Pilea peperomioides is the easiest houseplant to propagate, as it throws out baby plants from its roots and along its stem, and these can be separated and grown on with a very high success rate.
Look at the compost around the base of the plant. You will often see small plantlets, or pups, pushing up through the soil. These are already attached to the parent's root system, which is why this method works so reliably.
- Wait until a pup is at least 5 to 7cm tall with a few leaves of its own.
- Follow its stem down into the soil and cut it away from the parent root with a clean, sharp blade, keeping as many of its own roots as you can.
- Pot straight into a small pot of free-draining mix and water lightly.
Because these pups arrive with roots, they rarely sulk. Grow them in the same conditions as the parent, in bright indirect light. For the mix, work from our substrate range; Pilea wants something that drains freely rather than a heavy, water-holding compost.
Baby Plantlets on the Stem
Older plants also produce plantlets higher up the main stem. These have no roots yet, so give them a short rooting step.
- Cut the plantlet away from the stem with a clean blade, taking a small sliver of the main stem if you can.
- Root it in a glass of water, changing the water every few days, or set it into damp mix.
- Once it has a few centimetres of root, pot it into free-draining mix.
Water rooting is popular because you can watch progress, but soil-rooted plants often transition more smoothly. Our tip on propagating directly in soil weighs up both.
Stem Cuttings From a Leggy Plant
If your Pilea has grown a tall, bare trunk, you can behead it and root the top. Cut cleanly across the stem, remove the lowest leaves, and root the top section in water or damp mix. The stump left behind will usually push out fresh side shoots, so you end up with two plants. This works because there is a growth node on the stem, and understanding what a node is and why it matters makes every propagation method easier.
Water or Soil: Which Is Better?
Both methods work well for Pilea. Rooted soil offsets need no water step at all and are the fastest, most reliable route. Stem plantlets and cuttings can go either way. Water lets you see roots forming, which is reassuring, but roots grown in water are slightly more delicate when moved to soil. Whichever you choose, keep the cutting warm and in bright indirect light, and do not let it sit in stale water, which is the main reason cuttings rot in water.
When is the best time to propagate Pilea?
Spring and summer are the best times to propagate, when the parent is in active growth. Offsets can establish in two to three weeks; stem cuttings take a little longer. Keep new plants lightly moist, not wet, and hold off on feeding until they show fresh growth.