Family: Urticaceae
Countries: Asia, China, Vietnam
Pilea cadierei ‘Ellen’s Silver’ is an attractive plant with silvery foliage. The leaf colour on these plants is amazing; the foliage almost looks as if it has been painted with liquid silver! This is such an eye-catching and stunning little plant with a naturally bushy habit.
Pilea cadierei ‘Ellen’s Silver’ thrives in areas that enjoy bright but indirect sunlight. When deciding on where to place your plant, look for an area with soft lighting. Avoid areas with harsh or direct lighting, as intense sunlight can scorch Pilea cadierei ‘Ellen’s Silver’ leaves and harm these plants. Afternoon sunshine is more intense than morning light, so when selecting an area to position Pilea cadierei ‘Ellen’s Silver’, steer clear of areas that are lit up by afternoon sunlight. Pilea cadierei ‘Ellen’s Silver’ will decline in the shade, so ensure your plant is in a light and bright location that enjoys soft lighting.
These plants need to be watered regularly, but check that the compost has dried out a little before watering again and take care not to administer an excessive quantity of water. Pilea cadierei ‘Ellen’s Silver’ plants do not want to sit in water and will decline or die when left in wet or waterlogged soil. Wait until the compost has started to dry out and the top layer of soil is dry before you water your plant again. These plants don’t require as much water during the autumn and winter months – administer fewer waterings and give your plants less water during autumn and wintertime. Mist your Pilea cadierei ‘Ellen’s Silver’ plant’s foliage three or four times a week.
Pilea cadierei ‘Ellen’s Silver’ thrives in a humid environment and can be grown inside a terrarium or bottle garden. Plants can also be grown as houseplants and cultivated in the traditional manner using containers. To raise the humidity levels around Pilea cadierei ‘Ellen’s Silver’ plants, utilise a tray of pebbles topped up with water and use this as a base to place your plants inside their containers. It’s important to grow your Pilea cadierei ‘Ellen’s Silver’ plants in containers with holes at their base to allow water to drain away but keep your plants inside cache pots (pots without any holes at the base) to prevent the plants from sitting in water. This technique will help to maintain a humid environment for your plant. Improve growing conditions for your plant by placing Pilea cadierei ‘Ellen’s Silver’ alongside other houseplants, as this will also help to raise humidity levels around the plants. Keep Pilea cadierei ‘Ellen’s Silver’ plants away from radiators, stoves, ovens, open fires, fans, and anything that has a drying, heating, or chilling effect.
Protect Pilea cadierei ‘Ellen’s Silver’ from cold draughts by keeping your plant away from external doors or windows that might be left open in autumn, winter, and springtime. This is a tender plant that will be killed by frost or low temperatures. The ideal temperature for Pilea cadierei ‘Ellen’s Silver’ is 18C-25C (64F-77F). The minimum temperature is around 15C (59F).
To see my Planting List for Terrariums and Bottle Gardens, please click here.
To read articles I’ve written about my terrariums and bottle gardens, please click here.
To see more houseplant pages with pictures and information on growing a wide range of indoor plants, please click here.
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