Growing pilea 'silver tree' (pilea spruceana 'silver tree') in a pot

Pilea 'Silver Tree' (Pilea spruceana 'Silver Tree') is well suited to container growing — at about 40 cm mature it is comfortably pot-sized. A container around 15-20 cm (6-8 in) across gives it room without leaving the compost sitting wet, which is the usual mistake when people over-pot a small plant.

Aim for a container 15-20 cm (6-8 in) across. Pot on when roots show through the drainage holes or growth slows noticeably — usually every 1-2 years for a plant this size. Move up one pot size only; jumping several sizes leaves wet compost the roots cannot reach, and that is what rots them.

Pilea 'Silver Tree' (Pilea spruceana 'Silver Tree') needs sharp drainage, so this matters more in a pot than in the ground. Use a free-draining mix (add perlite, grit or bark to standard compost), always pick a container with drainage holes, and never let it stand in a saucer of water.

Containers dry far faster than open ground, so pilea 'silver tree' (pilea spruceana 'silver tree') in a pot needs checking more often than the general guidance of "When the top 1 inch (2.5-3 cm) of soil is dry (roughly weekly in growth)" — especially in summer, wind, or a heated room. Check the top few centimetres with a finger rather than watering on a fixed day.