Stats

Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Small
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Tropical rainforest
Range: Southeast Asia
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Uncommon

About

A compact houseplant native to Vietnam, instantly recognizable by the four raised silvery patches on each quilted dark-green leaf that mimic brushed aluminium foil. It thrives in indirect light and is one of the most popular foliage plants worldwide.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Rosales
Family: Urticaceae
Genus: Pilea
Species: Pilea cadierei