Pilea peperomiodes is a time tested house plant commonly called Chinese Money Plant because this plant originates from southwest China and has unique round leaves, which, as the plant matures, form a mound that looks like a pile of money. The round peltate leaves and naturally shininess are why you have probably seen this plant photographed in a Scandinavian furniture ad, Instagram post, or Pinterest board.
As a bonus, Pilea peperomiodes is adaptable to a range of indoor light conditions ranging from bright indirect to lower light. You won’t need to worry about watering this plant on your weekend camping trip, because the succulent leaf structure means you can and should let this plant dry a bit between waterings.
You might be wondering why you haven’t seen a popular plant around in many plant retailers. This oddity is in part because this plant is also sometimes called the “Pass it on Plant” and is one of the easiest plants to share with friends. Older plants constantly sprout new baby plants from the base, so people share them with their friends and neighbors. If you don’t have a friend with one of these plants, perhaps you need to stop into Michler’s, pick one out, and make sure that over the next few years all your friends have a Pilea peperomiodes.