Identified as a succulent, the Chinese Money Plant is a beautiful, unique, and easy-to-grow indoor plant. If you want to know all about Chinese Money Plant care, you've arrived at the right place. Keep reading to learn more about growing a Chinese Money Plant plant care.
Chinese Money plant origins & uses
These spectacular indoor plants are native to the area of Southern China. According to legend, in 1946, a Norwegian missionary called Agnar Espergren brought the plant back home from his home in China and then proceeded to share stem cuttings among his friends. Ever since the 20th century, they've been popular as indoor plants. The Chinese Money Plant is still the easiest to find in Scandinavia, however, they can be difficult to find in your local plant shop depending on your location.
The Money Plant is also commonly used in the interior decorative art of Feng Shui. Feng Shui Money Plants are believed to bring calmness and peace to your home through the Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui, thus it makes for a magical indoor plant.
Money plant appearance & characteristics
What gives the Money Plant its resemblance to real money coins, is their crisp, rich green leaves that seem to overlap. This, in effect, gives the appearance of stacked coins - which is an endearing feature of this plant. If you are looking for a modern houseplant with lucky vibes, then this might just be the plant for you. With a cool, minimalist appearance, Chinese Money Plants are also well suited to container life and grow up to a size of 12 feet.
With its distinctive appearance in the form of green vegetative shoots that end in a single saucer-shaped leaf that can reach 10 cm in diameter, the Chinese Money Plant is a real looker. Generally adored for its unique appearance, this indoor plant has a tendency to create lots of small “daughter plants†that are easily separated from the parent plant.
Propagation is easy through Money Plant leaf cuttings or stem cuttings. When leaves or part of the stem fall, get knocked off or are picked, just wait a day or two for the edges to dry slightly then you just need to push them about one-quarter of the way into fresh moist gritty compost. The feature explained above also makes it a great pick for families and friends. Moreover, what makes the Money Plant such a popular choice is, the fact that it's not easy to care for. In fact, the Pilea peperomioides are easy-care houseplants, given enough love, light, and water.
Upon reaching maturity, the mature plant will reach a maximum height of about 12 inches tall. If you take really good care of your money plant, it will be happy and produce small white flowers on pretty pink stems. You can consider yourself particularly green and lucky if the plant begins to flower and bloom. That means you've done some things right. What you want to achieve, is rich green leaves.
Another sign of healthiness in the Pilea peperomioides is the absence of brown leaves or leaves with brown edges. Alternative commonly called names for the Chinese Money plant include the UFO Plant, the Missionary Plant and the Pancake Plant.
Chinese Money plant lighting requirements
This indoor earthling is shade tolerant, although it prefers moderate to bright indirect light. In light of this, the best light level for this plant often occurs in an east- or west-facing window.
If you want to determine prime lighting conditions for this particular houseplant, you've arrived at the right place.
- You'll know if your window is east-facing if the sun shines directly into your window from early to mid-morning. This exposure provides medium light and is perfect for money plant care.
- If the sun shines directly in your window in the late afternoon and evening, up until sunset, it's west-facing, which is the second best lighting choice for Chinese Money Plants.
- Another factor to keep in mind regarding the level of light is whether or not the light is filtered. Where most succulents do not like bright, direct sunlight, the Pilea peperomioides is no exception.
Money plant watering schedule
You'll know when your Chinese Money Plant needs watering when you have left the soil to dry out long enough. Letting the soil dry is a sure indicator of the correct watering requirements.
This tends to be once every two weeks in summer and monthly in winter, but you can check the condition of the soil moisture by checking it for moistness. Your plants need to be watered regularly, as the plant leaves will start drooping when it gets too thirsty. More growth will occur if you water your money plant regularly, but always be sure to have good drainage.
With the above said, you will want to make sure to avoid overwatering your precious money plants during summer, especially, and keep the soil happy, too. Too much water will halt the growth and cause their stems to become heavier than they ought to be - and also be a potential cause of root rot.
Humidity & temperature
If you want to know how to care for a money plant, The Chinese Money Plant thrives in temperatures between 13 °C and 30 °C. This variety doesn't like to be too chilly, so keep it away from draughty windows and doors. The Pilea Peperomioides require fairly high humidity levels, so be sure to mist it regularly with some fresh H2O.
Feeding
When it comes to fertilizing the UFO Plant, it's strongly advised to avoid overfeeding. Fertilization for the Chinese Money Plant comes recommended once a month while in active growth. Similar to the task of having to avoid overwatering, one must avoid overfeeding.
Potting
The final task in caring for your Money Tree is called potting. When your plant gets crowded in the pot, it's time to transplant it into a larger pot. You'll know it's time to move your plant up to the next size pot when it dries out quickly, when the roots circle around inside the pot, or when there are so many offsets that they're filling the pot.
When potting up a Chinese Money Plant, choose a new pot that's just a few inches larger in diameter than the old pot. Tip the plant out of its old pot and gently loosen the roots. This is especially important if the roots are circling around inside the pot.
Common issues
One common issue could be overwatering which leads to brown leaves, which may lead to pest problems. If you've been struggling to find one of these plants, we've got you sorted in that department! The money plant is friendly to pets and children too! Get your Money Plant today from your friendly nursery. Check out our other house plant options while you're here, too.
