the perfect location, choose a spot by a north-east facing window where it can get ample light. If you’re planning on placing your Money plant in a south-facing room, no problem! Just place it further back into a room. That way, it can still get plenty of bright light without being exposed to harsh direct light.
For proper Money plant care, keep it away from cold draughts and direct heat sauces, such as radiators and heaters. Make sure the room temperature never drops below 10 °C or above 30 °C, so regular room temperature should do perfectly.
2. Soil
Choosing a good soil mix is essential in Money plant care. Well-draining soil is preferred to keep your plant happy. While you can always run to the store to get the ideal potting mix, you can make your own by mixing peat moss, coarse sand and perlite or vermiculite.
If you’re ever unsure about your Money plant's soil, pay attention to its trunk or stem. A soft and mushy trunk with discolouration is a sign that the soil is too moist. This would also likely lead to root rot if you don’t step in to make adjustments.
Top tip: Make sure to place your plant in a pot with proper drainage. That way, you can remove any excess water to avoid root rot and other issues caused by overwatering.
3. Watering
Your Chinese Money plant loves regular watering - about once every 7 days is recommended, depending on how hot it is. During the winter, you’ll only need to water your plant every 10-14 days. Don’t be too worried if the soil looks a little dry. The Chinese Money plant loves dry soil and HATES sitting in soggy soil. Keeping the soil dry between waterings may also prevent root rot and prevent pesky fungus gnats.
4. Fertilising
Sure, fertiliser can be beneficial for Pilea peperomioides care. Using a diluted fertiliser once a month from early spring to late summer is great for keeping your Money plant cared for and happy. However, if you’re repotting your plant with fresh soil every year, you don’t need to worry too much. Just let Mother Nature run her course!
How to Propagate Money Plants
We mentioned at the beginning of this blog how the Money plant is frequently gifted and shared. You’d be right in thinking that it’s a very popular house plant! But, ironically, the Money plant is actually considered to be endangered in its wild habitat. The Chinese Money plant is still considered an ornamental plant in China, regardless.
So, let’s get into how to propagate Chinese Money plants. There are actually two ways you can do this.
1. Propagation from Baby Money Plants
This method is very easy! If you have a thriving, happy plant, some seedlings or baby Money plants may pop up in your pot. These will be small plants growing outside of your main mother plant.
Just take those babies, remembering to mind their roots, from their current pot and plant them into a new home. Remembering all your basics, care for them similar to how you would the mother plant.
Some also recommend placing these babies in a glass jar with water if they don’t have their roots just yet. Only submerge the stem or shoots of the little plant. Once roots have started to grow, transfer them into a clean pot with some fresh soil.
2. Propagation from Long-Stemmed Leaf Cuttings
You can also grow a new Money plant by cutting off a long-stemmed leaf using a clean knife and allowing it to grow in a separate container. Similar to growing rootless shoots, place the cutting in a glass jar with clean water. After a few days, roots will hopefully start to grow. When taking a leaf cutting, make sure you cut it right from the base. It’s even better if you cut a little bit of the brown stem from the mother plant.
When your stem cutting has grown roots, do transfer it to a clean pot with some fresh soil and give it enough water so the bottom is submerged.
Additional Chinese Money Plant Care Tips
1. Remember to Clean Your Plant
The Chinese Money plant is a wonderful indoor plant because of its air-purifying capabilities. That said, it may get a little dusty. Take a clean cloth and wipe down its leaves when needed - and do so gently!
2. Use Clean Tools and Accessories
One of the main things to take away from our How to Propagate Money Plants section is the use of clean tools. We keep mentioning it! Clean water, a clean knife and other clean tools give your plant the best chance to thrive.
3. Pay Attention
You could read all the books, scan through blogs, and listen to the advice of others, but if you don’t pay attention to the Chinese Money plant in front of you, it will all be for nothing!
Pay attention to the colour, the soil, the pot… these will all tell you if you need to make any Pilea peperomioides care adjustments!
In Conclusion
Keep sharing Chinese money plants and, who knows, you might spread a little luck! Speaking of, this Green Plants Kokodama Bundle includes one Chinese Money Plant and White Rabbit’s Foot Fern. These are two lucky picks if you ask us!
Happy planting! We hope this has been informative and helpful in your quest to find the best Money plant care tips. If you’d like to learn more, peruse the site. You might find another interesting read or guide that can help you!
