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Pilea Flower Wikimedia Commons
Urticaceae

Pilea Flower

Pilea peperomioides

Friendship, sharing, and good fortune.

Family
Urticaceae
Genus
Pilea
Native to
Yunnan province, China
Bloom season
Spring
Type
herbaceous perennial
Height
20–30 cm
Sunlight
bright indirect light
Soil
well-drained, peat-based
Water
moderate; allow to dry between waterings
Hardiness
10–12
Lifespan
perennial; 10+ years indoors

Did you know

  • Known as the 'friendship plant' because it produces abundant offsets that owners share with friends.
  • A Norwegian missionary brought it from China in 1946, and it spread across Scandinavia by cuttings alone for decades.
  • It was not formally identified by Western botanists until 1978, despite being a popular houseplant for thirty years.
  • Its tiny flowers are rarely noticed because growers keep it for the distinctive coin-shaped leaves.
  • Some Pilea species in the stinging nettle family can explosively release pollen clouds — earning the name 'artillery plant'.

Color meanings

White

generosity and communal spirit

Pale Green

fresh starts

Uses

  • houseplant
  • desk plant
  • gift plant
  • terrariums