As a Pilea owner, it is inevitable that you will, at one point, experience your Pilea losing leaves. But what can you expect from your Pilea after the leaves have fallen? Will a broken leaf ever grow back, and can the plant return to its former glory?
Pilea leaves fall off. It just happens. Sometimes you may accidentally bump into the plant, and a leaf breaks. Or the pot is pushed and several leaves break off in the fall. And then there’s the natural drop of leaves such as when the old leaves die back or the plant is not doing well.
This is not a problem solely for Pilea Peperomioides, but the thin petioles do make this plant is a bit more prone to broken leaves.
The good news is that Pilea Peperomioides is such a sturdy plant that it will continue to grow even when injured.
The bad news is that leaves do not grow back after falling off a Pilea Peperomioides.
Let’s just repeat that.
No, Pilea leaves will not grow back after falling off or accidentally breaking.
How can you avoid Pilea leaves falling off?
I’ve already dedicated an entire post on why your Pilea Peperomioides is losing leaves and the best plant care strategies going forward. I would recommend giving that a read if you want to reduce the risk of leaves from falling off and what you can do once the damage is done.
Why does Pilea leaves not grow back?
Sadly I’m not a plant biologist and I do not know why the leaves aren’t capable of growing back after they’ve been broken. Perhaps you know it? If so, please do leave a comment or send me an email – I’d love to hear from professionals.
What I do know is that I got my first Pilea around 2015, and during these 6 years, I have never seen a leaf grow back.
This is also part of the reason why Pileas tend to get leggy as they get older. Leaves drop and do not regrow leaving larger gaps of the stem exposed.
What I have seen multiple times and can confidently confirm is that:
- It’s an extremely sturdy plant
- There are numerous ways of propagating it – and yes, it is possible with a leaf if done correctly
- The plant itself can continue to grow despite of damage or a broken stem/leaves
But an individual leaf will not grow back in the same place as the original one.
The internet is full of people talking about things they do not know anything about, and it doesn’t take many Google searches to find websites claiming that Pilea leaves will grow back after falling off.
My take on this is the same as for sellers claiming they have viable Pilea seeds: I would love to see them prove me wrong.
For more plant care tips and Pilea knowledge check all my posts about the plant.
