Grow a happy Peperomia Hope plant with these care tips. Get lighting, water and soil requirements. My healthy plant is 2 years and growing.
Peperomia Hope
Peperomia Hope is an attractive house plant with small thick leaves. It's a super cute plant with round juicy looking leaves. As it grows, the stems easily drape, trail and cascade.
If you love adorable looking indoor plants, a Peperomia Hope will make you smile. It's a friendly and welcoming plant.
This peperomia plant is very easy to take care of. I share my care tips below, as well as suggestions on how to style this cute houseplant.
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Peperomia Hope Appearance
The Peperomia Hope is unique because it has small thick round leaves. The leaves are firm and have a satin texture.
The peperomia leaves are floppy where they attach to the stem. In addition, the stems are soft and trail down the sides creating a waterfall look.
Peperomia leaves grow in clusters of 2-4, and clusters are slightly spaced along the stems. New leaves grow at the end of a stem and start small. You can see a few new tiny leaves in my photos.
Love adorable houseplants? Here's another cute indoor plant with small leaves.
How Do You Take Care of Peperomia Hope
Peperomia Hope care is very easy and straightforward. Three basic requirements:
- Light: Bright, indirect light for best growth
- Water: Water semi-frequently, before the soil completely dries out
- Soil: Chunky and airy soil that retains some moisture
Keep reading for more details on each of these requirements.
Peperomia Hope Light
Like most indoor houseplants, Peperomia Hope grows best in bright indirect light. In other words, the plant should be in a room with lots of windows, but set in a spot where it doesn't receive harsh sunlight.
Where is the best place to put this peperomia?
As you can see from the photos, I don't follow my own advice exactly. Instead, I hang my plant in front of an east-facing window. Aesthetics wins in this situation. This window sits by the front door, and I love how welcoming this plant looks in that spot.
That being said, Peperomia Hope can handle morning direct sunlight without leaf burn.
In the winter, I often feel the window and door makes this spot a bit too drafty for my plant. Despite that thought, the plant has continued to grow and thrive.
Peperomia Hope Watering
In general, water when the top few inches of the soil are dry. The soil should not dry out completely. But if you forget it for a little longer than ideal, it should be okay.
In the spring and summer, when the plant is actively growing, it requires more water. In the fall and winter, you can let the plant dry out more in between waterings.
While I typically bottom water my plants, I don't do so with the this plant because it is so forgiving. I simply use a watering can and give it a little bit of water every so often.
To be honest, I don't take care of this plant as carefully as some other plants I own because it's just such an easy plant to keep happy. For example, I didn't notice the water spots and dust on the leaves until I took the pictures.
If you want to avoid these spots, gently move the leaves out of the way and water the soil directly. I should also run a pair of microfiber plant dusting gloves over the leaves.
What Potting Mix to Use?
My Peperomia Hope sits in chunky and airy soil that also retains moisture.
I make my own potting mix. It's the same potting mix that I use for most all my houseplants, including aroids (like pothos).
- 2 parts Tropical Potting Soil
- 1 part mix of airy material such as pumice, lava rocks, perlite
- 1 part Orchiata bark
As I've mentioned before, this peperomia is not a fussy plant. You don't have to be so exact with the mix. In my experience, it can also handle a higher ratio of the tropical potting soil.
Read more detailed instructions in my Aroid Potting Mix post. I also explain why plants love this mix.
Why Is My Peperomia Hope Not Growing?
If your Peperomia Hope is generally happy, but not growing, there could be a few reasons. You may need to adjust the care routine.
Perhaps your plant needs more light and/or water. Or, your plant might be near a window that is too drafty and cold.
Try to move your plant into a spot with bright indirect light and no drafty or cold windows. Make sure it's in an appropriate potting mix. And don't forget to water it when the top few inches of the soil feel dry.
Is Peperomia Hope a Slow Grower?
Most commonly though, your plant might not seem like it's growing simply because the Peperomia Hope is a slow grower.
New leaves start out tiny, and only slowly reach mature size.
In addition, my plant growth slows down tremendously in the fall and winter. Granted, we live in a cold climate and it sits near the window and door. But for an already slow growing plant, it slows down even more in the winter. It grows so slowly, to the point where I can't see any changes happening for weeks.
But I know it's happy and healthy because the leaves are still green and firm to the touch. I don't get many, if any, leaves dropping. The stems also don't feel wilted. A Peperomia Hope is just a slow grower.
How To Make Peperomia Hope Bushy
If you want to make your Peperomia Hope bushy, give it enough sunlight. Plants generally get leggy because they are reaching for sunlight.
Give it more light
The Peperomia Hope needs bright indirect light. Compared to other peperomia plants, it requires a bit more light because of it's thick juicy leaves.
It naturally grows in clusters
Also keep in mind that the leaves grow in clusters that are naturally spaced apart on the stems. Between each cluster of leaves, you will get just a section of stem. It helps gives this plant it's gorgeous cascading look.
Propagate and plant back in
As your Peperomia Hope gets longer trails, it might lost the bushy look. In addition, if you size up a pot, it will also look less bushy at the base. To prevent this, you might want to propagate some stems and plant them back in the pot.
Peperomia Hope Hanging - Style Tips
I love the look of my Peperomia Hope hanging in front of my window. It sits nicely by my east-facing window next to my Peperomia Angulata Beetle. The sunlight is not strong enough to burn the leaves.
Hanging a Peperomia Hope by a window does pose a risk if the window is too drafty and cold. The plant does not enjoy the cold. However in my experience, our double-paned window seems to be thick enough even through the dead of winter.
I use this Kinto Hanging Planter and I like it because it has an inside pot with drainage hole. However, my plant still sits in a 4-inch nursery pot inside this hanging planter. The Kinto Planter is large enough to hold a 6-inch plant, so it's still too big for my plant.
Is Peperomia Hope Rare
Peperomia in general aren't rare plants and you can find different varieties easily. I don't think Peperomia Hope is easy to find though.
Where to Buy
I bought my Peperomia Hope at a local nursery. It cost $18 for this 4-inch plant. It was much smaller than in the photos when I bought it.
In addition, I have seen this peperomia once at our local grocery store too. However, the plant was not super healthy, and only had a few stems in the pot so it did not look as bushy as my plant in the photos.
While I frequently browse big box stores such as Home Depot and Lowes, I have never come across one in those shops.
For online plant shops, I have had great experiences with Canopy Plant Co. They sometimes have Peperomia Hope in stock so it's worth checking. If you use my referral link, you'll help me earn some points so I can buy even more plants!
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