Why Is My Pilea Moon Valley Drooping?

Pilea Moon Valley Friendship plants (Pilea Mollis) are very unique-looking houseplants that many find fascinating looking. They are originally from South and Central America. The name comes from the ridged texture that the plant leaves have. While generally, they are easy to care for, people do find that they encounter some problems with their Pilea Moon Valley plants. Often one of these problems is drooping leaves. One of the most common questions that people have is why the leaves of their Pilea Moon Valley are drooping.

Drooping Pilea Moon Valley Plant Causes

There can be numerous reasons that your Moon Valley has droopy leaves. I know that is not what people want to hear when searching to see what exactly is wrong with their plant. But unfortunately, plant problems always seem to have a number of reasons why they happen. It is best to look at your plant individually and try to problem-solve with symptoms or environmental issues that you can see beyond just the droopy leaves of your plant.

Please see our Care Guide for Pilea Moon Valley Friendship Plants for more info on how to take care of your Moon Valley plant.

Pilea Moon Valley Being Overwatered

Drooping leaves is most often an indication of overwatering in a Pilea Moon Valley plant. Pay attention to the soil moisture when you are watering your Moon Valley. If you notice that it is always still moist when you are watering your plant then you are probably overwatering it.

You don’t want the soil to stay moist all of the time. If the soil that the plant is in is always moist this can lead to root rot, which is never good for a plant. Allow the top inch or two of the soil to dry out between watering. You can either check the soil moisture levels by touch with your finger or you can get a moisture meter. From my personal experience using your finger is more reliable than the moisture meters.

Other ways to help ensure that your plant doesn’t sit in soggy soil too long and get root rot is to get well-draining soil and have the plant in a pot that has good drainage. For my Pilea Moon Valley, I use pots that have plenty of drainage in the bottom and a tray that I can allow the plant to soak up water from. This allows for the soil to drain well and any excess water to leave the pot and not keep the soil soggy where bacteria and fungi can grow easily.

Pilea Moon Valley Watering Guide

Drooping Leaves Due to Root Rot

If you have done all of the above for your Pilea and you are still noticing constantly moist soil and the leaves are still drooping it could be due to root rot setting in. Root rot can be detrimental to any plant, and there is always the chance that no matter what you do your plant will succumb to it.

In order to try to get the plant to live you will need to remove any damaged areas of the roots. This will require taking the plant out of its pot and inspecting the root system by removing as much soil from the roots as possible. Use a sterilized sharp knife or sterilized scissors to do this.

Once you have the root ball trimmed up clean it by washing it with distilled water and spray with a fungicide. Throw away all of the soil that the plant was in and that you pulled off the root ball. You will need to put the plant back in new soil that is free of the fungi that cause root rot.

If you don’t have a pot with good drainage now would be the time to change the pot for the plant to help prevent this from happening again.

Not Watering Frequently Enough

Another reason that your Moon Valley could be drooping is due to the fact it needs water. The first indication that your plant is gotten too dry for too long is that it will start to droop. So if you notice that the soil is completely dry and it is drooping try giving your plant some water. If it perks back up within the day, then this was probably the cause.

If the plant goes too long being dry you might start to notice the Pilea Moon Valley leaves starting to turn brown.

Pilea Moon Valley Drooping After Repotting

Sometimes you may notice droopy foliage on your Moon Valley after you have repotted the plant. If you just repotted yours and you have good drainage and the soil isn’t constantly moist, the drooping leaves could just be a sign of stress on the plant.

Time is the only way to fix this. The plant has just been through a lot with repotting. Care for it as your normally would and allow it time to adjust.

Too Much Light

Another cause of droopy Pilea Moon Valley leaves is too much direct sunlight on the plant. While these plants like bright light, it must be indirect bright light. They do not like direct sun.

If the plant gets direct sun it can start to droop and it will eventually lead to the foilage burning. Move your Pilea to a different area where it will not be in the sun if you find this could be causing the drooping issue on your plant.