Beetle Peperomia Care Instructions

Scientific name: Peperomia angulata
Synonyms: Beetle Peperomia

The Beetle Peperomia is a wonderful trailing variety of Peperomia making them the ideal hanging specimen. Loved for their small almost oval leaf shape, with deep green leaves which are delicately veined.

Peperomia Angulata enjoys bright filtered light and high humidity, similar to their natural habitat in the humid Jungles of South America. In addition to clambering through the tree canopies and undergrowth, they rely on the humidity in the air to provide them with moisture due to their semi-succulent nature, which stores moisture in their leaves and stems. This means it is best to allow your Beetle Peperomia to reach near dryness before watering again.

They’ll appreciate a relatively humid environment, such as a warm bright bathroom or kitchen, where humidity is usually naturally higher, though this isnt a necessity. Just be sure to keep your plant away from any heat sources, aircon or fans as these will dry the air excessively, causing some issues.

As a magnificent trailing plant, the Beetle Peperomia makes for a great hanging display or shelf adornment, especially if allowed to cascade gracefully in a bright filtered position. They will tolerate artificial lighting as well, making them a fantastic addition to an office space, though watering will need to be monitored carefully to avoid overwatering. Overall, they are a fantastic addition to any interior decor space.

Note: Please be aware that whilst the plant is non-toxic and pet friendly, it’s best to keep out of reach of children and pets (hanging it would be a great way of doing this!)

Beetle Peperomia Common Symptoms

• Scorched yellowing foliage: Your Peperomia Angulata is getting too much direct light, move to a more shady spot - indirect light is best.
• Limp, brown or wilting leaves: This is a sign of a watering issue and could be a result of either root rot or prolonged under watering. If the roots of have been very wet and started to rot, you should take stem cuttings to propagate and create a new Peperomia plant. If it’s excessively dry, increase watering gradually. Click for more on Identifying Over vs Under watered Plants.
• New growth is small: If the leaves are continuously small, your houseplant might not be getting enough light/humidity. Move to a brighter spot.
• Very long ‘stretched’ stems/internodes: This is called etiolation and means that your Peperomia isn’t getting the correct amount of light; stems will be especially ‘stretched’; move to a brighter location.
• Pests: Peperomia are quite resilient to pests and don’t usually have any major issues. However, something to look out for in bright, dry conditions with particularly low humidity is red spider mite, which tend to be drawn to the ridges on the leaves. If pests are present, this houseplant can be treated with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Repeat weekly and keep the Peperomia in isolation until completely pest-free. You can trim the plant back to the base and start over if bugs are persistent. Click for more on Identifying and Treating Pests.
• Plant collapse: This is often caused by root rot as a result of prolonged overwatering, especially in winter.
  

Beetle Peperomia Care Instructions

• Origin: Native to South America, the Peperomia Angulata grows in shady tropical and subtropical conditions.
• Height: up to 0.5 metre height / 0.5 metre spread indoors. Outdoors in its natural habitat it has a tendency to spread as cover at ground level.
• Light: Ideally, moderate indirect filtered light, protect from harsh sun which can scorch the leaves and cause the plant to wilt.
• Water: Water when the top layer of potting mix has dried out; this peperomia is semi-succulent so stores water in its leaves, meaning it doesn’t need watering too often, especially in a more shady spot. Be sure not to overwater in winter as the delicate roots if this houseplant will rot. 
• Humidity: Average to moderate humidity is ideal and this plant copes well in a regular household environment. It can also tolerate some higher humidity so would be great for a bathroom or in a terrarium. 
• Temperature: This houseplant will grow happily in temperatures of 12-24°C, but try to avoid sudden drops in temperature and be wary of draughts and open windows, it will struggle in temperatures below 10°C.
• Soil: A free-draining organic potting soil with added perlite will be ideal, allowing breathability for the fine, delicate roots.
• Fertilizer: Peperomia Angulata enjoy regular fertilising; around twice a month during the growing season (Spring and Summer). Use a balanced fertiliser at half the recommended dilution level for this plant. If the potting medium is particularly dry, water lightly before feeding to avoid fertiliser burning the roots. 
• Repotting: These plants don’t need to be repotted regularly, which makes for effortless ownership! They have fine, shallow roots and grow best when slightly root-bound. Roots ‘circling’ around the bottom of the nursery pot is an indication that repotting is needed. Increase pot size by just a few centimeters at this stage, no drastic jumps. 
• Pruning: In mature plants, regular pruning can help create a fuller looking plant. You’ll want to use a sterile blade and trim a few centimetres above the base of the plant. If you are taking cuttings to propagate, see below!
• Propagation: Peperomia can be easily propagated from cuttings - chop the stems below a node and put in water until roots form. When time to pot on, make sure the plant is getting more regular watering to give the roots a change to adapt to the potting mix. You can also propagate the plant by division or leaf cutting too.

If in stock, shop for Beetle Peperomia here.