Species · genus Pilea · Urticaceae

Artillery Plant

Pilea microphylla (L.) Liebm.

Also known as: Gunpowder Plant · Lace Plant · Rockweed · Creeping Charly · Military-fern

Growth habit

annual or biennial

Native range

Arkansas, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Cayman Is., Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Florida, French Guiana, Georgia, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Louisiana, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Missouri, Netherlands Antilles, Panamá, Peru, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Southwest Caribbean, Suriname, Texas, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles, Windward Is.

Pilea microphylla — reference photo — no rights reserved · CC0

Cultivars of P. microphylla

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under P. microphylla yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Meet the Artillery Plant

Pilea microphylla, commonly called artillery plant, is a small houseplant prized for its dense clusters of tiny green leaves. Its diminutive size makes it a natural fit for terrariums and dish gardens rather than as a standalone floor specimen.

Source: Costa Farms

Light, Water, Humidity

Pilea does best in medium light but is genuinely adaptable, tolerating both brighter spots and lower light without much fuss. Let the top inch or so of soil dry out between waterings, and when in doubt, err toward underwatering rather than keeping the soil soggy. It also appreciates plenty of humidity, which is easy to provide by grouping it with other plants or growing it in a terrarium.

Source: Costa Farms

Small Leaves, Big Texture

What sets pilea apart as a group is foliage that reads as unusual, whether richly textured or variegated, giving it a look distinct from other houseplants. In the case of artillery plant, that translates to a fine, feathery mass of tiny green leaves rather than large or patterned ones.

Source: Costa Farms

Safe for Curious Pets

Pilea microphylla is listed as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, so an inquisitive nibble is not a poisoning concern for these animals.

Source: ASPCA

Not for the Table

Artillery plant is not intended for human or animal consumption, so it is worth keeping that in mind around curious pets or children even though it is not a toxic species.

Source: Costa Farms

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-9d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 9 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

16–27 °C

Soil mix

Loose, fast-draining potting mix

Propagation

Stem cuttings or self-sown seedlings

Fertilizing

Dilute balanced feed every 4 to 6 weeks in the growing season

Growth rate

Fast

Flowering

Tiny greenish flowers that puff pollen; foliage is the draw

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Not yet documented

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-9d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Artillery Plant yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.