Peperomia Verticillata Care Guide

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Peperomia Verticillata are one of the more vibrant plants within the Peperomia family with it’s rich red and green leaves.The deep colours of its foliage make it a perfect plant for colour matching in your home. It’s relatively easy to take care of and doesn’t grow too big so is a great plant for decorating an office or keeping on night stand.

Light

Peperomia Verticillata loves bright light and will thrive in areas that receive lots of natural light throughout the day. You can place this plant on a west or south facing windowsill and direct sunlight shouldn’t be a problem. However if you do notice scorching on the leaves and think that the rays might be too strong for your plant then move it back away from the window or try a different location to see what works for you.

Humidity

The Peperomia Verticillata doesn’t need high levels of humidity, unless the air is very dry in your home your plant should be able to adapt to the levels of humidity in your house. If it is in a very dry room or near a heating system it may suffer but as long as that’s not the case then you shouldn’t need to do much regarding humidity with this plant.

Watering

It’s important for this plant that you let the soil dry out between waterings as it doesn’t like to be overwatered. When you water your plant you can water the soil evenly but you also don’t want to drench it as this is a plant that doesn’t like to have its roots sat in water. It’s very important that the pot you use for this plant has good drainage for.If you struggle to know when your soil has dried out and you’re not confident to do it by touch then try using a moisture meter. With a moisture meter you simply stick the metal probes into the soil and it gives you a reading. When the probe reads dry you give your plant a drink.

Soil

You will need well draining soil for this plant as it doesn’t like to sit in soggy soil and like with most of our potting mixes we would strongly advise adding perlite to help with aeration. If you have visited us before then you’ll already know that we really Espoma’s perlite that you can find on amazon. We would also recommend the bottom up watering method as the plant can take on as much water as it needs.

Temperature

As this is a plant that comes from a warm region you should try to keep the temperature of your room around 20°C/68°F. Although Peperomias often get labelled the radiator plant you should not keep them on top of a radiator as this can cause the soil to dry out too quickly which can damage the plant. It will also cause the air to dry out and even though it doesn’t need very high levels of humidity it will suffer if the air is too dry. And be sure to keep this plant away from drafts.

Fertiliser

You can fertilise this plant during the growing season and leave it in the winter months. Once every fortnight to once a month should be more than enough to help promote new growth and give your plants all the nutrients it needs.

So there you have it, our complete care guide to looking after Peperomia Verticillata, to summarise you will need:

• Bright light
• Well draining soil
• Allow your plant to dry out between waterings
• Fertilise during the growing months
• Drainage holes
• Low to moderate humidity

We hope you’ve found it useful!

Peperomia Verticillata FAQ

If you found our Peperomia Verticillata care guide useful then make sure you keep reading and check out some of our commonly asked questions about how to care for this plant. You might find some questions that you need answering right here.

How to propagate Peperomia Verticillata

Like many other types of Peperomia, the Verticillata propagate well from a cutting. You will need a sharp pair of scissors, take a cutting of a leaf or selection of leaves and stem. Then you can either place them into water or straight into soil. The great thing about water propagation is that you get to watch the roots grow before you plant them in soil but both methods should work just fine and you’ll have another little Peperomia in no time.

Why are Peperomia Verticillata called Red Log?

Peperomia Verticillata gets its name Red Log from the deep red on the undersides of the leaves. This colour is also what makes it such  a popular houseplant.

Are Peperomia Verticillata slow growing?

During the growing season you might see your Peperomia Verticillata put out a lot of new growth but overall these are a generally slow growing plant and you shouldn’t expect to see them reaching enormous sizes.

Do Peperomia Verticillata get big?

No Peperomia Verticillata are not a plant that grows very big. Like most Peperomia plants, it stays quite small and compact making it easy to find a place for in your home.

Where should I put my Peperomia Verticillata?

As these plants are small and cute they make a fantastic desk plant or complement a shelf display nicely. The dark green and deep reds of the foliage also make them an excellent choice for active styling in your home. A plant should be in a place where it will receive the best light for its needs but don’t be afraid to try and colour coordinate your plants with your rooms.

If you have any other questions regarding the care of this little Peperomia Verticillata then please let us know in the comments below and we’ll try and get back to you as soon as possible or you might find someone else in the plant community is able to help you.