The Instagram-famous Plant that Used to be Impossible to Find

This plant, called Pilea peperomioides, is native to China, where it grows in rocky soil in the shade. It's pretty rare even there, and was even more rare among houseplant enthusiasts until recently. Pilea is nice-looking, propagates easily from offshoots, and most importantly, it thrives in low light and dry soil. A few Instagram users could sell an offshoot, or "pup," with no roots for as much as $45 each. That changed, as commercial growers have noticed pilea's popularity. You might be able to get one in a pot for just a few dollars now. Read the story of how pilea went from Yunnan province to Instagram to your local nursery at Vox.