Chris Buckland
Any houseplant’s discussion is incomplete without the ever-so-popular baby tears! Who doesn’t love this lush green plant with tiny little leaves? If you want to enhance the look of your home’s interior then you must get a baby tears plant. It is suitable for both outdoors and indoors.
The scientific name of the Baby Tears Plant is Soleirolia soleirolii, and it belongs to a family of nettle. It is also known by many other names, including baby’s tears plant, angel’s tears, baby angel tears plant, bread and cheese, bits and pieces, Corsican curse, Corsican creeper, friendship plant, Paddy’s wig, pollyanna vine, and mind-your-own-business.
Botanist Joseph Francois Soleirol discovered Baby Tears in France and gathered its specimens in Corsica (A small Island in France). It has western Mediterranean properties, making it survive in unique harsh conditions. The countless fragile moss-like leaves may fool you, but Baby Tears is a resilient houseplant. The plant flourishes in low-light conditions and therefore loves indoors.
Baby Tears is a mat-forming tropical plant with thousands of lush green leaves. Baby Tears has a moss-like portrait with small round green leaves. The multitude of plants is what brings the overall shape of this herb. It spreads aggressively in the horizontal direction as compared to elongated vertically. You can say that it looks like short curly hairs, sometimes fluffy, other times riddled.
Features of Baby Tears Plant:
| Origin | Western Mediterranean |
| Scientific Name | Soleirolia soleirolii, Helxine soleirolii |
| Common Names | Baby tears, angel’s tears, bread and cheese, bits and pieces, Irish moss, Corsican curse, Corsican creeper, friendship plant, Paddy’s wig, pollyanna vine, mind-your-own-business |
| Type | Soleirolia Gaudich |
| Family | Urticaceae |
| Temperature | 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Watering | Once a week to wet the soil (moist soil not soggy) |
| Light | Indirect light (partial shade) |
| Toxicity | Non-toxic |
| Propagation | Propagation through root division and stem tip cutting |
| Flowering | Pinkish flowers in bloom time (May to June) |
| Maximum Size | 4-6 inches tall and width 40 inches or more |
Types of Baby tears
The baby tears plant comes in many different varieties distinguished by the color of the leaves and the size and growth patterns of the plant. We will now list out the five main types of baby tears and tell you about their features and any special needs.
Soleirolia soleirolii ‘Aurea’
Originating from Italy, Corsica, and Sardinia this variety is more commonly known as the Mind-your-own-business plant. The leaves of the aurea variety tend to be a brighter shade of green with many leaves entering into the gold spectrum. This bright green – golden combination is perfect to add life to a dull room. The soleirolia soleirolii aurea plant is comparatively shorter than the other varieties so you do not need large or wide pots. This variety grows best with dappled sunlight and a cold, moist environment so avoid places with direct sunlight.
Soleirolia soleirolii ‘Alba’
The alba variety has silvery-green foliage and grows wider and taller than the aurea. It’s perfect for climbing over and covering walls and other structures. Like the aurea variety, the alba plant also prefers dappled sunlight and a cold, moist environment. As it grows wider, you will need bigger pots to grow it.
Soleirolia soleirolii ‘Variegata’
Formerly known as S. soleirolii ‘Argentea’, the variegata variety has tiny light green foliage with bright stripes of white. The thing that sets this variety apart from the other types is that the leaves give off a silver reflection depending on how the light shines on them. It has excellent climbing and covering abilities and is perfect for vertical gardens and green walls.
Soleirolia soleirolii ‘Silver Queen’
The silver queen variety is called so because of its silver-green foliage that may appear grayish. This variety tends to grow low and wide making it perfect to use as a ground cover or to cover any other landscape structure.
Soleirolia soleirolii ‘Golden Queen’
The golden queen variety is distinguished by its tiny green leaves with golden margins. The bright colors are perfect for adding color to a dull room, as with the aurea variety. The best thing about this variety is that it can easily adapt to its environment. This helps it recover from issues like dry spells all by itself.
Now that you know all about the features and different types of baby’s tears plants, you can decide which type will be best for you. Now we will teach you how to take proper care of your plant.
Plant Care: Things to keep in mind to ensure the perfect growth of a healthy plant.
The Baby Tears Plant looks delicate, but this houseplant is easy to look after. It requires minimal care so it’s perfect for the busy bees or newbies! Here are some significant factors you must keep in mind to make this plant live long:
Sunlight
When placed outdoors, Baby Tears should be exposed to bright indirect sunlight. Indoors, it should get bright filtered light. Avoid placing the plant in direct scorching sunlight as it can burn the leaves. You must know How Much Light Does Your Plant Needs?
Watering
The Baby Tears plant needs moist soil to grow. Water the plant regularly, but do not make it soggy. Overwatering Baby Tears will result in root rot and yellow leaves.
Environment
The favorable environment for this plant is boggy and marshy. The plant will thrive in areas with mild and humid winter seasons. It does not tolerate the tough cold season and therefore loses the foliage in harsh winters but grows back in spring.
Temperature
As it is a tropical plant, Baby Tears loves moderate to hot temperatures (50-80 degrees Fahrenheit).
Soil
It is necessary to observe the quality of the soil to grow Baby Tears. It is a fast-growing plant and will develop optimally in well-drained moist soil. Use slightly acidic soil of 5 to 6 pH.
Humidity
This plant loves humidity and drainage. So, bathrooms or terrariums are ideal for Baby Tears because the moisture levels are high in these areas. If you live in a dry region, you can also set a humidifier beside the plant or use damp pebbles beneath it for better results.
Fertilizer
Apply a balanced plant fertilizer to the soil once every month during summer and spring. This will ensure that your plant gets all the necessary nutrients it needs. By using fertilizer you will end up with lush green and dense foliage
Pruning
Although it may not seem significant, pruning can help give shape to your plant and uplift the way it looks. All you need is a sharp pair of scissors. Pruning will allow you to control the growth and expansion of your plant. You should always prune dry leaves and stems to make sure you have a healthy growing plant.
You should prune frequently depending on how you want the plant to look. If you want to keep the baby tears hanging from a basket, then you won’t need to prune often. However, if you prefer a bushy look, pruning regularly is necessary.
With varieties of different leaf colors, pruning can also help you maintain the color of your plant. For example, if you have the aurea variety and you want your plant to be more golden than green, you can prune out the green stems so the plant has more golden leaves.
Baby tears plant care indoors
As long as you take care of the aforementioned points, you can easily grow a baby tears plant inside your home. Remember to position your plant in bright, indirect light, or partial sunlight. The baby tears plant grows better in a humid environment so it would be better to place it in your kitchen or bathroom. Make sure that your plant gets plenty of water and you’ll be good to go.
Propagation of Baby Tears Plant
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Propagating baby tears is quite an easy task especially in the growing seasons in spring and summer. The easiest method of propagation is through division. Stem cuttings is also a great method. Baby tears are not usually propagated by seeds. We will now illustrate the steps to both methods one by one.
The Division method
First, we have propagation through division. For this method, all you need is a trowel.
- Take a container and fill it with moist, well-draining potting soil.
- Poke a hole in the middle of the soil for the new plant.
- Take your old baby tear plant and use the trowel to divide out a section of the stems and attached roots with soil. Don’t worry about harming the plant as it will grow back.
- Take the section you took out and place the roots and soils into the hole in the new container.
- Make sure to water your plant regularly and you’ll be good to go.
Stem Cutting method
The second method is stem cutting. For this, you will need a pair of scissors or pruning snips.
- Take a container and fill it up with moist, well-damped soil.
- Use your fingers to poke holes into the soil for the stems.
- Take your plant and cut out healthy stems about 2 inches long.
- Remove all the leaves on the base and only keep the leaves on the top.
- You can dip the cuttings into some water with a growth hormone for better results but this is optional.
- place the stems into the previously dug holes in the new container.
- Give your plant a humid environment by placing it in a plastic bag so it can grow better. Be sure to poke some holes so a little air can pass through.
- Remove the bag after 2 weeks
- After 3 – 4 weeks, you can observe that the stems are now well rooted and are growing.
Potting and repotting your Baby Tears Plant
Baby tears are famous for their rapid growth. Many times the plant can overgrow the pot, so you will need to repot regularly. Luckily this is quite an easy task.
Here are the steps on how to repot or pot your plant.
- Choose a pot of a suitable size. The larger the pot, the larger the plant will grow.
- Fill the pot with moist, well-damped soil. You can use fertilizers to optimize the results.
- Make a hole in the soil large enough for the plant.
- Carefully remove the plant from the old container by tapping or pushing on the bottom of the container. Don’t pull the stems directly or you’ll end up tearing the roots.
- Place the roots of the plant into the hole and press down lightly from the top.
- be sure to water the new pot regularly and don’t let it dry up.
Overwintering
During the wintertime, it is best to keep your baby’s tears indoors. Leaving your plant exposed to cold weather will cause it to dye out. You should bring your baby tears indoors before winter hits so you can keep your plants alive.
Blooming your Baby Tears
Baby tears bloom tiny pinkish-white flowers from late spring to early summer. This is mostly observed when the plant is kept outdoors. It’s very rare for the baby tear plant to bloom indoors.
Now that you know how to look after Baby Tears, let us see how you can add it to your home to make it look greener and more relaxing!
Ideas to Enhance the Look of Your Home with Baby Tears
The simplest way to boost up a lifeless interior is to add plants. Plants can add color, freshness, and a touch of nature to any space. Whether you are a budding plant mom or only want to add a houseplant to your home, here are five different ideas to place Baby Tears in your home:
Windows
This plant is good to place indoors where you know that humidity levels are high such as in bathroom windows. You can also put it on the windowsill in the kitchen, lounge, or study.
Corners
Plants are the perfect solution to fill up any corner. However, the Baby Tears Plant does not tend to grow very tall, so place it on a stool or tabletop in corners.
Walls
Use hanging planters to hang your baby tears plant from the ceiling or against the wall. You can also place them on floating shelves to fill up an empty wall. For inspiration and more ideas, go check out aesthetic hanging plant gardens on Pinterest!
Centerpieces
In a cute planter, place your baby tears on tables as a centerpiece. You can put them on coffee tables, dining tables, and even TV consoles!
Fill Up Décor
Fill up your bookshelf, side tables, and other ignored areas of your house with a small baby’s tears plant. It is the perfect touch to add Zen vibes to any space!
Common Diseases in Baby Tears Plant
Plants are not just another lifeless decoration piece. They need love, care, and attention like all living things. Keep your plant safe and healthy by protecting it from the following:
Pests and Fungi
The baby tears plant should be protected from fungi and pests like fungus gnats, whitefly, Aphids, and scale.
Diseases
What makes Baby Tears one of the best indoor plants is that it is not susceptible to any serious diseases or insect problems.
Maintenance
As you grow baby tears, regularly check it for leggy growth, stagnant growth, discoloration, withering, and other abnormalities. Make sure it is getting enough sunlight and water. Regular maintenance should protect your Baby Tears plant from any pests and diseases.
Benefits of Baby Tears Plant in Your Home
The baby tears plant benefits the look of both the indoor and outdoor of your home. Here are some benefits of adding Baby Tears Plant to your home:
Relaxing Interior
First of all, it gives an aesthetic look to the surroundings and plays a pivotal role in increasing a room’s overall beauty. It makes the room feel calm and relaxing.
Air Purification
It purifies the quality of air and improves the Air Quality Index of the room.
Terrarium
If you are looking to grow baby tear plants for terrariums or container gardens, Pilea Baby Tears shall be the best option. The overall structure looks beautiful hanging on the doors and the windows.
Nontoxic
Is the baby tears plant toxic?
The baby tears plant is non-toxic and safe for both humans and pets. However, ingesting large quantities may have some adverse effects.
Risks Associated with Baby Tears Plant
Plants may look like beautiful innocent creatures, but they also come with some risks. If you want to keep Baby Tears Plant in your home, here are a few risks you should be aware of:
For Humans
Baby Tears can cause diarrhea or vomiting when ingested in bulk quantities, but the general nature of the plant is nonpoisonous. Moreover, when overwatered, the plant releases a marshy smell that can irritate some people.
For Pets
The general nature of this herb is non-toxic but should prevent ingestion in animals. Pets can have stomach infections if they consume the leaves in large quantities.
How to Reduce Risk?
As Baby Tears Plant is non-toxic, it is generally safe to keep anywhere. For extra caution, place it out of reach of children and pets.
FAQs
Do baby tears need sun?
Baby Tears are a small perennial groundcover that is easy to care for. Although it’s a superb houseplant, baby’s tears is sometimes grown as an annual in mixed containers. Outdoors, it appreciates a shady spot and regular watering. Avoid direct sun; too much light outside will burn the leaves. As with any plant, too much or too little water can kill it.
How fast do baby tears grow?
Given the right conditions, baby tears can grow extremely fast.
Why is my baby tear plant dying?
If your baby tear plant is dying, it’s probably because you’re incorrectly watering it. Baby tear plants prefer to be kept moist but not soggy, and they prefer temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re keeping your baby tear plant in a location that’s too cold or too hot, it’s likely that it will begin to yellow, curl up, and die.
How often should I water my baby tears?
You should water enough to keep the soil moist at all times but never soggy.
Is baby tears plant easy to grow?
Baby tears are really a fun, low-maintenance plant that can brighten up any space. They are super easy to care for and require very little light, so they can be grown in virtually any room of the house!
Conclusion
The Baby Tear plant is a delicate plant with countless baby leaves. Being low maintenance, safe and affordable, Baby Tears is the perfect indoor plant. It looks beautiful hanging on the kitchen door, sitting on the bathroom window, or standing in the corner. Add this plant to any space in your home and see it transform instantly! For more information on different houseplants, check out HousePlants Gardening!
