Propagating the Chinese Money Plant (Pilea Peperomioides)

The Chinese Money Plant is a little propagation machine. Not only is it super easy to care for, it also grows lots of baby plants you can replant.

Is your Pilea, as it's officially called, growing out of its pot? Then it's time to grab your scissors and get started.

Start by cleaning your scissors or knife.

Run them under hot water and dry with a clean cloth. Then disinfect with alcohol to avoid spreading bacteria or moulds.

Take the plant and any baby offshoots carefully out of the pot. Remove the old soil gently so you can see the roots. This way you’ll avoid damaging the roots of both the main plant and the baby plant.

Gently detach the offshoot from the mother plant. If it doesn’t come off easily, use your scissors to cut it off close to the base.

Got some rooting powder? Apply it to the fresh cut ends of both the offshoot and the mother plant. Let it dry thoroughly.

No rooting powder? No problem. You can still propagate your plant successfully, although rooting powder may help speed up root growth.

Place the cutting in a glass of water. Make sure no leaves are touching the water. If needed, trim the lower leaves.

Change the water weekly and rinse the glass to keep things clean. You should see root growth within two weeks.

Once the roots are around five centimetres long, you can plant the cutting in fresh potting soil.

• Best time: spring to early autumn

• Light: lots of indirect sunlight

• Water: keep soil slightly moist

• Note: only use cuttings with some roots

• Tip: change water weekly and keep the glass clean

Yes, as long as there’s a root or visible growth node on the shoot, you can propagate it.

When the roots are about five centimetres long and feel strong, it’s ready for potting.

These tips are based on our own experience with propagating. All methods are tested in our plant nursery and work well for beginners too.

Want to explore more propagation tips? Check out our other step-by-step plant guides.