Pilea peperomioides is the plant everyone recognises and few can name. Round, flat leaves held out on long stalks, giving it the look of a small green lily pad tree.
It spread across Europe through cuttings passed between friends long before it reached commercial nurseries, which is why it is sometimes called the friendship plant.
What every Pilea wants
Bright, indirect light and soil that dries slightly between waterings. They are not fussy about humidity, and they are non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Free plants
A healthy Pilea sends up small plantlets from its roots, which appear in the soil around the base of the parent. Once one has a few leaves of its own, cut it free below the soil and pot it up.
This is the easiest propagation of any houseplant, and it is why so few people have ever bought one.