Soleirolia soleirolii Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Mind Your Own Business (Baby's Tears)

Soleirolia soleirolii

£5.99
Hardy in the UKShade-tolerant
Pot size
11cm / 0.75L £5.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Soleirolia soleirolii, universally known as mind your own business or baby's tears, is the ultimate living carpet for cool, shady corners. This dense, mat-forming groundcover is woven from thousands of tiny, bright-green leaves on fine creeping stems, and it flows over soil, stone and the base of pots like soft green water. A member of the nettle family (Urticaceae), it is grown purely for that lush emerald texture, the perfect low, tactile foil to bolder architectural planting.

Reliably hardy in most of the UK (RHS H4), it holds its fresh colour for much of the year. In a hard frost the delicate foliage can be knocked back, but this is only skin deep: the plant regrows briskly from the base as soon as milder weather returns, quickly reknitting into an unbroken carpet. For a sense of how our outdoor plants move through the seasons, see our guide on what to expect from hardy exotics.

It is superb threaded between paving and stepping stones, edging a shady path, or used as living groundcover beneath ferns and other exotic border plants. It also makes a wonderful green skirt around the base of specimens in pots and containers and is one of the most reliable carpeting choices among our plants for shade. Do give it room, as this is a genuinely vigorous spreader; simply clip or pull back the edges any time to keep it exactly where you want it.

A brilliant texture plant and an easy way to soften hard landscaping, Soleirolia sits right at home in our wider hardy exotics range. Every plant we supply is nursery-grown, selected for a healthy, well-rooted mat and packed with care to arrive in superb condition.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

Find out more

What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Mind Your Own Business (Baby's Tears)

Plant me in full sun and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Mind Your Own Business (Baby's Tears)

Soleirolia soleirolii needs full sun or partial shade or full shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −10°C, standing an average UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Pots & Containers Shade

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H4 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −10°C

hardy in most of Britain; frost-nipped patches regrow from the base in spring.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeFull shadeNorth-facingEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingExposedSheltered

cool partial or full shade is ideal; it will take some sun only where the soil stays reliably moist.

Soil

ChalkClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

any moisture-retentive soil, from chalk to clay, across the full pH range, as long as it never dries out completely.

Watering

Keep the soil consistently moist while the plant knits together, watering in dry spells so the carpet never crisps at the edges. Once established it largely looks after itself in a shady spot; simply clip or pull back the spreading edges whenever you want to keep it in bounds. Read moreShow less

Keep the soil consistently moist while the plant knits together, watering in dry spells so the carpet never crisps at the edges. Once established it largely looks after itself in a shady spot; simply clip or pull back the spreading edges whenever you want to keep it in bounds.

Mature size

Height5-10 cm
Spread0.5-1 m

Reaches full size in 2-5 years

Growth habit

Spreading/groundcover

Flowering

Jun-Aug

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

Just clip or pull back the edges any time to keep it where you want it; frost-nipped patches regrow quickly in spring.

Toxicity

No reported toxicity to people or pets; generally considered non-toxic and safe for family gardens.

Native range

W. Mediterranean

Family

Urticaceae

Also known as

Soleirolia soleirolii

Genus

Soleirolia
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is mind your own business hardy outdoors in the UK?

Yes. Soleirolia soleirolii is hardy across most of Britain (RHS H4). A hard frost can scorch the tiny leaves, but the plant regrows quickly from the base in spring, so it soon reknits into a fresh green carpet. In colder or very exposed gardens a light mulch of leaf litter over winter gives extra reassurance.

Does mind your own business spread, and can I keep it in check?

It is a vigorous, fast-spreading groundcover, which is exactly what makes it such a good living carpet. It roots as it creeps, so give it room and it will happily fill a shady area. Keeping it in bounds is easy: simply clip or pull back the edges at any time of year, and lift any stray pieces that stray where you do not want them.

Does baby's tears grow well in shade?

Shade is where it thrives. Cool, moist partial or full shade keeps the foliage lush and bright green, which is why it is one of our favourite plants for shade. It tolerates some sun only where the soil never dries out, as hot, dry positions can scorch the delicate leaves.

Where is the best place to plant it?

It is superb threaded between paving and stepping stones, softening the edges of a shady path, or carpeting the ground beneath ferns and other exotic border plants. It just needs soil that stays reliably moist and a position out of harsh midday sun.

Can I grow mind your own business in pots and containers?

Absolutely. It makes a wonderful green skirt around the base of specimen plants in pots and containers, and looks lovely spilling over the rim of a bowl or trough. Keep the compost moist and stand it somewhere shady for the freshest colour.

Is Soleirolia soleirolii safe for pets and children?

Yes. Despite belonging to the nettle family, mind your own business does not sting and has no reported toxicity to people or pets, so it is a safe, tactile choice for family gardens. As with any plant, it is best not eaten.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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£5.99