Root Down

WORDS BY EMILY BAILEY PHOTO BY AGNES LOPEZ

Like style or home decor trends, house plants go in and out of fashion. Banana leaf palms gained popularity recently, as succulents topped every table. Fiddle leaf figs had their moment, and now pileas are dominating the house plant scene, becoming one of the most common plants to pop up in Instagram feeds.

The scientific name of the small, circle leafed plant is pilea peperomioides, but it’s also known as the Chinese money plant or friendship plant. The “friendship” nickname comes from it being a highly propagable shrub. Cut one of its stems and place the end of into a jar of water for it to sprout roots into. Once roots emerge, it’s ready to be transferred to its own soiled pot, where it will grow into a bush of its own. Take a stem from that one and pass it on to friends so everyone has an easy to care for, and Instagrammable, house plant.

Pileas don’t require much care, thriving in partial, indirect sunlight and requiring water about once a week.