Peperomia argyreia is part of the Piperaceae family and it’s native range is Brazil. It is commonly called Peperomia ‘Watermelon’ as the leaves bear a resemblance to watermelons. It has a compact growth habit forming a rosette shape. Leaves are glossy, round and fleshy with stripes of green and silver. Leaf stems are red. This plant is able to be propagated through leaf or stem cuttings.
Genus name comes from the Greek ‘peperi’ meaning pepper and ‘homoios’ meaning one with or the same as - this is in reference to how similar the plant looks to Piper nigrum (Black Pepper). Specific epithet is from the Latin ‘argyraeus’ meaning ‘silvery.’
Light: Bright indirect light, meaning the plant sees the sun for 0-4 hours per day - this could be through trees or a translucent curtain, it’s important for the plant to see the sky in order to thrive.
Water: Allow the first 2-3 inches of mix to dry out. Peperomia are prone to stem rot so bottom watering is ideal. They have thick, fleshy leaves that hold on to water.
Potting mix: A well draining mix composed of coco coir, perlite or vermiculite, orchid bark and worm castings. Swapping orchid bark for horticultural sand would also work too.
Fertilising: Feed your plant every other watering during the growing season or when you observe active growth. You can dilute fertiliser to half the recommended amount but never add more.
Temperature: 21-26˚C.
Humidity: Peperomia prefer higher humidity but do well to adapt to average home humidity. You can increase humidity by placing the plant on a watered pebble tray, using a cloche or using a humidifier.
Peperomia are non-toxic.