A wonderful plant for hanging baskets and terrariums, Pilea glauca, commonly referred to as Pilea Silver Sparkle, Gray Artillery Plant, Red Stemmed Pilea, Pilea Greysy has great potential and might become one of your favourite ornamental plants as soon as you see how easy-going and unique this plant is.
This beautiful foliage ornamental has the most adorable and surprising leaves that can bring life to any dull corner. What’s even more exciting about this plant is that it allows you to trim it as you want in order to obtain unique, eye-catching shapes.
Pilea silver sparkle is relatively new in the gardening world so we do not really know much about this mysterious but irresistible plant. Some say that this species is native to the Chinese mountains, while other sources mention Central or South America as its origins.
The only thing that truly matters is that we know enough about growing and caring for a Pilea silver sparkle and we will share all this knowledge with you throughout this article. Pilea silver sparkle is relatively low-maintenance, thriving with bright but indirect light, warm temperatures, a good-quality well-draining potting mix, and regular drinks.
Keep reading to find out more about Pilea silver sparkle and to become an expert grower!
Quick Facts
| Botanical Name | Pilea glauca/Pilea glaucophylla/Pilea libanensis |
| Common Name | Pilea Silver Sparkle, Gray Artillery Plant, Red Stemmed Pilea, Pilea Greysy |
| Plant Type | Succulent/Foliage plant |
| Mature Size | 15-50 cm (6-20 inches) tall, trailing up to 1 meter (3 feet) |
| Sun Exposure | Bright, indirect light |
| Soil Type | A well-draining mix of peat and perlite |
| Soil pH | Neutral |
| Bloom Time | Late spring |
| Flower Color | Small white, light pink, or orange |
| Hardiness Zones | 9-11 (USDA) |
| Native Area | rainforests of central and South America |
About Pilea Silver Sparkle
- Besides the Pilea silver sparkle variety, the Pilea glauca species comes along with various other common names. These include the Silver-leaved artillery plant, Grey baby tears, Grey artillery plant, and Red-stemmed Pilea.
- The common name “Pilea silver sparkle” suggests that this plant really does sparkle. This magic happens when you water your plant properly, as its foliage will have a somewhat silver powdery substance on it when the plant is in its best condition.
- Pilea silver sparkle does not handle extreme temperatures, so make sure you protect it from both cold and hot temperatures. This plant is winter-hardy only in USDA zones 10 and 11.
- This plant makes for a fabulous addition to many ornamental landscapes, such as shaded patios, tropical gardens, groundcover plantings, bottle gardens, terrariums, hanging baskets, and containers.
- Pilea silver sparkle is very outspoken when it comes to its watering needs. When something is not right, it will tell you by changing the colour of its leaves to yellow. Brown spots on the leaves are a sign of over-watering. Curling, crisp, or puckered leaves indicate that your plant receives too little water.
- Pilea glauca is a super safe plant to grow around curious children, cats, and dogs. It does not have any toxic effects if touched or ingested, so you can place it anywhere around your house without worrying about safety.
Pilea Silver Sparkle Features: An Overview
- Pilea silver sparkle belongs to the well-known Pilea genus which consists of 600 to 715 species of flowering plants. This is the largest genus in the Urticaceae family.
- Depending on the age, the Pilea silver sparkle can have different sizes. At maturity, this plant can reach about 18 inches (46 cm) in length.
- Pilea silver sparkle grows at a very fast pace overall and has a trailing growth habit. Its foliage contains lots of long, orange-red stems that feature numerous tiny, blue to silvery-green leaves.
- The foliage generally develops into several tentacles that form an attractive cascade. On some specimens, it can grow tightly to form a dense, bushy, spherical shape.
- Under optimal environmental conditions, Pilea silver sparkle may bloom in late spring. If this happens, the plant will bear appealing clusters of small, almost insignificant flowers in shades of white, pink, or peach.
Growing Pilea Silver Sparkle
Pilea silver sparkle is one of the most easy-going companions to have around. However, this feature is viable as long as you keep your plant in an indoor setting. This buddy right here cannot do well in an environment that is out of someone’s control. But, trust us, you will enjoy its presence much more when you will actually find out how independent and low-demanding Pilea silver sparkle is.
In terms of lighting, Pilea silver sparkle is pretty upfront and will not hesitate to show you what it truly wants. This cute plant does best in sites that spoil it with plenty of bright but indirect light in most parts of the day. If you want, you will have the chance to impress your Pilea silver sparkle by also exposing it to about 1-2 hours of direct sunlight in the early morning.
Temperature-wise, Pilea silver sparkle will have the time of its life in warm environments. Be careful, though, as it does not handle very hot temperatures in the long run. For the nicest growth out there, we recommend you provide your plant with slightly warm temperatures all year round. It is also not frost-tolerant and neither very happy when it grows in cold weather. In general, Pilea silver sparkle prefers temperatures that range from 70 °F (21 °C) to 80 °F (26 °C).
If you are lucky enough to live in a warm region, you might be able to keep your Pilea silver sparkle outdoors. However, keep in mind that the plants are pretty sensitive, so you will have to ensure that they will not get too much direct sunlight but will have plenty of moisture and humidity.
If you don’t live in USDA 9-11 zone but you are considering letting your plant enjoy some fresh air, you can bring it outside during the late spring and summer months as long as the temperatures do not drop below 12 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit). Just keep the plant in a container and place it in a sheltered location, on the patio or deck. Don’t forget to bring the plant indoors if the temperatures drop.
Pilea silver sparkle is susceptible to those pests that are common in the houseplant world. These intruders would include aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, and scales. If you encounter any of them on the foliage, it would be wise to take action right away.
This does not mean that they are serious issues short term, but the infestation may escalate into a difficult situation with time. Apply some horticultural oil on your plant’s leaves regularly until you get rid of the problem.
Planting Pilea Silver Sparkle
Let’s say that you acquire a Pilea silver sparkle from a garden shop near you. After you bring your new beloved plant, it would be nice to change its growing medium with a new, fresh, and more suitable one. This will make your life easier in terms of watering, especially for diseases.
When it comes to planting, you must pay attention to the plant’s behaviour before choosing a growing medium for it. Pilea silver sparkle is a moderate moisture-loving plant that does not handle prolonged periods of soggy conditions or waterlogging.
Because of this, we recommend you plant your new companion in a potting mix that drains very well but also retains some moisture. You can opt for any type of substrate you find as long as it features excellent drainage. If you want some fun, you can even create the substrate at home by combining equal parts of peat moss and perlite.
Pilea silver sparkle usually grows at a fast pace, so you might be tempted to think that it does not need supplemental fertilizing to perform well. Yet, this plant benefits from monthly applications of fertilizers during its active growing period. This part in its routine will help it bloom better, so it is also in your interest to do it if you dream about its lovely flowers in your house. Product-wise, a balanced fertilizer should get the job done.
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- Live Indoor Houseplant
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- Thrives in Bright Indirect Sunlight
- Water When Soil is 50% Dry
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Last update on 2024-10-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Since Pilea silver sparkle has a fast growth rate, it tends to develop stems that become much longer than most owners expect. In this case, pruning is the best weapon you have if you want to fight with your plant’s tentacles. It will help you not only to maintain a certain size and shape on your Pilea silver sparkle but also to keep it healthy and encourage new growth. Make sure you prune both stems and damaged leaves for the best outcome out there.
Pilea silver sparkle becomes rootbound from time to time, depending on the stage of its development. This typically happens once every two years, so you will not have to check your plant regularly and risk stressing it out for no reason. When the time is right, you can prepare for the entire process fast and easily. All you must do at first is gently remove the Pilea silver sparkle from its current pot.
After this, you can get a container that is slightly larger than the last one and fill it with a well-draining potting mix. Once you finish creating the new growing environment, you can transplant your Pilea silver sparkle into it and resume the caring routine.
Watering Pilea Silver Sparkle
Pilea silver sparkle has the watering needs of most average houseplants and does not come with demands that are very different from those of other Pilea species. For instance, this plant requires slightly damp soil that never dries out entirely nor stays soggy.
If it experiences dry soil most of the time, you will have a plant that is drier and more unhealthy than fresh and green. On the other hand, constant moisture can easily lead to fungal problems like root rot.
A suitable watering routine for your Pilea silver sparkle would consist of regular drinks whenever the soil starts to dry out. You will need to check the soil’s moisture once in a while to find out when is the perfect time to spoil your plant with some water. In general, this happens once the top half-inch (1.3 cm) of its growing medium feels dry to the touch.
Regarding humidity, Pilea silver sparkle will thank you for moderate to high levels overall. If the air around your plant is dry most of the time, you can mist it once every few days to maintain the humidity at preferred values.
Propagating Pilea Silver Sparkle
Pilea silver sparkle is the ideal candidate for propagation, having numerous stems that can serve just nicely in this process. Propagating your Pilea silver sparkle will help you obtain more specimens if you feel that your indoor setting would benefit from some extra greenery. And if you have some relatives or friends that have fallen in love with this ornamental plant and cannot find it commercially, you can always surprise them with a gift and ease their life.
The best time to take cuttings from your Pilea silver sparkle is usually in early spring because this is when its active growing period begins. Look for stems that fit the young, healthy profile most and cut about one to two inches (2.5-5 cm) off each with a sharp gardening tool. It is wise to take the cuttings just above a node, this being the mound from where the leaves emerge.
Now that you have the cuttings, you can start growing new Pilea silver sparkle plants from scratch. The cuttings must root and you can make them do it in two ways: in water or soil. Both techniques show great results with minimal effort and lots of time saved. Still, if you want to spend as little time as you can while doing it, you should go directly for the soil method.
For the water-rooting method, you should first place each cutting in a glass filled with clean, purified water. Make sure you keep their leaves dry to prevent fungal diseases to show up. Move the containers to a well-lit spot and change the water every few days.
If you are doing all of this, you should notice some tiny roots emerging after one or two weeks. When the roots measure around an inch (2.5 cm) in length, you can transplant pairs of about 4-5 cuttings in their own pots filled with fresh potting mix.
If you want to root the cuttings directly in the soil, things get even easier. You can use the same type of substrate the mother Pilea silver sparkle is growing in. Fill a pot for each pair of 4-5 cuttings you have with fresh potting mix and plant the segments above it. Although it is not mandatory, you can dip the cut ends in rooting hormone for faster root development.
You do not need to pat down the soil around the cuttings, as they perform best in a loose, aerated propagation medium. Water the soil well and maintain it lightly damp. You can also cover the pots with a clear plastic bag to preserve humidity and observe the progress. If you opt for this, you will have to remove the plastic bag once every day or two to ventilate the cuttings.
In Conclusion
Pilea silver sparkle is a new variety appreciated for its tiny, round grey-blue leaves that can bewitch even the pickiest gardeners out there. Although pretty new in town, this did not stop the plant from filling many houses around the world in little to no time! Still, we cannot say that Pilea silver sparkle is a super popular houseplant. This means that, if you decide to add one to your plant family, you can be among the edgiest plant lovers we know.
Do you already have a Pilea silver sparkle in your collection? Share your thoughts about this spectacular plant in the comment section!
