The Friendship Plant: Where Community and Plants Intersect

There's something magical about plants that bring people together. Take the pilea, affectionately known as the "friendship plant" – and after spending an afternoon propagating one with my friend Eva, I understand exactly why it earned that nickname.

From Tiny Pup to Generous Mother

Three years ago, a friend gifted me a tiny pilea pup from her own thriving plant. What started as a small cutting has grown into a magnificent specimen, full and lush, ready to continue the cycle of sharing. It's amazing how something so small can grow into such a generous plant, producing pup after pup, just waiting to find new homes.

The Heart of Plant Community

One of the most beautiful aspects of the plant hobby is the community it creates. Whether you're connecting in online groups sharing care tips and plant memes, meeting fellow enthusiasts at local plant shops and swaps, or simply bonding with a neighbor who notices you admiring their garden and offers a cutting – plants have an incredible way of bringing people together.

Since starting my business, I've discovered that entrepreneurship shares this same community spirit. I've met amazing fellow business owners and formed genuine friendships along the way. So when my Pilea was ready for propagation, I thought it would be perfect to combine these two worlds and invite my friend Eva to join me for a chopping and propping session.

A First-Time Propagation Experience

Eva is the talented designer and founder of Gleam Eyewear. While she loves plants, I was surprised to learn she'd never actually gotten her hands dirty with plant care before. Fortunately, I've had plenty of practice keeping things tidy while repotting and propagating.

Armed with gardening gloves and one of those wonderfully practical fold-flat gardening mats, we set to work. Pileas are among the easiest plants to propagate, and this beauty had already done most of the work for us – four pups were already sporting healthy root systems, practically begging to be separated from their mother plant.

The process was straightforward: we carefully separated each pup from the main plant and nestled them into fresh pots with new soil. But we didn't stop there. The mother plant had developed a bit of a bald spot in her center and was getting impressively tall, so I decided to take the top cutting as well. Even though my Treleaf trellis was supporting her beautifully, a little pruning would encourage bushier growth.

The Generous Harvest

By the end of our propagation session, we had transformed one plant into six thriving individuals – plenty of plant love to share around. Eva left with a new green baby, and I had extras to continue the friendship plant tradition with other friends and customers.

Building Community, One Plant at a Time

There's something deeply satisfying about introducing someone to hands-on plant care for the first time. Watching Eva's excitement as we successfully separated each pup and seeing her confidence grow throughout the process reminded me why I fell in love with plants in the first place.

The Pilea truly lives up to its "friendship plant" reputation. Not only does it naturally produce offspring to share, but the act of propagating creates opportunities for connection, learning, and community building. Whether you're a seasoned plant parent or just getting your hands dirty for the first time, there's magic in working together to help plants thrive.

In both business and plant care, the best growth happens in community. Sometimes the most meaningful connections form not in boardrooms or networking events, but with soil under your fingernails and a friend by your side, nurturing new life together.