How to Grow and Care for Baby’s Tears

Soleirolia soleirolii

Baby’s tears aka angel’s tears, Soleirolia soleirolii, is an herbaceous ground covering perennial native to the western Mediterranean.

It thrives outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11 and as a houseplant in all regions.

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.

Baby’s tears has tiny green round leaves held on fleshy stems, and in its native land it creeps along the fertile, moist ground in full to part shade.

It’s also commonly known as peace in the home, mind-your-own-business, and Corsican creeper.

This guide discusses all you need to know to grow baby’s tears in pots indoors. Here’s what we’ll cover:

The foliage of baby’s tears creates a carpet of ground cover so dense that is sometimes confused with moss when viewed from a distance.

When grown indoors, you can expect a spread of nine to 12 inches.

Nondescript white flowers bloom from spring to summer under ideal growing conditions but the plant seldom blooms indoors.

Baby’s tears is a member of the Urticaceae or nettle family and the only member of the Soleirolia genus.

Today’s cultivated varieties are available with variegated, silver, green, gold, or chartreuse leaves.

S. soleirolii may be a randomly creeping ground cover outdoors, but inside it is a well-behaved and versatile houseplant.

The trailing stems display exceptionally well in suspended containers and thrive in medium sunlight filtered through an east- or west-facing window with a sheer curtain or placed three feet away from unfiltered glass.

These plants are also popular for displaying in terrariums and vivariums housing amphibians.

How to Grow

With its cultural requirements met, baby’s tears is a delightfully easy-care houseplant.

Choosing a Container

Baby’s tears has a shallow root system and is best displayed in pots that are wider than they are deep.

Avoid using vessels that are too deep, as this can cause oversaturation with the excess soil holding too much water.

Whatever container you choose, make sure it has adequate drainage holes in the bottom.

Soil

Baby’s tears thrives in organically-rich, well-draining soil with a slightly acidic pH of 6.1 to 6.5.

A commercial all-purpose product is suitable, and if you want a recommendation, De La-Tank’s Houseplant Mix is an excellent choice.

De La-Tank’s Houseplant Mix

This product contains compost, coconut coir, supermix organic fertilizer, and pumice, creating a light, rich potting mix that drains well.

You can find De La-Tank’s in one-, eight-, and 16-quart bags available at Arbico Organics.

Light

Set the baby’s tears plant in a location with medium sun exposure, near an east- or west-facing window with a sheer curtain or three feet away from unshielded glass is fine.

Temperature and Humidity

The ideal temperature range for baby’s tears is 50 to 80°F with high humidity above 60 percent.

To increase the ambient moisture, set stationary pots on a bed of wet pebbles.

For suspended planters, consider using a humidifier or placing it in the bathroom where humidity is naturally high.

Avoid directly misting the leaves as consistently wet foliage can cause fungal development.

Water

Use a moisture meter to guide you, as you need to keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged.

Fertilizing

Feed your baby’s tears once a month during the spring and summer with a balanced liquid houseplant food diluted to half strength.

An ideal product is Dr. Earth Houseplant Pump and Grow. It is formulated using recycled food scraps from grocery stores and has an NPK ratio of 1-1-1.

Dr. Earth Houseplant Pump and Grow

You can find Dr. Earth Houseplant Pump and Grow available in 16-ounce bottles at Arbico Organics.

There’s no need to fertilize during the winter months.

Pruning

Use clean garden scissors to prune stems and contain them in a compact form within the pot rim, or skip the cutting and allow them to trail decoratively downward.

Prune off the green-leaved stems as near their point of origin as possible to inhibit reversion.

Repotting

Repot your baby’s tears every two years or so into a larger pot if needed, or into the same one to refresh the soil, accommodate growth, and avoid overcrowding.

Set the plant at the same level it was in the previous container, and be sure to water the day before to make it easy to remove from the pot.

Where to Buy

You can usually find baby’s tears available at good garden centers, plant nurseries, and online.

Just remember to check the species name to make sure you’re purchasing the correct plant!

Baby’s Tears

You can find baby’s tears in three-inch pots available from Winter Greenhouse via Walmart.

In addition to the species, there are a few cultivated varieties of S. soleirolii with different colored leaves.

Here are some you’re sure to love:

Aurea

‘Aurea’ has eye-catching chartreuse or yellow-green leaves.

Display it as a stand-alone or combine with other cultivars for a colorful mix.

‘Aurea’

You can find ‘Aurea’ plants in two-inch starter pots available from Winter Greenhouse via Walmart.

‘Golden Queen’ boasts gold leaves that set it apart from other varieties, where ‘Silver Queen’ has shimmery foliage with a silver cast.

S. soleirolii ‘Variegata’ boasts green leaves richly accented by white margins for a two-tone effect that creates exceptional depth.

Propagation

The best time to propagate baby’s tears is from spring to summer, during the most active growing period of the year.

The species is not generally grown from seed but via cuttings, by division, and layering.

Let’s consider each method:

From Cuttings

To propagate baby’s tears from stem cuttings, first sterilize your garden scissors or pruners.

1. Cut a two-inch stem measuring from the tip and snip off the bottom leaves to reveal an inch of bare stem.
2. Fill a well-draining three-inch container three-quarters full of all-purpose potting soil. 
3. Lightly moisten the soil.
4. Dip the cut end into rooting hormone powder. This is an optional step to help promote rooting.
5. Use a chopstick or pencil to poke a one-inch hole into the center of the soil.
6. Place the stem into the hole an inch deep, keeping the lowest leaves above soil level.
7. Backfill to hold it firmly upright.
8. Cover the pot with a plastic baggy and secure it with a rubber band to create a mini self-watering greenhouse. Loosen it if the soil becomes soggy.
9. Place the pot near an east- or west-facing window, avoiding direct sunlight.
10. Remove the plastic wrap when new leaves grow.

After removing the plastic wrap, make sure you water the new plant when the surface of the soil is almost dry to the touch.

By Division

If you have a mature baby’s tears plant, it’s very easy to divide it to create new specimens.

Begin by spreading newspaper or an old plastic tablecloth over your work surface.

1. Tip the pot on its side and use a knife or other implement to loosen the soil around the edges.
2. Remove the plant, and gently tease the roots apart to distinguish separate stems.
3. Separate and remove as many stems as desired, taking care not to damage the attached roots.
4. Set each rooted stem into a hole an inch deep.
5. Tamp the soil firmly to hold the stems in place.

When you see new leaves, the divisions have rooted successfully.

Layering

Layering is the easiest propagation method, and it works well if you have a plant with long trailing stems cascading over the side of a hanging planter.

1. Choose a trailing stem and find a bare patch of soil in the pot the plant is currently growing in, or better still, prepare a small pot that can be situated adjacent to the current container.
2. Snip enough leaves to have about an inch of bare stem over the surface of the soil.
3. Loosen the patch of soil a bit and lay the bare stem on top of it.
4. Use a U-shaped floral pin or small rock to secure the stem against the soil.
5. The stem should readily root.
6. In a few weeks, lift the pin or rock and check if the stem stays in place. If so, roots have likely grown.
7. Snip the stem just above the patch of soil to release it from the parent.
8. Dig below the rooted stem to lift it out of the pot.

Transplant the rooted stem to a pot of its own if you need to. Set it at the same depth as in the original container.

Managing Pests and Disease

While baby’s tears is not prone to pests or disease, there are a few to be aware of, especially when cultivating houseplants in environments that may not fully replicate a species’ natural habitat.

Pests you may encounter include:

• Aphids
• Fungus Gnats
• Mealybugs
• Scale
• Spider Mites
• Whiteflies

Aphids, mealybugs, scale, spider mites, and whiteflies are sapsucking insects that prefer dry conditions.

They feed on plant juices, secreting sticky honeydew and causing foliar discoloration and disfigurement.

Fungus gnats like wet environments. These tiny flies emerge from the soil and hover annoyingly around houseplants.

They are primarily a nuisance, but their feeding can extensively damage the roots and foliage of tender young specimens.

Soak the soil with neem oil to destroy as many as possible. Place yellow sticky traps near pots to capture the rest.

Diseases to be aware of include:

• Botrytis Gray Mold
• Powdery Mildew
• Root Rot

Botrytis cinerea is a fungal pathogen that causes a fuzzy, whitish-gray mold, leaf spotting, and sunken stem lesions.

It’s most likely to invade foliage injured by pruning or breakage and is common when the humidity is high.

Proactive measures include:

• Space your plants well for optimal airflow.
• Don’t overwater.
• Avoid excessive humidity.
• Apply neem oil preventatively.

Discard severely affected plants in the trash and treat the rest with neem oil.

Root rot can occur when a plant is overwatered or grown in an overly deep pot that allows the soil to stay wet for too long.

Don’t Cry, Baby

With its cultural requirements met, there’s no reason for this baby to cry. Despite its propensity to meander at will in the wild, baby’s tears adapts well to captivity.

Remember to provide medium, filtered sunlight, water when the surface of the soil is almost dry, fertilize weakly during active growth, and address pests and diseases promptly.

Baby’s tears will reward your efforts with tiny chartreuse, gold, green, silver, or variegated leaves to brighten your indoor decor.

Do you grow baby’s tears? Please share your tips in the comments section below.

And if you enjoyed this article and would like to learn more about houseplants, we recommend these guides next:

• How to Identify and Treat 11 Houseplant Diseases
• How to Fertilize Houseplants
• Houseplant Propagation for Beginners