Baby Rubber Plant (Peperomia obtusifolia)

Plant Type: Succulent

Short-stemmed, creeping plant with fleshy leaves heavily marked with yellow. A good groundcover or basket plant for low light.


Origin: Venezuela

Environment: Suitable for the home or a greenhouse

Flowering: No

Fragrant: No

Temperature: 60-85°F, 16-29°C

Humidity: Medium humidity

Lighting Needs: Does best in bright indirect sunlight coming from the North/East/West

Soil Type: A good general purpose potting soil (a soil that retains water yet drains well) with a little added sand or if you want to mix your own take: 3 parts coarse sand or perlite, 2 parts garden soil, 2 parts humus (leaf mold), 1 part rinsed aquarium charcoal chips and a dusting of bone meal and limestone or a couple of eggshells (which can be substituted for limestone). Always use a pot with a hole.

Watering: Drench the soil and let it become barely moist between waterings. Remember to reduce watering during the winter or dormant season. If you use rainwater, be careful as it could be acidic. Use warm water.

Fertilizer: Feed only twice a year, once in April and once in July with a water soluble fertilizer diluted by half.

Gardening Tips: Mist occasionally with warm water during the summer months. Requires good ventilation and does well under fluorescent lights.