The “Money Plant” commonly refers to two popular houseplants: the Pilea peperomioides (Chinese Money Plant) and the Crassula ovata (Jade Plant). When these plants decline, symptoms like yellowing leaves or wilting cause immediate concern. Saving a dying Money Plant requires immediate triage and correction of common environmental and care mistakes. This guide provides actionable steps to diagnose the problem and nurse your plant back to health.
Immediate Crisis Assessment
The first step in plant rescue is a visual inspection of the entire plant and its surroundings. Check the leaves for specific signs, noting if discoloration is uniform, patchy, or concentrated on new versus old growth. Drooping leaves can indicate either severe underwatering or the beginning stages of root rot, requiring further investigation into the soil.
Examine the plant’s location for environmental stressors. Direct, midday sun can scorch Pilea foliage within hours, while a nearby heat vent or cold draft can cause rapid leaf drop in both species. Gently check the stem and leaves for movement or sticky residue, which signals a pest infestation.
Diagnosing and Treating Moisture Stress
Improper watering is the leading cause of death for indoor plants, usually resulting in root rot from overwatering. To check for moisture stress, insert a finger two inches deep into the soil. If the soil is wet, the plant is likely overwatered; if it is completely dry and compacted, it is severely underwatered. Healthy roots are firm and white, but rotten roots are dark brown or black, soft, mushy, and often emit a foul odor.
To treat root rot, immediately remove the plant and gently shake away the waterlogged soil. Rinse the root system under clean, lukewarm water to expose the root ball. Use clean, sterilized scissors to prune away all dark, mushy, or slimy roots, cutting back to the healthy, firm tissue. Removing a significant portion of the root mass may be necessary to eliminate all diseased material.
Allow the remaining healthy roots to air-dry for a few hours to help the cuts callous over. Repot the plant into a new, sterile container with drainage holes, using fresh, well-draining potting soil that includes perlite or coarse sand. Do not water immediately after repotting; wait a few days for the roots to settle. If the plant was severely underwatered, characterized by shriveled leaves and hard soil, water it thoroughly until water drains from the bottom.
Correcting Light and Temperature Issues
Both the Pilea and the Crassula thrive best in bright, indirect light, but their tolerance for direct sun differs significantly. A Pilea exposed to direct sun for more than an hour or two will quickly develop brown, dried, or scorched patches on its leaves. Conversely, if the light is too low, the Pilea will exhibit etiolation, where the stems stretch out weakly as the plant attempts to reach a light source, and the leaves may turn a dull yellow.
For the Crassula (Jade Plant), which is a succulent, too little light causes the leaves to flatten and lose their characteristic plumpness, while the stem becomes weak. Move any declining plant to a spot near an east or west-facing window, which provides bright light without the intense heat of the midday sun. If a south-facing window is the only option, diffusing the light with a sheer curtain is necessary to prevent leaf damage.
Sudden temperature fluctuations and cold drafts can cause immediate leaf drop. Ensure the Money Plant is kept in a stable environment with temperatures between 60°F and 75°F (15°C to 24°C). Keep the pot away from air conditioning vents, heating radiators, or frequently opened exterior doors, as these areas create temperature swings.
Eliminating Common Houseplant Pests
A declining Money Plant may be suffering from sap-sucking pests, which are often difficult to spot until the infestation is advanced. Mealybugs, which appear as small, white, cottony masses primarily in leaf axils and along stems, are a frequent problem. Spider mites are tiny and create fine, silky webbing between the leaves and stems, causing a speckled or stippled appearance on the foliage.
Upon identifying a pest, the first step is immediate quarantine to prevent the insects from spreading to other plants. Treat localized infestations by dipping a cotton swab in 70% isopropyl alcohol and physically wiping the pests away from the leaves and stems. For a more thorough treatment, apply insecticidal soap or neem oil, ensuring complete coverage of the plant’s entire surface, including the undersides of the leaves.
These treatments must be repeated every five to seven days for several weeks to break the pests’ reproductive cycle, as they only kill the adults and not the eggs. Avoid applying oil-based treatments during direct sunlight exposure, as this can cause the leaves to burn. Consistent inspection of the foliage helps catch minor pest issues early.
Long-Term Health and Prevention
Once the immediate crisis has passed, focus on consistent, preventative care to ensure the plant thrives. The choice of container and potting mix prevents the recurrence of moisture stress. Terracotta pots are porous and allow excess moisture to evaporate through the walls, which benefits plants prone to root rot.
The potting medium should be a well-aerated, quick-draining mix, often achieved by amending standard houseplant soil with perlite, pumice, or horticultural grit. Water the plant only when the top one to two inches of soil is fully dry, which is less frequent in winter when growth slows. Avoid fertilization while the plant is recovering, as a stressed root system cannot effectively absorb nutrients.
Only once the plant shows consistent signs of new, healthy growth should a balanced liquid fertilizer be introduced during the spring and summer growing season. Ensuring the pot has unobstructed drainage holes and never allowing the plant to sit in a saucer of standing water will keep the roots healthy and oxygenated.