Family: Urticaceae

Origin, Description & Uses
Pilea cadierei (aluminum plant) is native to southern China (Guizhou and Yunnan provinces) and Vietnam, where it grows in warm, humid forest understories. It is a low-growing, herbaceous perennial best known for its attractive green leaves marked with distinctive silvery patches that resemble brushed metal, giving it its common name. In cultivation, it is widely used as an ornamental foliage plant, especially as a houseplant or in shaded tropical landscapes, valued for its compact growth, decorative leaves, and ability to thrive in low-light conditions.

Risks & Threats
This species is generally considered low risk, but it may have some capacity to spread under favorable tropical conditions. It reproduces readily in cultivation and can persist in warm, moist, shaded environments, and there are indications it may be potentially naturalizing on Maui. While it is not known to be a significant invader, its ability to establish in disturbed habitats suggests it should be monitored in Hawaiʻi. With proper management, it is unlikely to cause major ecological impacts, but caution is warranted in sensitive native ecosystems.

High Risk Traits:

• Tolerates shade
  
• Tolerates wide range of soil conditions
  
• Toxic to animals
  
• Congeneric (Pilea microphylla) is invasive
  
• Intentionally dispersed by people
  
• Native to tropical climates
  
• History of repeated introductions

Low Risk Traits:

• No evidence of naturalization
  
• Not a weed (agricultural, environmental, or garden)
  
• No spines, thorns, or burrs
  
• No serious pest or disease problems
  
• Not toxic to humans
  
• Propagules not adapted for wind, water, bird, or animal dispersal