Peperomia - hot stuff!

Romia! Romia! Where art thou? - why you need these hot peppers in your lives!

Peperomia are a large species of tropical and subtropical plants, commonly called Radiator Plants, typically with thick short stems and fleshy leaves. They are related to black peppers, but don't try to eat them please.

All you need to know is that these succulents are easy to grow and tough to kill. Their tiny flowers aren't that amazing, usually on conical spikes of yellow to brown, and the berry fruit dries out to a pepper-like seed.

We grow them mainly for their leaves which range from green to red, striped to marbled, heart-shaped to lance-like. They can be compact or trailing in variety, so could be good as a hanging plant. Incidentally, I will talk more about hanging plants in a later blog having just recently installed a wire to allow these to be displayed more dramatically.

As you will be familiar by now with these blogs, we will pick on just 3 that I know has worked for me that are simple to look after (and a surprise extra at the end!).

1. Peperomia caperata 'Lilian'

I love its emerald ripple corrugated heart-shaped leaves. Not so sure about its flower which look like a hockey stick!

Keep in indirect light, allow soil to dry between watering, and mist occasionally. Feed just twice a year and it prefers to be a bit pot bound so repot only when you have to.

2. Peperomia polybotrya 'Raindrops'

Also known as the Coin Leaf Peperomia, this plant can tolerate some direct sun but is happy in indirect light and is pretty hardy. It is a tropical succulent and so just let the top 20% of the soil dry out between waterings but do not let it completely dry out. It is commonly mistaken for the Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides) but they are not related. The pointy leaves of the Coin Leaf is different from the round leaves of the Chinese Money Plant.

3. Peperomia obtusifolia ' Baby Rubberplant'

You all know the Rubberplant, that staple of all student digs that is pretty much unkillable. We have one that was not watered for over 6 months and is still alive. As the Rubberplant can grow to a large size, it is unsuitable for a small space. So say hello to this baby rubberplant, the 'baby Groot' version. Obtusifolia means 'blunted leaves' which means it has a less pointy end than the Coin Leaf. Although it prefers higher humidity, it does not require much care, indirect lighting is best, and water and feed sparingly as above. It does have some long white stick-like flowers that I would not be too excited by.

4. Curio ficoides 'Skyscraper or Mount Everest Senecio'

So this is not a peperomia but as it is rather unique, I have added it to this blog. This South African plant can grow to over 1m in height in the wild. At home, its common name is an exaggeration, as it will only grow to about 50cm. I am showing you just the tips of mine as I am propagating these from a larger plant at present which has outgrown its pot. The blade-like leaves have a waxy blue-grey coat that makes them rather sophistacated, fitting in well with a modern Scandi-vibe decor (hence there are sold in droves in Ikea). They are part of a huge family called Senecio (ragwort) plants. They need water sparingly, every fortnight in summer, and once a month in winter. Indirect sunny spot is preferred.

I finish with a nice poster from Etsy which gives you a way to identify common peperomias you might find on sale. I am particularly fond of Peperomia ferreyrae 'Happy Bean' which makes a lovely compact houseplant with leaves similar to the curio above.

I leave you with this pun to believe in yourself that you can grow amazing houseplants with little effort!

Have a great week!

Adios amigos. 👦🏻💜🌵