Young or unrooted enough to pup
A healthy, well-lit Pilea that isn't making babies usually just needs time, food, and room in the pot.
Diagnosis
Young or unrooted enough to pup
What's happening
Pilea sends up its baby plantlets — pups — from the roots and along the lower stem once it's mature, well-fed, and snug in its pot. A young plant, one that's underfed, or one freshly repotted into a too-large pot will often pause on pups while it puts its energy into establishing itself first.
How to fix it
Give it bright indirect light and start feeding a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength every few weeks through spring and summer, the season pups appear most. Keep it in a pot that fits fairly snugly rather than oversizing it, and be patient — a settled, well-fed mother plant typically starts throwing pups from the soil and stem within a season. Once they're a couple of inches tall you can pot them up separately.
What fixes it
- A balanced liquid fertilizer — A balanced feed at half strength through the growing season fuels the energy a Pilea needs to produce pups.
If that doesn't fix it
This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.
Read the full Chinese Money Plant care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this