Whether you’re a beginning gardener or a lifelong houseplant collector, there are so many reasons to add peperomia hope to your collection.
A funky little plant that’s super easy-going, peperomia hope is beginner friendly and low maintenance. But don’t let its undemanding nature fool you. Peperomia hope’s bright green, round leaves and trailing growth habit are sure to delight, making it one of the best plants for tabletops and hanging baskets too.
If you love unusual houseplants, or peperomias in particular, peperomia hope is a must have. And lucky for us, it’s usually quite easy to find at local nurseries and garden centers.
If you’re ready to learn more about peperomia hope, read on. This care guide will cover everything you need to know to grow peperomia hope successfully
About Peperomia Hope
Peperomias are popular houseplants for good reason. There are over 1000 different types of peperomias, many of which are low maintenance plants with very simple care requirements. Peperomia plants are primarily prized for their intriguing foliage, which grows in a range of colors and shapes
The name peperomia comes from two root words, “peperi” (pepper) and “homios” (resembling), which refers to some peperomias’ resemblance to pepper plants. These plants are also nicknamed “radiator plants” due to their preference for bright and warm environments.
Peperomia hope is a popular species of peperomia and is actually a hybrid plant, created by combining Peperomia deppeana and Peperomia quadrifolia together. Native to Central and South America, these plants are tropical species that grow as epiphytes in the wild, absorbing much of the moisture and nutrients they need from the air using their roots.
Known for its low growth habit and trailing stems, peperomia hope boasts coin-shaped, fleshy leaves on succulent stems. When fully mature, plants usually grow 12” long by 8” wide. Their petite form makes these plants great choices for tabletop plants and offices, but they look lovely in hanging baskets too, which allow their cascading stems to be on full display.
In spring or summer, peperomia hope will sometimes flower; however, flowers are not very showy. Flowers appear as long slender spikes that are brown to green in color. And while flowers are not particularly noticeable, if they appear it means that your plant is happy!
Another common peperomia variety, trailing jade peperomia (Peperomia rotundifolia), is often confused with peperomia hope, but there are some clear distinguishing features between these two plants. Most notably, the leaves of peperomia hope are a bit thicker and they are clustered in groups of three or four leaves along the length of plant stems.
If you love peperomia hope, you’re in luck. There are tons of other popular peperomia varieties to try. Some of the most popular peperomias available today include:
- Baby rubber plant (Peperomia obtusifolia)
- String of turtles (Peperomia prostrata)
- Ruby glow peperomia (Peperomia graveolens)
- Watermelon peperomia (Peperomia argyreia)
- Emerald ripple peperomia (Peperomia caperata ‘Emerald’)
- Parallel peperomia (Peperomia puteolata)
- Trailing jade peperomia (Peperomia rotundifolia)
- Peperomia rosso (Peperomia caperata ‘Rosso’)
Peperomia Hope Care
Like many other varieties of peperomias, peperomia hope is a beginner-friendly plant that has just a few basic care requirements. Provide your plant with adequate sunlight, proper watering and a bit of fertilizer, and you’ll find that peperomia hope is a super simple plant to care for.
Growth Habit
Peperomia hope can be grown as either a tabletop plant or in a hanging basket, where its stems will rarely grow longer that 12”. Because of its compact size, peperomia hope works well in terrariums and tiny fairy gardens too.
If you have other plants, you don’t need to worry about peperomia hope taking over. This species is pretty slow growing and does not compete with other houseplants for lighting.
Light
For optimal growth and flowers, peperomias should be provided with lots of bright, indirect light. South-facing windows usually work quite well for these plants, but they can grow under grow lights too.
Avoid keeping your plant in too much direct light though, as this can cause leaf burn and blanching to peperomias’ tender, fleshy leaves.
While this plant can adapt to some partial shade, too little light may cause your peperomia’s growth to become stunted. Other signs of inadequate lighting include curling leaves, poor leaf production, leggy growth or pale leaves.
Water
Peperomia hope is a moisture-lover, but as with most things, moderation is key. During the growing season (spring and summer), keep soil consistently moist, but not soggy. Generally speaking, watering once every 7 to 10 days is best.
In fall and winter, as your plant’s growth rate slows down a bit, you can dial back watering some, watering only when the top 1 to 2” of soil feels dry to the touch.
Because peperomias can be prone to root rot, avoid overwatering your plants and make sure to only use pots and planters with adequate drainage holes. It can also help to repot your plants annually to freshen up soil so that it drains properly.
Temperature and Humidity
Normal household temperature and humidity levels work well for peperomia hope. While extreme high and low temperatures may spell trouble for your plant, a temperature range of between 65 and 80° F is perfect.
Althought peperomia hope doesn’t necessarily need high humidity, it is a tropical species. For that reason, adding a humidifier to your grow room or placing a pebble tray under your plant can boost humidity levels and help your plant grow even better.
Soil and Repotting
Peperomia hope grows pretty slowly, so it doesn’t need to be repotted that frequently. Usually, repotting your plant ever 1 to 2 years is sufficient. If your plant appears rootbound or if roots are popping out of your pot’s drainage holes, it’s probably time to repot your peperomia.
When choosing a new pot for your plant, opt for a pot that is only 1 to 2 sizes larger than your existing pot. Peperomia hope grows best in smaller containers, while larger planters may encourage wetter soil and root rot. For better results, always try to repot your peperomia plants in spring, as they usually transplant better at this time.
As far as what soil to use when repotting, opt for a good, rich, well-draining potting mix. Peperomia hope also prefers a slightly acidic environment, with a pH level of between 6.0 and 6.5. Adding some perlite and compost to your potting mix can help to improve your soil’s nutrient content and drainage capacity.
Fertilizer
Peperomia hope isn’t a heavy feeder, but it can benefit from the occasional application of a good, organic liquid fertilizer. Opt for a balanced or nitrogen-rich fertilizer and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to apply. A general rule of thumb is to apply a diluted dose of fertilizer once a month during the active growing season, but this may vary depending on what fertilizer you choose.
If you don’t want to use fertilizer, side dressing your plant from time to time with worm castings or a quality organic compost works well too. If you decide to go this route, just be sure to leave a bit of space between your compost or worm castings and your plant’s stem to prevent issues with rot or plant tissue burn.
When your plant stops growing in autumn and winter, it’s best to avoid fertilizing.
Pruning
Because it’s a slow growing plant, it’s often not necessary to prune your peperomia; however, doing so can refine its shape and keep it from getting too leggy.
Pruning is best done in spring when your plant is actively growing as it will recover quicker at this time. Once you’ve pruned your plant, be sure to save your cuttings to propagate more peperomia plants.
Toxicity
Peperomia hope, like other peperomia varieties, is categorized as non-toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA.
Peperomia Hope Propagation
Peperomia hope is easily propagated in water from both stem and leaf cuttings. In fact, this plant can even be grown from partial leaf cuttings, so be sure to save any material you snip from your plant while pruning.
Propagating your peperomia hope from stem cuttings
- To begin, take cuttings from your parent plant using a clean, sharp knife or pair of kitchen shears. Each cutting should be a few inches long and have at least 2 to 3 nodes per cutting (nodes are the areas along plant stems where leaves sprout).
- Carefully remove the leaves from the bottom nodes of your cutting and place your cutting in a jar of clean, fresh water.
- Locate your jar in a location where it will receive lots of bright, indirect sun. However, avoid placing your cutting in an area that receives too much direct light as this can cause leaf burn.
- Refresh your water as needed, ensuring that the bottom of your cutting is always covered in water. Within a few weeks you should notice roots beginning to sprout.
- Once your cutting has roots that are 2 to 3” long, transplant your new peperomia plant into a pot with fertile, well-draining potting mix and tend your plant as usual.
Propagating your peperomia hope from leaf cuttings
Peperomia hope can also be propagated from leaf cuttings; however, this method may take a bit longer than with stem cuttings.
- First, snip off a few leaves from your peperomia plant with a clean, sharp knife or pair of kitchen shears.
- Place your leaves into a pot full of fertile, pre-moistened potting mix, pressing the leaves down so that the cut end of each leaf is slightly covered in soi.
- Cover your pot and leaves with a Ziploc bag and place it in an area that receives bright, indirect sun.
- Keep the soil well-moistened, but not soggy. Eventually, each leaf will start to sprout new peperomia pups.
- Once your peperomia pups are a good size and have developed roots, transplant each pup into its own pot with fertile, well-draining potting mix and resume normal care.
Common Pests and Diseases
Like other houseplants, peperomia hope can occasionally attract pests. To provide the best care possible for your new plant, it can help to know what signs to look for and how to treat common pests just in case problems arise.
Mealybugs
Mealybugs are a variety of scale insect that feed on plants by sucking out their sap with the help of sharp, threadlike mouthparts. The most obvious sign you’re dealing with mealybugs is that you’ll see the bugs themselves, which appear as tiny, fluffy, white masses.
Other signs of mealybugs include yellowed leaves, stunted growth and plants that weaken and die. Affected plants may also be coated in a sticky substance, known as “honeydew,” which is secreted by mealybugs as they feed.
Mealybug infestations are best treated with organic insecticidal soaps, neem oil sprays or other organic horticultural oils. Treatments should be applied every 7 to 10 days until all signs of mealybugs are gone.
Scale
Also known as armored scale, like mealybugs, scale are sap-sucking insects. However, unlike mealybugs, scale insects have dark brown exoskeletons and appear as small, brown dots or warts on plant stems and leaves.
Beyond seeing the scale insects themselves, other clear indicators that you’re dealing with scale are yellowed plant leaves, sticky honeydew residue, stunted growth and plants that wilt and die.
Armored scale can be a bit trickier to treat than mealybugs, but organic horticultural oils usually work quite well.
Just keep in mind that armored scale may remain attached to plant leaves and stems even after they die. So, after treating your plants, wait a day and then try to wipe the scale insects from your plant with a Q-tip. If they are easily removed, you’ve effectively treated your plant. If they stay stuck, you’ll want to reapply your pesticidal treatment.
Aphids
Aphids are small, sap-sucking insects that come in a range of colors, from bright green to black. Aphids can either have wings or not, but they are most identifiable by two tiny spikes, known as cornicles, that appear on their back sides.
Signs of an aphid infestation include visible aphids, sticky honeydew residue, yellow leaves and stunted or distorted plant growth.
Aphids can usually be removed with a strong blast of water from the kitchen sink or your garden hose. An application of organic insecticidal soap spray or neem oil will also make short work of aphid invasions.
Root Rot
Root rot occurs when your plant is subjected to waterlogged soil over a period of time. This causes plant roots to rot. When this occurs, your peperomia may begin to drop leaves, wither and, eventually, die.
To prevent root rot, ensure that your plant pot has adequate drainage holes and avoid overwatering your peperomia. When in doubt, check your soil for moisture levels. If the top 1 to 2” of soil feels dry to the touch, it’s time to water. If soil feels moist, wait a few days to water your plant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few of the most frequently asked question about peperomia hope care:
Why does my peperomia hope has brown spots on its leaves?
Brown spots on peperomia leaves can be signs of a few common issues, such as overwatering or overfertilizing. Alternatively, brown spots may result from insect pests, so give your plant a careful inspection just in case.
Why are my plant’s leaves curling?
Curling leaves usually indicate that your plant needs a bit more water. If your moisture levels seem good, check your plants for signs of pests, including aphids.
My plant looks leggy, what do I do?
Leggy peperomias are a sure sign they could use a bit more sunlight. Try moving your plant to an area that receives brighter sun or add a grow light to improve plant growth.
How do I get my plant to look fuller?
Keeping your plant well pruned and providing adequate lighting can prevent legginess. However, for even fuller plants, try propagating a few new plants from your peperomia’s stems and planting them together in a single pot.
Where can I buy peperomia hope?
Peperomia hope is a relatively common houseplant, so you may have luck locating one at your local plant nursery or garden center. If you can’t find a plant there, check online. Websites like Amazon and Etsy frequently offer peperomia hope plants for sale.
Conclusion
If you love peperomias or you’re just searching for a fun new plant to add to your collection, peperomia hope is a great choice. Low maintenance and adorable, this undemanding plant is well-suited for all gardeners, no matter your experience level. Beyond that, it’s trailing growth habit and sweet round leaves add texture and lightness to any plant display.
So, next time you’re on the hunt for a new houseplant, why not pick up a peperomia hope? You are certain to be charmed by this delightful little plant.
