Chinese Money Plants are the ideal plants for propagating. In fact, they even help make the process incredibly simple by producing little plantlets. There are several ways to propagate Chinese Money Plants successfully, and we’ll go through them below.
Find out more on the money plant at Gardeners Dream
About The Chinese Money Plant
Most commonly referred to as the Chinese Money Plant, Pilea peperomioides is also known as Pancake Plant, Pass-It-On Plant, UFO Plant, Friendship Plant, or Missionary Plant. They are said to bring prosperity and good fortune, so make an ideal gift for an engagement or housewarming.
Native to southern China, Pilea peperomioides is a bushy evergreen perennial houseplant boasting large long-stalked leaves. The rich green foliage is coin-shaped (hence the name) and overlaps each other to create a striking effect.
Money plants are non-toxic and safe to have around pets and children. They also purify the air, removing harmful elements from the room.
Chinese Money Plant Care
Money Plants are low-maintenance plants that are easy to care for. They pretty much look after themselves, making them an ideal choice for new plant parents.
Light
Chinese Money plants prefer bright indirect light. They will tolerate partial shade but thrive best in a well-lit spot. Strong direct sunlight can scorch their large leaves, so place them away from windows.
Watering
Your Chinese Money plant will appreciate being watered around once a week during the growing season and once a fortnight during its dormant phase. The soil should be moist but not soggy or water-logged, so let the top layer dry out before watering again. Let any excess water escape from the drainage holes before placing the plant back in position. Help prevent root rot from becoming a problem by not letting the plant stand in water.
Humidity
Humidity is great for Friendship Plants, which is why they are often spotted in kitchens and bathrooms. If you’d rather keep your plant in a dryer room of the house, be sure to mist it with water regularly. Alternatively, you can place the pot on a tray full of pebbles and water, which fakes a humid environment.
Feeding
Feeding isn’t essential for Chinese Money plant care, but applying an all-purpose feed during the growing season will help your plant flourish. If you’d like to take stem or leaf cuttings for propagation, feeding the parent plant will boost the success of the baby plant. You may be lucky enough to witness delicate flowers appear on the main plant too.
Are Money Plants Easy To Propagate?
The common names Pass-It-On Plant and Friendship Plant actually come from how easy Money Plant propagation is. Traditionally, this wasn’t the easiest plant to find in shops or nurseries. However, it was often propagated and passed between family and friends. So, yes, Chinese Money plants are quite easy to propagate.
These days Money Plants have become incredibly popular and are much easier to come by. However, propagating them is still common, which is hardly surprising considering how well they lend themselves to creating new plants.
How To Propagate A Chinese Money Plant
There are 2 main ways in which a Chinese Money Plant can be propagated:
Stem and leaf cuttings
Plantlets or ‘babies’
Propagate Money Trees From Cuttings
If your plant hasn’t yet produced any plantlets, you can still propagate using stem cuttings. These can be rooted in water or soil. The best time of year for main stem propagation is in early spring. The parent plant will be actively growing, and the baby plant will have plenty of time to grow strong before autumn.
Choose a healthy-looking stem with a few leaves on it and use secateurs or a sharp knife to take the stem cutting. Make the cut a few inches below the leaf so that plenty of bare stems are left.
Place the stem upright in a container of water – a clear glass is best so you can monitor progress. Rainwater is best, but tap water is fine as long as it’s been left out overnight before use. Immerse as much of the stem as possible in water without the leaves getting wet. Settle the cutting into a bright spot out of direct sunlight and keep an eye on the water levels, topping up when required.
You should notice a new root system beginning to develop after a couple of weeks or so. Once the new roots reach around an inch long, the plant is ready to be potted in soil.
Propagate Money Plants From Plantlets
Chinese Money Plants are self-propagated by producing plantlets – also known as offshoots or plant babies. These often pop up from the soil alongside a parent plant but can also emerge from the stems of a mature Pilea.
Soil Offshoots
These teeny tiny baby plants have their own root system intact, which means you need to be careful when removing them from the parent plant. Wait until the new plant has a few leaves on it, then carefully use your fingers to remove soil from around it and untangle the roots, which often get caught up with the parent plant. Use a sharp knife to cut the baby plant off.
Once you’ve successfully removed the plant babies, you can go ahead and pot them up straight away. They already have their own little root systems that will continue to develop in the soil.
Water the new plants well, make sure the pot has plenty of drainage holes, and place them in bright indirect light. Placing a plastic wrap over the plant will help seal in humidity but isn’t essential. You’ll notice new growth in just a few weeks when the plant is ready to be moved into a larger pot.
Stem Offshoots
These cheeky little pups grow directly from the mother plant’s stem, and you’ll notice them peeking out between the foliage.
When they’ve reached a size big enough to survive on their own, cut the offshoot away from the main plant, being careful not to damage either stem. Like cuttings, stem plantlets can be rooted in water, but they’ll also develop roots if placed straight into the soil. Obviously, you can’t monitor the plant’s development under the soil, but you’ll know it has been successful when you notice new leaves starting to grow.
Allowing the plant babies to develop roots in water lets you keep an eye on how well it’s doing, and you should be able to move the plant into the soil in just a few weeks. As with cuttings, the roots will take around a month to reach an appropriate length (around an inch) for potting.
How Can I Get My Money Plant To Propagate Faster?
Chinese Money Plants are relatively quick to develop a root system. There isn’t really much you can do to further speed up the process.
However, ensuring your new plants are positioned in bright indirect light and meeting their watering needs will help them flourish. Keep the soil lightly moist but ensure it is well drained to prevent root rot.
Compared to many other plants, Chinese Money Plant propagation isn’t at all complicated. With a healthy mother plant, even new plant parents can create fine daughter plants with just a little green-thumbed touch.
