Family: Piperaceae
Common Name: Baby Rubber Plant
Botanical Name: Peperomia obtusifolia
If you have a brightly lit space and are a little forgetful when caring for your Baby Rubber Plant, then you might have met the perfect genus for you! Mostly all of the peperomias are considered easy care indoor plants because they do not require a lot of water. They thirst, instead, for brightly lit rooms where they can grab all of the indirect sunlight they need to grow. With a bit of pruning, you can keep these plants compact and free from needing stakes. If you prefer to let them gain height, try staking them up to help them reach new heights. When you think it's time to upsize the pot for your peperomia, go up only one pot size (the diameter measures pots). Peperomia have shallow root systems and can thrive by being in smaller containers. Learn more about their care requirements!
Light
Baby Rubber Plants can tolerate medium light, but they'll become weaker and leggy and produce fewer leaves in low light. Baby Rubber Plants need bright filtered light for at least 5-6 hours daily but will survive in lower light conditions!
Water
Let your Peperomia obtusifolia dry out between waterings. Soak the soil thoroughly until the water drains out of the drainage holes. You'll need to water more when they're receiving more light, so adjust accordingly. Avoid over-watering. When the colder months arrive, cut back on watering; in wintertime, only water if dehydrated. If the soil becomes compacted, we suggest soaking the root ball in water for 5-10 minutes to loosen up the soil!
Soil
Almost all types of peperomia need soil with excellent drainage. Baby Rubber Plants should never be planted in dense soil mixtures with moisture-retaining crystals. You can use a universal potting soil for peperomia, but reduce the watering frequency when using this type of soil as it will retain water longer, causing potential damage to the roots! Nutrient-rich, loose soils are perfect mixtures for wax vines!
Temperature
Most peperomias love warm environments - 65-85℉ - and should be kept away from drafty windows and doorways during the colder months. They can tolerate lower temperatures (the 50s and 60s) but avoid exposing them for too long as they will stop growing!
Humidity
Although Baby Rubber Trees can handle most household humidity levels, they will grow more rapidly when the humidity exceeds 60 percent. Do what you can to increase the humidity for these tropical, hanging, indoor plants. Add pebble trays filled with water under your indoor plants, group plants together, or use a cool-mist humidifier.
Fertilizer
Peperomia obtusifolias are not heavy feeders. You can fertilize them once a month during the growing season with a complete liquid fertilizer at 1/4 the recommended strength, top dress the soil with worm castings, or a rich compost once in the early summer. Remember to water your plants after applying granular fertilizer and water them before adding liquid fertilizer!
Growth Rate
Peperomia obtusifolia can grow up to 24" indoors given the proper care! Remember to pinch back leggy growth to keep your rubber plant full!
Pet Friend or Foe
Peperomia obtusifolia is non- toxic Friend!
Pro Tips
- When repotting Peperomia, use soil with good drainage to discourage water-logged soil.
- Peperomias do flower, but the blooms are small. Feel free to cut them off to encourage more foliage development.
- Leach the soil once a season to flush out salt build-up. Fertilize with a complete liquid fertilizer or top dressing of worm castings after leaching the soil.
- If you find your peperomia is not growing or dropping leaves, consider moving it to a brighter setting and monitor the soil for dryness.
- It is always better to lean toward dry soil if you are unsure whether or not to water your Baby Rubber Plant!