With the resurgence of the houseplant craze, peperomias are becoming an even more popular choice (no pun intended). They make great starting plants due to their hardiness, and since they keep fairly compact, they are also good choices for windowsills, desktops, terrariums, and dish gardens! Peperomias are distant relatives of Piper nigrum, or black pepper, one of the most popular spices in the world. They normally have circular leaves with fleshy stems and relatively succulent leaves. They can trail, grow erect, or clump (ex. Peperomia prostrata), and have a variety of leaf textures, including smooth, quilted, corrugated, and hairy. There are more than 1,500 species alone, and new hybrids and cultivars are continuously being developed. The distinctive, rat tail-like inflorescences of Peperomias are one feature that makes them simple to recognize. It looks like the spadix on an aroid inflorescence: a spongy cone jam-packed with of small, insignificant flowers!
Although they have no connection to Ficus elastica, peperomias are occasionally referred to as “baby rubber plants” or “radiator plants.” Additionally, common names will change based on the species, as in: Since P. puteolata grows in an erect, almost lanky manner, it is sometimes known as stilt peperomia or parallel peperomia. Due to the foliage’s resemblance to a watermelon rind’s patterning, P. argyreia is sometimes known as the “watermelon Peperomia.”
Peps are really laid-back little plant pals who don’t need much from their owner, as I indicated before. The only thing to watch out for is overwatering because peperomias cannot abide having their feet wet. This essay covers all Peperomia species because I’ve discovered that they all require essentially the same maintenance. Read on!
Lighting: Peperomias thrive in a range of light conditions, from brilliant diffused light to northern indirect light. Even under the fluorescent workplace lighting, they flourish! Since the majority of peperomia species are often sluggish growers, putting them in moderate to bright light will aid in their growth. All of my peperomias are flourishing and flowering continuously in windows that face east and west.
Watering: The only truly challenging aspect of having Peperomias is determining the ideal watering location. Allowing the potting soil to dry out considerably is recommended, but not to the point where the stems begin to droop. While frequent underwatering that results in stem droop can also harm roots, overwatering can lead to root rot and oedema. When the Peperomia plant starts to droop visibly between waterings, keep an eye on it and water the plant a day or two before that happens. Therefore, the best practice would be to water after about 5 days if it takes your Peperomia 7 days to become droopy after a watering. Of course, factors like sunlight, container type, soil type, temperature, and humidity affect how frequently you should water. Peps has a slight learning curve, but once you establish a pattern, it’s simple to use.
Overwatering is more likely to happen to some Peperomias than others. The upright species P. obtusifolia has strong, thick stems and is exceptionally drought tolerant. It doesn’t complain even if I water it earlier than I should have! The species that fuss the most when overwatered are those with thin, fleshy stems (often clumping forms). As always, water less frequently during the winter when development is slowed by lower light, temperature, and humidity levels.
Temperature and humidity: Even though Peperomias are native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, they don’t need any extra humidity and thrive in typical household conditions! However, because they are not cold-hardy, maintain them in rooms that are warmer than 50 degrees Fahrenheit. They are happy in terrariums even if they don’t need any additional humidity.
The best potting soil for Peperomias is light, airy, and well-draining because many of them are easily overwatered. Perlite, gravel, or sand are good soil amendments to add because peperomia roots require a lot of oxygen. Additionally, check for drainage holes in your Peperomia pot, and aerate the soil often to prevent compaction. In terms of fertilizer, once or twice a month throughout the growing season is fine for a balanced fertilizer.
Repotting: You won’t need to do so frequently because most Peperomias remain small. If you’d like, you can repot plants once a year just to change the soil. The majority of my Peperomias are in pots that are 4 pots or smaller, and they will always be in those pots. Since it can get tall over time, one of my species, P. polybotrya, is the exception and is in a 6-pot. Just make sure the containers you use have enough drainage holes, like I specified above!
Peps are simple to grow from cuttings of the stem and leaf tips. Peperomias are an exception to the rule that most houseplants require a node (the location where the petiole joins the stem). A leaf with a stem can be inserted directly into water or soil. While I found leaf tip cuttings to take significantly longer to root, the same is true for leaf cuttings.
Common issues:
- Recently watered yet slightly wilted: roots need oxygen! Make sure the soil is routinely aerated, the pot has drainage, and the potting mix is beautiful and airy.
- Overwatering is the cause of oedema. On the leaves, oedema manifests as brown, raised, corky splotches or swellings. Reduce watering, especially throughout the winter!
- Browning edges and tips, usually brought on by cold and drafts. Peromias are tropical plants, so keep that in mind!
One of the numerous vibrant Peperomia cultivars in demand on the market is P. caperata ‘Red Ripple’.
Is peperomia a plant that trails?
A member of the Piperaceae family, Peperomia rotundifolia is an evergreen perennial with tiny, rounded leaves that grow in a naturally trailing pattern (Peperomia).
This vine-growing epiphyte plant species, which is native to South American tropical rainforests, is renowned for its decorative foliage and capacity to year-round add color to interior spaces.
This Peperomia rotundifolia is also known as:
- Peperomia with Round Leaf
- Following Jade (Senecio Jacobsenii shares the common name as well)
- Jade Pendant
- Slippery Buttons
- An array of turtles
- Heater Plant
Despite the options, the Peperomia rotundifolia plant is typically referred to by its botanical name, which literally translates to “resembling round leaves,” and was given by the German botanist Carl Sigismund Kunth.
How is pepperomia made to trail?
I now have two Peperomia hopes in my collection, and every time I post a picture of one or the other on Instagram, someone asks about their growth habits, and more specifically, how I got my plants to trail in that manner. Many plants have a propensity to grow horizontally or sparingly, which might give the impression that they are slightly ragged. Due to the fact that I have two plants, I have had the opportunity to try out a wide range of growth conditions. In addition, during the past few years, I believe I have identified the positions that have the most influence on the appearance of both Peps at HPH.
If you want to learn more about Peperomia hope, check out my care guide, which is aptly titled “Keeping my Peperomia hope alive”!
- The problem with light and intensity
- Making sure your plant looks full
- Comparing lagging growth to horizontal growth
- fresh growth plus broken stems…
On begin, the three images below show how my plant seemed a few years ago to the left, and the images in the center and right are from Summer 2020:
Fun fact: This beautiful cultivar is a cross between Peperomia quadrifolia and Peperomia deppeana.
The issue of light + intensity
The key factor that has enabled my plants to develop pretty densely and fully is light—both the placement and the intensity of the light. Giving the pot’s top a light enough place is the main factor I can credit for full growth. This is true of all hanging plants, but notably of the Peperomia gang and the String of Hearts. If the plant’s base (the top of the potting mix) receives a lot of light, new growth will also start to form on the stems that are already there.
You can see in the photo below where my Pep has given me the best results in the over three years I’ve been growing it—about 0.5–1 meters from a window on the first level that faces southeast. It also thrived at 1.5 meters from a South-west window in my last apartment. The light is diffused through a net in both locations, which softens the light and helps to some extent prevent the succulent leaves from being adversely affected by this posture. This is crucial.
A bright location away from strong, direct light is best since if the plant receives lots of bright light, the disc-like foliage might start to look fairly dull + washed-out in appearance. Keep in mind that these circumstances are exclusive to my current setting and are provided to you as a benchmark for comparison with your own home. It’s crucial to keep in mind that windows can vary significantly in size, and the location of your home—whether it’s in a developed neighborhood with nearby buildings or not, or whether there are outside obstructions like trees—will all affect how much light comes in.
Finding a balance between light intensity and a more ambient lighting setup might occasionally take some time. Be ready for an acclimatization phase as your plant adjusts if you want to shift it from low light to bright light. As you go to the desired location, it’s frequently a good idea to do this gradually by positioning the pot in a brighter area or exposing it to brighter light for a few hours each day. The majority of plants are rather flexible, but if you substantially alter their environment over night, you might see some leaf drop or yellowing. Be alert to any additional environmental changes in a new location, such as temperature, humidity, or hazardous draughts.
Keeping your plant looking full
The other straightforward technique to encourage your Peperomia hope to fill out involves pot size + repotting, which works in conjunction with a bright location that promotes development at the base of the plant. According to my observations, these plants thrive in small, tightly fitting pots as compared to huge pots that result in the root ball being encircled by a lot of potting soil. This can seriously harm a Peperomia because it increases the likelihood of overwatering and causes root rot, neither of which will keep your plant looking full and lush.
Since I’ve had them both for about three years, I’ve only had to repot my larger plant once and the little one a few times, which just goes to show how well they handle relatively rare repotting! I’ve discovered that a few little leaps in pot size are preferable than one large one when dealing with younger pots of Peperomia hope. Only when the roots are encircling the pots or poking out of the drainage holes do peps actually require repotting. In addition, if they are drying out quickly, it is another telltale indicator. I noticed this with my sizable plant in the summer.
When a Peperomia plant is cozy in its pot, you might notice that it has a growth surge, fills out the pot’s top easily over time, stays healthy, and doesn’t require repotting. This is a plant that definitely loves to establish a comfy home for itself in its pot for a year or two before needing much maintenance or a slightly larger house if it’s in a larger pot, where it will frequently be putting energy into producing roots instead of leaves. With them, I often just increase one pot size at a time.
Horizontal growth vs. trailing growth
Doing things to encourage your plant to trail may sound easy, but it’s important! As soon as you can, treat your Pep hope like a trailing plant. As the stems developed, they “rested” on top of other nearby plants, which made the growth more horizontal in nature. My smaller pot (above + below) began life resting on a plant shelf. However, when I moved, I didn’t have much room, so I chose to hang some of my plants using hooks into the ceiling beams next to the windows to give them good light. I was somewhat aback by how rapidly this appeared to instruct my plant to grow downward, with some assistance from gravity. It grew in a beautifully balanced way because the pot and stems had good light throughout in this position.
The availability of light may also be a factor in these plants’ horizontal growth.
The stems will naturally start to grow and stretch if your plant is in an environment that is either too dark or not bright enough—the plant is essentially looking for light! As a result, the stem will be longer between each new set of leaves, increasing the distance between the leaves. As the leaves contribute to the weight of the stem in question, this will make the stems less heavy and increase their likelihood of spreading out horizontally.
The several growth photographs in this post, notably these two below, demonstrate what I said before.
Naturally, new growth has a more horizontal shape, but when the weight of the stem and leaves rises, the stem is dragged down and joins the old plant’s trailing cluster. The base’s growth was growing up and up like an antenna for a good while. Then gravity took over and slowly lowered it to join the other branches. So there’s no need to be concerned if your new growth initially appears a little odd or diagonal!
Broken stems + new growth…
Some of the stems from my larger plant snapped off when I moved last year, but fret not—this will not hurt the plant, and it can recover! These kinds of trailing plants do have a tendency to get tangled or break off if hit, and this is a frequent problem as the plants develop.
The images below will show how the plant responds to a broken stem and will answer a question I frequently get about what occurs when stems break in relation to new growth.
The pictures below, which were shot two weeks apart, show how the new growth starts to form at the end of the stem. Eventually, leaves will also start to grow from this point. The stem will keep growing over time, and the pep will start growing normally.
I’m seriously considering giving my more mature plant a trim now that spring has here because it’s beginning to appear a little lanky and stretched out due to how long it has grown. This will help maintain my plant looking its best, and you can always propagate them to generate new plants as well. Give your plants a small haircut; you’ll often be rewarded with new growth, and occasionally it’s just what they need to liven them up a little. Despite the fact that I am constantly using the snips in the yard, it took me a few years of development before I felt more at ease with regular trimming of my houseplants. The most important thing to do as your Peperomia plant grows is to make sure the entire plant receives adequate light. I’ll need to make a slight adjustment to the hanger on my smaller hanging one in a few weeks because it’s almost ready to grow behind my bookshelf.
Now that you know more about getting your Peperomia hope to trail, I hope this more detailed post was helpful to you! These are beautiful plants, and I find them to be far more sturdy and eye-catching than certain fussier peps (also known as ones with thinner leaves).
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