The genus name Peperomia translates to "pepper like", which makes sense since it falls in the same family that the plant black pepper is harvested from.
These tropical plants generally have thick stems and fleshy, variegated leaves. Flowers are yellow or brown cone-shapes spikes.
| Plant Types: | Interior Plant, Perennial |
| Light: | Partial Shade to Full Sun |
| Height: | 6 inches to 1 foot |
| Width: | 1 foot to 3 feet |
| Zones: | 14a to 15b |
| Bloom Color: | White |
| Leaf Color: | Green, Variegated, Yellow |
| Special Features: | Attractive foliage, North American native |
| Shape: | Irregular or sprawling |
| Type of Soil Preferred: | Acidic, Clay, Loamy, Neutral, Sandy, Slightly-Alkaline, Well-Drained |
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Usually propagated by seed in a greenhouse, but easy to propagate by stem cuttings. To make a stem cutting, remove the lower leaves from a shoot, and cut it off below the bottom node. Leave the stem in the open air for an hour or two until a crust forms over the scar, and place the cut stem in a water bath of 70-75 degrees F. Keep the air around the leaves moist, but less so for succulent species. When enough roots have formed, transplant to soil.
These tropical plants will do best in bright, warm, humid conditions. Put them inside a sunny window, and use a water tray or other means to keep the air around them moist if you are heating or using air conditioning.
If temperatures dip below 50F, the plant may drop its leaves.
Place in a light, well-drained compost. Susceptible to rot, so water only when completely dry.
Implement a balanced liquid fertilizer on a monthly basis between spring and summer.
Bottom-water in winter to prevent stem and leaf rot. Can suffer from ringspot, a ring-shaped discoloration of leaves. If this occurs, remove the affected leaves.