Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Friendship Plant, syn. Pilea mollis

Description:

Radiant, bright green oval leaves with heavily dimpled surfaces and deep copper to black veins ; pinch stem tips to keep plant compact; requires bright indirect light; a great annual base or edging plant; a nice addition to a fairy garden

Ornamental Features

Moon Valley Pilea's attractive textured oval leaves emerge chartreuse in spring, turning light green in colour with distinctive coppery-bronze veins and tinges of gray the rest of the year on a plant with a mounded habit of growth.

Landscape Attributes

Moon Valley Pilea is a dense herbaceous annual with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and can be pruned at anytime. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Moon Valley Pilea is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Moon Valley Pilea will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 8 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. Although it's not a true annual, this plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant should only be grown in a shady location. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Moon Valley Pilea is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a canvas of foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.