How to Grow and Care for Baby Tears

Plant Care

It is a delicate plant that grows best in humid areas with moisture in the soil continually available. While Baby Tears is fairly easy to grow, keeping it happy with the right proportions of light, water, and humidity will ensure it’s in its best form. It will diffuse rapidly, which makes it an ideal plant to fill in patchy spots or offer some texture to a terrarium. With just a little TLC, Baby Tears will give you the lush, cascading look all year round.

Light 

Baby Tears does best in bright, indirect light. Excess direct sunlight can singe its soft foliage, which will dry and be marked with brown spots. But insufficient light results in leggy growth, where the plant stretches and gets wispy. Provide filtered sunlight near a window or place it in a well-lit space for the best development. When grown outdoors, keep it in a shady or semi-shady place. If the plant begins to look leggy, relocate it to a brighter location or add a grow light.

Soil 

Baby Tears will saddle up to slightly acidic, well-draining soil that stays moist but not soggy. The right blend of soil will allow it to drain well enough to prevent root rot while still maintaining the plant’s delicate roots consistently damp. A standard indoor potting mix mixed with perlite or sand for drainage. When growing in a pot, ensure pot drainage holes are present to avoid allowing water to pool at the bottom. If you plant outdoors, add some organic compost to the soil to help retain moisture.

Water 

Baby Tears enjoys moisture; the most important thing is to keep the soil continuously moist. But it doesn’t tolerate standing water, which can rapidly cause root rot. Water when the top inch of soil feels a little dry, but never let it completely dry out. For not shocking the plant use water at room temperature. When growing Baby Tears in a terrarium, periodically misting the plant may help maintain humidity. In the winter, reduce the amount of watering somewhat as the plant’s growth rate slows.

Pruning

Baby Tears is a fairly low-maintenance plant, but periodic pruning prevents it from looking lanky and helps it remain compact. This is a big grower, so keeping it trim will prevent it from getting too leggy or overgrown.

• Cut back Baby Tears during the growing season if it gets too long or becomes a bit aggressive. 
• Early spring, give it a hard trim to help the plant revive for the active growing season. 

TO PRUNE: Using sharp, clean scissors, trim back any overgrown stems. Trim away yellow or dying leaves and feed the soil. Regular trimming supports a bushier, fuller look.

Propagating

The best thing about Baby Tears is how easy it is to propagate! This plant naturally propagates through its creeping stems but you can also propagate it manually to produce new ones. 

To propagate from cuttings:

• Trim a healthy stem with multiple leaves, two to three inches long. 
• Pick off the low leaves, leaving a handful on the top. 
• Set the cutting in a glass of water or in fine, moist, well-draining soil. 
• Place the cutting in a warm area with plenty of indirect sunlight. 
• Roots should form within a few weeks, and once a cutting is well-rooted, the cutting can be transferred into a pot or garden bed.

Baby Tears also propagates easily in water. Just stick cuttings in a glass of water, and once roots become about an inch long, transplant them into soil to grow.

Growing in Pots

Baby Tears makes a great addition to pots and containers, where its cascading growth can tumble over the edge beautifully. It does well on tables, shelves and hanging baskets. 

You need a pot with a drainage hole under it so water does not accumulate in the bottom. Roughly one size up from what is up to this point will give the plant room to spread out. Start with a light, well-draining potting mix that holds moisture without oversaturating. If you have heavier soil mix, it will improve drainage to add perlite or sand. Keep watering until the soil remains wet but never soggy.

Overwintering

Winter Care of Baby Tears (if growing it indoors): If grown in the house, then Baby Tears does not need much specialized care during winter. But, if grown outdoors, it is only hardy in USDA zones 9-11. The plant needs to be brought in before temperatures fall below 50°F in colder climates, and for the winter it should be placed in a warm, brightly lit room (at 60°F to 75°F) with reduced watering (but never let the soil completely dry out). 

Do not put the plant in an area where it is subjected to drafts, heating vents or radiators, as the sudden change in temperature can send it into a stress response.

Blooming

Baby Tears is grown for its rich green foliage more than its flowers. Although it may also bloom tiny white flowers, this is unusual, particularly indoors. To produce flowers, the plant is dependent on high humidity and specific environmental conditions, which is rather hard to create indoors. Rather than looking to this plant for flowers, enjoy it for its vibrancy as a green plant and its delicate, trailing stems.

Common Issues

Baby Tears is usually a pretty fuss-free plant, but if the conditions are not optimal, a few issues may arise:

• Pests
• May occasionally attract mealybugs, aphids, and spider mites.
• Signs include tiny bugs or a sticky residue on the leaves.
• Rinse the plant well with water or use insecticidal soap.
• Spider mites thrive in dry conditions—keeping humidity levels high helps deter them.

• Yellowing Leaves
• Often a sign of overwatering.
• Make sure the plant has good drainage and that your watering schedule is appropriate.

• Leggy Growth
• Usually caused by insufficient light.

Summary

Baby Tears is a delicate, lush groundcover known for its tiny, vibrant green leaves and soft, cascading growth. Perfect for terrariums, hanging baskets, or as a humidity-loving houseplant, it thrives in moist soil, bright indirect light, and warm, humid environments.

Though low-maintenance, it prefers consistently damp (not soggy) soil and needs occasional pruning to stay compact and tidy. Propagation is easy via stem cuttings, and it's safe for pets. While flowering is rare, its vibrant foliage makes it a standout addition to any indoor or outdoor (USDA zones 9–11) plant collection.