Chinese Money Plant
Pilea peperomioides · Native to Yunnan, China
A cheerful, collectible plant with round, coin-like leaves on slender stalks. Famous as the “pass-it-on plant” for the baby plants it produces, it’s easy, pet-safe, and endlessly shareable.
Available in 6 inchCare
Light
Needs bright light but no direct sunlight, which can scorch its leaves. Rotate it regularly so it grows evenly toward the light.
Water
Use a pot with drainage and a well-draining soil. Let it dry between waterings — if the leaves start to look droopy, it’s ready for a drink.
Feeding & Extras
Fertilize once a year with a time-release fertilizer in spring. A spell of cooler temperatures can encourage tiny white flowers on pink stems.
Details
It produces little plantlets at the roots that can be removed and shared — hence the nickname “pass-it-on plant.”
- ✅ Fun, round, coin-shaped leaves
- ✅ Pet-safe and non-toxic
- ✅ Produces baby plants to share
Size
Available in a 6 inch pot.
Good to Know
🌿 The Chinese Money Plant is considered non-toxic and pet-friendly. Grown for decoration and not meant for human or animal consumption.
Plant Bio
Pilea peperomioides · also called the Pancake, UFO, or Pass-it-on Plant
The Chinese Money Plant is a charming evergreen native to the mountains of southwestern Yunnan, China. Its story is famous among plant lovers: it was carried out of China by a Norwegian missionary in the 1940s and spread across Scandinavia and the world hand-to-hand, from cuttings — long before it was widely sold — which is exactly why it’s nicknamed the “pass-it-on plant.”
Its round, glossy, coin-shaped leaves held out on slender stalks give it a playful, modern look (and inspire its other names: Pancake Plant, UFO Plant, Missionary Plant). It readily produces baby plantlets around its base and roots that you can pot up and give away.
It’s easy: bright, indirect light (rotate it so it grows evenly, since it leans toward the sun), watering once the soil dries a bit, and a well-draining pot. A cool spell can even coax out tiny white flowers on pink stems.
Cheerful, generous, and pet-safe, it’s a wonderful plant to grow and share.
Why the “pass-it-on plant”?
- Famously spread hand-to-hand from cuttings before it hit stores.
- Produces baby plantlets you can pot up and give away.
- Round, coin-like leaves give it a fun, modern look.
- Easy, and non-toxic / pet-friendly.
Note: The Chinese Money Plant is considered non-toxic and pet-friendly. Grown for ornamental purposes and not intended for human or animal consumption.
