Pepper Face, Peperomia Obtusifolia

Description

Pretty Little Pepper Face With its tropical origins, it’s no surprise that peperomia obtusifolia is popular. Often grown as a prized houseplant, the baby rubber plant loves its humidity, but can’t take cold temps. It’s surprisingly self-sufficient, and makes for a perfect green addition to your home.

Slender stems support fleshy, almost succulent-looking leaves. Whether it’s one of the multicolored varieties or all green, it’s quite a sight to behold. A perennial, it’s capable of living for years in the right environment. Inviting one of these beauties into your home is a joy!

Variegated peperomia, sometimes called pepper face, originates from Mexico down to northern South America, and also grows in parts of the West Indies. It’s popular now in Florida, Mexico, and the Caribbean – areas where the warmer climate is favorable.

This evergreen perennial can grow up to a foot tall and a similar width. Its flowers aren’t showy and are greenish white in hue. They grow on spikes that can reach five inches long.

Light & Temperature
Bright, but indirect light is best for your plant. While short periods of direct light are fine, too much full sun will cause leaf discoloration. Partial shade is your best bet, as it loves a bit of early morning sunlight before the heat of the day hits. If you don’t have a location with only early morning sun, avoid afternoon sunlight and instead opt for a bright location in your home.  Temperature is definitely a concern. The natural environment for your baby rubber plant is growing zones 10 and 11. At temperatures below 55 degrees, your plant will be chilled and suffer problems. Maintain an indoor temperature of 60 degrees and above, and it will be happy!

Water & Humidity
Consistent, light watering through the spring and summer months is important. Wait until the soil is almost dry on the surface before watering again, but don’t allow it to dry out completely. In the late fall and winter, you can reduce the watering frequency. It’ll need less during the cooler months. Because its leaves hold a considerable amount of moisture, this plant is slightly drought-tolerant. Allowing it to dry out too often may cause damage to the leaves, but the occasional skipped watering won’t do much harm.  As the plant’s in its active growing phase, it loves high humidity environments. These environments mimic its natural jungle atmosphere. Placing this in a frequently-used bathroom is great, as it’ll love the steam from the shower!  But if you don’t want to adorn your bathroom with plants, there’s alternatives. Place a pebble tray beneath the plant, or put it near a humidifier. Avoid placing it in the airflow from a heater or air conditioning system.

Soil
Peperomia’s tolerant of most soils. Clay, sand, or loam are all optional. But it performs best indoors in a peaty potting mix with good drainage. Avoid soils that hold lots of moisture against the epiphytic roots. Too much moisture can cause root rot to form. That tolerance spreads to soil pH as well. Slightly-acidic, neutral, or slightly-alkaline soils are all fine for your plant. In the wild it often grows in plant debris along jungle floors, so it’s tolerant of many soil types as long as they’re well-draining.

Fertilizer
Aim for a balanced, but diluted liquid plant food every 3 weeks during the spring and summer months. Apply the fertilizer directly to the soil rather than the leaves to avoid leaf burn. In fall, drop back to once a month feedings. Gradually increase the time between feedings to every month and a half in the early winter. They need less fertilization during those months of the year.