Stats

Lifespan

Perennial

Size

Small

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Tropical rainforest

Range

Central and South America

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Runners

Defense

Camouflage

Status

Rare

About

A compact tropical houseplant prized for its deeply quilted, textured leaves patterned in dark green and bronze. Its common name comes from how easily it roots from cuttings — gardeners have long passed sprigs to friends as living gifts.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

• Read on Wikipedia →
• View on iNaturalist →
• Watch on YouTube →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Rosales

Family

Urticaceae

Genus

Pilea

Species

Pilea involucrata