A Pilea peperomioides — the Chinese money plant, pancake plant, or UFO plant — with curling leaves is trying to tell you something, but the tricky part is that several very different problems all show up the same way. Both too much and too little water can cause curling, as can inadequate light, temperature stress, and pests. The quickest way to identify the cause is to check the soil first, then look at recent light and temperature changes and any other symptoms on the leaves.
| Underwatering | Soil dry well below the surface, leaves feeling limp or papery rather than firm |
| Overwatering / poor drainage | Soil staying wet for many days, leaves curling and turning soft, yellowing from the bottom |
| Too much direct light | Leaves cupping, pale or bleached patches, often on the sun-facing side |
| Too little light | Leaves curling slightly with leggy, stretched growth toward the window |
| Temperature stress | Curling after exposure to a drafty window, AC vent, or nearby heater |
| Low humidity | Mild curling with dry, crispy edges, often worse in winter |
| Pests | Curling plus stippling, webbing, or visible bugs on leaf undersides |
1. Underwatering
Pileas store water in their thick stems and coin-shaped leaves, and when that reserve runs low, the leaves can curl as the plant conserves what water it has left.
The fix: Don't judge by the surface alone — check the soil a couple of inches down, notice whether the pot feels noticeably lighter than usual, and see whether the leaves feel limp or papery rather than firm. If those line up, water thoroughly until it runs from the drainage holes. For a full routine, see our guide to how often to water a Pilea.
2. Overwatering or poorly drained soil
Soil that stays wet for many days can stress the roots before true root rot ever develops, and stressed or damaged roots can't support the leaves properly — so they curl and often turn soft or yellow, usually starting with the lower, older leaves first. If the mix stays wet for unusually long periods despite infrequent watering, the problem may be the potting mix or a poorly draining pot rather than how often you're reaching for the watering can.
The fix: Let the top inch or two of soil dry out before watering again, always empty the saucer so the pot never sits in standing water, and use a well-draining mix in a pot with drainage holes. NC State Extension's Plant Toolbox notes Pilea peperomioides is susceptible to root rot in overly wet, poorly drained soil. If the soil has stayed wet for a while, check the roots — healthy ones are firm and pale, rotten ones are brown and mushy — and see our guide on saving an overwatered Pilea for the full rescue.
3. Too much direct light
Intense, prolonged direct sun can scorch a Pilea's leaves, and curling is one way the plant responds to that stress.
The fix: Move the plant back from the window or filter the light with a sheer curtain. NC State Extension describes Pilea peperomioides as tolerant of partial shade with 2 to 6 hours of direct sun, so it doesn't need — or necessarily want — all-day direct exposure.
4. Too little light
In low light, a Pilea often responds with leggy, stretched growth and can develop mild curling as it reaches for a stronger light source.
The fix: Aim for a bright position near a window where the plant receives plenty of indirect light — an east- or west-facing window is a good starting point, though the right distance depends on your specific window and how much light it lets in. Rotate the pot a quarter-turn every week or so for even growth.
5. Temperature stress: cold drafts and hot air
A sudden draft from a window cracked open in winter, an air-conditioning vent, a leaf pressed against cold glass, or a spot too close to a heater can all stress the plant enough to trigger curling, sometimes in just a leaf or two rather than the whole plant.
The fix: Move the plant away from drafts, exterior doors, and both heating and cooling vents. NC State Extension specifically calls out avoiding cold drafts and sources of heat for this species.
6. Low humidity
Dry indoor air, especially with the heat running in winter, can leave leaf edges curling and slightly crisp even when the soil moisture is fine.
The fix: Pilea tolerates average home humidity reasonably well, but if your air is very dry, grouping plants together, running a humidifier nearby, or using a pebble tray can help. This is usually a smaller contributing factor rather than the main cause, so check watering and light first.
7. Pests
Sap-sucking pests like spider mites and mealybugs damage leaf tissue directly as they feed, which can show up as curling along with stippling, fine webbing, or a sticky residue.
The fix: Check the undersides of the leaves closely, especially near the stem. If you find pests, quarantine the plant, wash it under a strong stream of water, and treat with insecticidal soap or diluted neem oil according to the label. Watch for scale too. Fungus gnats are also a common nuisance NC State Extension lists for this plant, but their larvae mainly feed on organic matter and roots in the soil rather than the foliage itself, so gnats alone aren't a typical explanation for curling leaves.
Does the direction of the curl tell you the cause?
You'll find plenty of advice online claiming that leaves curling upward or inward always mean one specific problem, while curling downward always means another — and different sources contradict each other about which direction means what. The RHS growing guide for Pilea attributes curling and puckering broadly to poor growing conditions — too much water, too little water, or insufficient light — without assigning a specific meaning to the direction of the curl. In practice, curling in any direction can result from watering problems, light stress, temperature stress, or pests, so it's best treated as a sign to investigate rather than a diagnosis on its own. Check the soil and the plant's other symptoms before deciding what to change.
If your plant was recently repotted, moved to a new spot, or otherwise had its environment change, that alone can trigger temporary curling as it adjusts — give it a couple of weeks of stable, consistent care before assuming something is seriously wrong.
The bottom line
Work through the list in order: check the soil first, since under- and overwatering explain most curling, then consider light, temperature, humidity, and pests. Once you've matched the cause and corrected it, watch for new growth coming in flat and healthy over the following weeks — that's the clearest sign of recovery, even if some already-curled leaves stay that way. For everything else about keeping this plant happy, see our full Pilea peperomioides care guide, and if leaves are dropping rather than just curling, see why is my Pilea dropping leaves.
Sources
- NC State Extension, Plant Toolbox — Pilea peperomioides
- Royal Horticultural Society — How to Grow Pilea
- University of Maryland Extension, Home and Garden Information Center — Ask Extension, curling Pilea leaves
This guide combines hands-on experience with the extension sources above; last reviewed August 2026.
Every guide here comes from things I've actually tried on my own plants. Got a plant doing something weird? Send me a photo — I answer every one.
Ask a plant question →
