Plant Library

Other Names:  Friendship Plant, syn. Pilea mollis

Description:

Radiant, bright green oval leaves with heavily dimpled surfaces and deep copper to black veins ; pinch stem tips to keep plant compact; requires bright indirect light; an excellent tabletop accent for a bright indoor area; great for terrariums

Features & Attributes

Moon Valley Pilea's attractive textured oval leaves emerge chartreuse, turning light green in color with distinctive coppery-bronze veins and tinges of gray throughout the year on a plant with a mounded habit of growth.

This is a dense herbaceous evergreen houseplant with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other indoor plants with less refined foliage. This plant can be pruned at any time to keep it looking its best.

Planting & Growing

When grown indoors, Moon Valley Pilea can be expected to grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 inches. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. This houseplant should only be grown away from direct sunlight or in a room with strong artificial light. It does best in average to evenly moist soil, but will not tolerate standing water. The surface of the soil shouldn't be allowed to dry out completely, and so you should expect to water this plant once and possibly even twice each week. Be aware that your particular watering schedule may vary depending on its location in the room, the pot size, plant size and other conditions; if in doubt, ask one of our experts in the store for advice. It will benefit from a regular feeding with a general-purpose fertilizer with every second or third watering. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soil. Contact the store for specific recommendations on pre-mixed potting soil for this plant.

There are many factors that will affect the ultimate height, spread and overall performance of a plant when grown indoors; among them, the size of the pot it's growing in, the amount of light it receives, watering frequency, the pruning regimen and repotting schedule. Use the information described here as a guideline only; individual performance can and will vary. Please contact the store to speak with one of our experts if you are interested in further details concerning recommendations on pot size, watering, pruning, repotting, etc.

-- THIS IS A HOUSEPLANT AND IS NOT MEANT TO SURVIVE THE WINTER OUTDOORS IN OUR CLIMATE --