Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Peperomia plants
Oh peperomia how I love your vast foliage options. I recently treated myself to a new plant and sassy pot.
‘Watermelon’ peperomia argyreia, is a sweet little beauty. The leaves are green and silver while the stems are red!
Peperomia like bright, indirect light, a bit of warmth and humidity in our cold climate homes but not too much water. They are tropical plants, native to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. You can see from the following photos how diverse peperomia are!
Let the soil get dry to the touch. You can also feel the leaves, if they’re floppy and the soil is dry, then water. Let that water drain out the bottom.
The best soil mix is something like an orchid mix, generally what they are planted in when you purchase them from a reputable nursery.
They’re slow growers so you likely won’t need to repot them for some time. In their native habitats, peperomia grow on rotting trees, they’re epiphytes.
With more than 1,000 known species, these hearty plants have thick, fleshy leaves that contribute to their drought tolerance and vigor. And the variations can be so dramatic you wouldn’t think they’re in the same family!
They ARE, however, all compact plants, making them perfect for small spaces.
‘Ruby Glow’ which has really thick tubular red and green leaves.
‘String of Turtles’ has cute little leaves and makes a great hanging plant.
