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Houseplants

Pilea

friendship plant

Pilea are a species of compact, easy-to-grow, flowering annuals or evergreen perennials with a trailing habit and slightly succulent stems. The foliage is simple and rounded with attractively marked, variegated or textured leaves and can be green, bronze, silver or white. Pilea rarely bloom, but if they do these blooms appear in sprays of bright green buds, opening to pink or white flowers in spring or summer. Some varieties make an ideal terrarium or bottle garden plant. Images show Pilea spruceana and Pilea peperomioides

Other common names

creeping Charlie
stingless nettle

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Plant nurseries
2 suppliers

Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

H1A

Botanical details

Family: Urticaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Trailing
Genus: Pilea can be annuals or evergreen perennials with slightly succulent stems, simple, often attractively marked or textured leaves and insignificant, pinkish flowers
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in standard houseplant compost in bright, indirect light, with high humidity and protection from draughts. Water moderately during the growing season and apply a balanced liquid feed every month; water sparingly in winter. See Pilea and houseplant cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by division or softwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

hanging basket
Houseplants
Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.