Waffle-textured, mottled, purple or plain green, the leaves of peperomia change completely from one species to the next, and summer adds long, slender flower panicles. This tropical perennial from South American forests is grown indoors for that foliage alone: give it bright but indirect light and moist air, and it stays handsome all year.
| Name | Peperomia |
|---|---|
| Family | Piperaceae |
| Type | perennial, indoor plant |
| Height | 10 inches (25 cm) |
| Exposure | well-lit |
| Soil | well-drained |
| Foliage | evergreen |
| Flowering | summer |
It is very much appreciated for its foliage, which is extremely varied depending to the species and in every case amazingly ornamental.
Peperomia has the particularity of loving being repotted at the end of winter.
You can thus repot it after having purchased it if you realize the roots start sticking out from the bottom of the pot, and after that yearly at the end of winter.
Peperomia loves well-lit situations but abhors receiving the sun’s rays directly, especially in summer.
Termperature-wise, peperomia tolerates heated indoor apartments, but it may happen that its leaves drop off if the air is too dry (solve this problem here).
Temperatures mustn’t drop below 55 to 57°F (12 to 13°C).
After the blooming, eliminate floral scapes from the peperomia, cutting them as short as you can.
Occasionally, you’ll have a few of the usual indoor plant fiends: scale (shown here), and red spider mites.
The natural environment of peperomia is the tropical forests of South America and it therefore requires high relative moisture all year round to develop well.
However, no need to water often: excessive watering could also kill it off. Excess water usually translates to leaf loss and ultimately death for your plant.
Almost every peperomia setback comes down to air, water, light or a pest. Match what you are seeing to the cause before you change anything.
| What you see | Likely cause | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves drop off | Indoor air too dry, usually from heating | Mist the leafage with soft water, especially in winter |
| Leaf loss, then the plant dies | Too much water at the roots | Water lightly and only when the soil is really dry |
| Plant fails in a dim corner | Room too dark | Move it to a well-lit spot out of direct sun |
| Fine mottling and webbing on leaves | Red spider mites, the commonest peperomia pest | Follow the treatment for fighting red spider mites |
| Small limpet-like bumps on stems and leaves | Scale insects | Treat as for any indoor plant infestation |
| Sudden decline in a cool room | Temperature too low | Keep it above 55 to 57°F (12 to 13°C) |
Remember too that a peperomia is naturally short-lived and slow-growing, so not every change is a problem to fix.
The peperomias sold as houseplants range from quilted rosettes to fine trailers, and they are not interchangeable on a shelf or in a hanging pot. Use the table below to match leaf, habit and position before you buy.
| Variety | Foliage | Habit | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Emerald Ripple’ | Dark green, deeply quilted | Compact rosette | Windowsill or desk pot |
| ‘Silver Ripple’ | Silvery-grey, quilted | Compact rosette | Bright shelf or terrarium |
| ‘Rosso’ | Corrugated green, red undersides | Compact rosette | Small feature pot |
| ‘Ginny’ (Rainbow peperomia) | Cream and pink-edged fleshy leaves | Spreading, semi-upright | Bright light keeps the pink |
| ‘Variegata’ | Green with cream margins | Bushy, upright | Bright indirect light |
| Cupid peperomia ‘Variegata’ | Heart-shaped, cream-margined | Trailing or climbing | Shelf, basket or small support |
| ‘Luna Red’ | Deep burgundy, quilted | Compact rosette | Colour accent indoors |
| Peperomia albovittata ‘Piccolo Banda’ | Silvery leaves with dark veins | Compact rosette | Small pot or terrarium |
| ‘Hope’ | Small round green leaves in whorls | Semi-trailing | Hanging pot or shelf edge |
There is a large number of peperomia species and varieties with colors and foliage that differ greatly.
The photos we have here don’t necessarily present the actual varieties mentioned, it’s very possible that your own peperomia is very different from those shown.
There are green ones, mottled ones, waffle-textured ones, purple ones and even peperomia that are less or more densely leaved.
However, they all share common traits: a tropical origin traced back to South America and blooming that presents extended, long panicles.
Note also that the lifespan of a peperomia isn’t very long, and it grows relatively slowly.
But peperomia is, all in all, a simply beautiful indoor plant thanks to its varied and variegated (!) ornamental foliage.
Red spider mites are the most prevalent parasites on peperomia. To eradicate them, follow our advice on fighting red spider mites.
