Peperomia (Peperomia): what is it - a photo and description of a houseplant, medicinal properties, benefits for the home, is it succulent and where is the birthplace of the flower?

Peperomia (Peperomia) is very popular among gardeners. A plant with juicy green leaves (large or small) leaves no one indifferent, given its unpretentiousness and ease of care. Thanks to its decorative appearance, a wide variety of varieties, peperomia decorates many apartments and offices. There are curly, bushy and erect species of this plant. In this article, we learn how to care for Peperomia at home, what types of plants exist, and also what parasites can threaten a flower.

What is it - a botanical description

Peperomia is an evergreen herbaceous plant of the pepper family and does not belong to succulent. The plant is diverse in variety and valued as decorative. Many botanical gardens feature large collections of this genus. The name of the flower comes from two Greek words - peperi (pepper) and omos (similar).

There are some types of peperomia that are very similar to succulents.:

Ferreira
columella;
chisel;
gravity

In nature, peperomia prefers the tropical regions of America, Asia and Africa. At home, the plant lives on tree trunks, in forests, on peaty soils and even on rocks. Plant height ranges from 15 to 50 cm. A large number of species determines the variety of plant leaves, which can be glossy, leathery, wrinkled, large and small, thin and thick.

The color of the leaves is light and dark green, reddish, golden, silver with stripes, white with yellow spots, with stains. Flowering time of spring-summer plant. As a rule, these are inflorescences-ears, outwardly differing from each other depending on the type of peperomy.

Plant photo

Here you can see the photo of the flower:

Poisonous or not and can it be kept at home?

Peperomia is not a poisonous plant and can be kept in the housewhere there are animals and small children. The flower has a beneficial effect on the home atmosphere.

Medicinal properties and benefits

The phytoncidal activity of peperomy does not depend on the amount of volatile substances, but on the chemical composition of the plant. The main difference of phytoncides is their feature, even in small doses, to restrain the growth and reproduction of pathogens, while stimulating the growth of beneficial ones by regulating the composition of the air in the room. It is useful to put the flower in children's rooms and keep in homes where they often suffer from colds and SARS. Peperomia refers to a group of plants that have antibacterial and antiviral activity.

Care

Active growth lasts all year round, so there are few seasonal differences in care.. In the summer, the plant must be periodically sprayed, and large-leaved species should be wiped with a damp sponge or wet soft cloth. In winter, this is not necessary.

In spring and summer, the plant loves abundant watering, but after the land is completely dry. In winter, the soil is only slightly moistened with warm water. Peperomia must be fed year-round with complex mineral fertilizers. In summer - once every two weeks, in winter - once a month.

The plant does not like direct sunlight and feels comfortable in a shaded place. It also does not like drafts, therefore it is not worth taking it to the balcony. This indoor flower prefers stable conditions, without drastic changes. A sharp change in the microclimate can adversely affect its growth and development.

Attention! The ideal temperature for peperomia is 25-28 degrees Celsius. At a temperature of 15 degrees and below, the plant stops developing, and in the cold it can die completely.

The soil should be slightly acidic. It can be a special earthen mixture for peperomia or similar for other plants. Mandatory drainage. About caring for the flower in the open ground and at home, we talked about in this material.

Breeding

Given the popularity of the plant, breed it in a variety of ways. The simplest and most reliable is the division of a large bush into several parts, especially since peperomia should be transplanted up to three years every year. Subsequently, the flower is transplanted once every two years, as it grows.

If the plant has stopped growing, and roots peek out from the drainage holes, then the root system has grown expansively and peperomy requires transplantation. A fairly common method of propagation is cuttings. From bushy peperomia, you can take leaves, from climbing species - stalks with two or three nodules.

Cuttings or leaves with petioles are cut and rooted in a wet mixture:
- peat;
- sand;
- sheet land (1/1/1).
They put in a warm place.
Cover with a glass jar.
After rooting, the jar is removed.

An easier way to get a stalk with roots is to put it in a glass of water. In order for the stalk to release roots faster, you can add a stimulant to the root to the water. After the formation of roots, the process is planted in a pot with soil. Reproduction of peperomia by seed is very rare.

Bloom

Peperomia is a decorative and deciduous plant, which is why it is valued among flower growers. In most species, flowers are inconspicuous, long, similar to a mouse tail. But there are species with more original inflorescences, for example, wrinkled peperomia, in which the flowers resemble golf clubs.

Some species have comb-shaped flowers. Inflorescences of all species of this plant are composed of small flowers. Peperomia blooms in April and May. Nondescript flowers, as a rule, are removed so that they do not slow down the growth of the entire plant. All the details regarding peperomia blooms can be found in this article.

Pests and diseases

Like all other plants, peperomia is prone to damage by small pests.:

spider mite;
nematode;
thripsoy;
scabbard;
mealybug.

Fight pests with insecticides by wiping the leaves with a cloth soaked in a solution or spraying the plant, following the instructions on the package. So that other plants do not become infected with the same parasites, the affected flower must be set separately from healthy ones before recovery.

Attention! Peperomy can sometimes be affected by a rare virus that causes dwarfism. Such plants must be disposed of immediately so as not to infect healthy specimens.

Due to improper care and maintenance conditions with peperomia, the following troubles may arise:

leaves dry and fall - the temperature regime is violated or the soil is dry;
leaves wither, blacken and fall, the stems become soft - the soil is waterlogged;
rusty spots appeared on the leaves - an excess of fertilizers.

You will find more nuances about the diseases and pests of this plant in another article.

Similar varieties

Inflorescences of many varieties of peperomia with their appearance are very similar to plantain inflorescences.
Peperomia ciconia has large glossy leaves, similar to the leaves of rubber ficus.
By small leaves and a curving form of peperomia, creeping and head-headed have something in common with tradescantia, but peperomia have more rigid leaflets.
Peperomia wrinkled and similar appearance with red leaves are a bit similar to some varieties of decorative and deciduous begonias.

Many types of peperomia, due to bright and juicy leaves, their exotic and elegant appearance, unpretentiousness, occupy a worthy place in the collections of flower growers and home greenhouses. A wide variety of varieties makes it possible for every lover of indoor plants to choose exactly the flower that best fits into the interior of the room.