If you’re looking for a succulent and a peperomia, the Peperomia verticillata is the plant for you!
When placed indoors, the Peperomia Verticillata plant enjoys bright dappled sunlight. Water your Verticillata plant moderately during the summers, and sparingly in the colder winter season. Keep this tropical beauty in low to mild humidity and feed it with a balanced fertilizer.
The Peperomia Verticillata, also known as ‘Red Log,’ is one of the most vibrant plants in the Peperomia family. it called the red log plant, due to the vibrant red shading it boasts beneath its leaves.
The majority of the Peperomias are perennial plants that are more commonly grown for their ornamental leaves, instead of their flowers.
One of the most interesting facts about the Peperomia genus is that there is considerable variation amongst them. You can grow a decent number of Peperomia plants in your house; however, there will be little to no similarity between them.
The Peperomia plants are mostly evergreen, with succulent characteristics. They give rise to rosette-forming or erect trailing stems. The Verticillata plants produce panicle-like spiked flowers that are greenish-white in color. Even though they have such fascinating flowers, primarily, they are grown for their foliage.
It has interesting double-colored foliage that makes it an excellent houseplant choice. The upper side of the leaves is dark green while the underside is a beautiful shade of red.
What makes Peperomia Vertillicata an ideal houseplant choice is its relatively small and manageable size.
The Verticillata plants are mostly compact and often do not grow more than 12 inches in height indoors. They make up a pleasant sight when hung in baskets and balconies or when put in fancy containers.
In tropical regions, the Peperomia Verticillata plants may be grown as ground cover outdoors.
The Peperomia Vertillicata species is native to tropical and subtropical regions such as Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic and in particular Bolivia.
This Cuba, Haiti, and Dominican Republic native is a small peperomia plant that is heavy on the succulent.
The Peperomia verticillata is ideal for those looking for their first peperomia plant. Additionally, it’s often selected by many for a terrarium set up.
A member of the Piperaceae family, this is a plant type that you’ll often find referred to as a belly button peperomia, due to its overall cute fuzziness. In fact, the word Verticillata actually means hairy!
A charming looking plant, the Peperomia verticillata is a small, compact plant that offers stunning, dark green leaves that hold close to their stems throughout.
Other popular Peperomia are Peperomia Obtusifolia and Peperomia Graveolens.
Here I offer my advice on the best Peperomia verticillata care to ensure you too can benefit from this most spectacular looking indoor plant.
Table of Contents
A Plant Guide to Peperomia Verticillata Care
Soil
The one thing that I will say about the Peperomia verticillata is that it demands a well-draining soil mix.
This comes from using a solid combination of a reputable soil choice, but one that is perhaps higher in its perlite concentration.
The Verticillata plant thrives in soil that is organic, fertile, and well-draining. An ideal potting mix would be soil containing an equal mix of peat moss and perlite. Alternatively, coarse sand is also a good option.
For me, this means a moderate to a high level of perlite, simply to ensure that the Peperomia verticillata receives the best growing environment.
Peperomia verticillata does not respond well to those readily available standard soil types. This is because these tend to accumulate a lot of water on top.
This immediately suggests drainage issues – and is something you want to steer clear of here.
Get the soil element right the first time, and your Peperomia verticillata care is off to the best start – which is crucial if it is a baby plant.
The Peperomia Verticillata plant will grow well in soil with a pH ranging from 6.0 to 6.6 (slightly acidic).
The Verticillata plant’s potting media should not be too dense, as the plant may suffocate and die. Overall, the soil should be loamy and well-draining with medium moisture-locking properties.
Light
A sunny well-lit position in the home is ideal for good Peperomia verticillata care. However, I always advise against the direct sun for this one.
You can keep your Verticillata plant close to an east or a west-facing window sill. Such a setting will most probably allow sufficient sunlight to come into contact with the plant.
If you do not have such a setting in your house, you can also use artificial growing lights. Alternatively, you can place it next to a window where only filtered sunlight comes through. Medium or bright sunlight will help the plant grow healthier and produce more leaves.
The Peperomia Verticillata plant grows best in bright, filtered sunlight. It thrives in areas where dappled natural sunlight hits it throughout the day. However, sunlight that is excessively harsh or too direct will adversely affect the plant.
Watch for signs such as leaf scorching and development of leggy stems as the plant tries to move towards brighter sunlight. If any of the two conditions occur, change your plant’s location to a sunnier, partially-shaded spot.
This means positioning it where it will receive a great deal of indirect light throughout the day, but nothing that will cause it to burn or scorch. But, this Peperomia will accept moderate light as well.
This is a plant that is drawn towards the light – literally! Therefore, it may only take a day for the shoots to all turn towards the direction of the light. It all depends on the amount and type it receives.
So, if you want an even balanced plant all around, you will have to remember to keep turning it daily.
Even more so, because the Peperomia verticillata tends to get leggy, you’ll often find if you don’t turn it often, it will begin to droop over with the weight.
I usually keep my Peperomia verticillata in a southwest-facing window. Yet, during the intense summer months, I find myself pulling it back. This is because, quite often, the heat can become too overbearing for this plant.
Watering
Like many other plant types, the Peperomia verticillata needs to be watered with caution. What many people tend to forget when they look at this plant is that it is part succulent. Therefore, it’s relatively easy to overwater it.
It can cause issues such as rotting stalks, waterlogged soil, and wilting.
To ensure the best Peperomia verticillata care here, I strongly recommend working on the side of caution here. This means watering it, preferably with collected rainwater, only when the soil has begun to dry out.
Like all succulents, this plant does not like sitting in soggy soil. I suggest that when you see the top layer of soil dry out, insert your finger 2 inches in to check.
While you may love your Peperomia Verticillata plant immensely, it is best to water it only when needed. Check your plant’s soil often to determine whether it needs water or not.
Water the Verticillata plant when the top 1 to 2 inches of the soil dries out. You can then show your love and water the plant thoroughly.
To maintain a schedule, you can water this tropical beauty every 7 to 10 days. However, it is best to let the soil be your guide rather than the number of days between watering.
The top layer of soil will always dry quicker due to continued exposure to the air. So, you’ll need to study further down to see what’s happening there.
If your Peperomia verticillata is still damp at this point, hold off watering. Only when the soil crumbles in your fingers is it the right time to water.
Ensure that you do not drench the plant’s roots in water, as this can increase its susceptibility to disease and infection. Also, make sure that the Verticillata’s planting pot has good drainage and does not allow water to accumulate.
If you are having difficulty assessing the soil’s moisture level, you can use a moisture meter. This device accurately tells you the water content of the soil, making your life easier. Water your plant when it reads ‘dry.’
Temperature
The Peperomia species can tolerate a wide range of temperatures. Naturally, this plant grows in moderately warm environments. Thus, it prefers temperatures ranging from 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 26 degrees Celsius).
Fortunately, households typically have this temperature. Therefore, you do not need to do much about maintaining its preferred temperatures. However, if you live in an area where the temperatures are extreme, it is best to take extra care of your Verticillata plant.
When it comes to the required temperature, I’ve noticed that this plant isn’t overly fussed, and this is perhaps what makes it great with all indoor plant owners.
Therefore, if you can keep your environment regulated and the temperature stable, Peperomia verticillata care is perhaps less demanding than many other succulent types and indeed peperomia types!
I suggest keeping a temperature gauge in the room and just noting the figures regularly, especially during summer and winter.
If you do find that the temperatures exceed this during summer, add a small fan to the room to bring it down. Likewise, if the temperature dips too much over winter, consider bringing it back up through heating the room.
Remember to keep your Red Log away from drafts of air from air-conditioners and heaters. They can cause extreme temperature fluctuations leading to immense damage.
Humidity
As a keen grower of Peperomia verticillata, I can confirm that this plant does not like a tremendous amount of humidity. The way it tells you this is through the leaves of the plant becoming horribly mushy and then ultimately dropping off.
Several Peperomias love high humidity levels. However, this is not the case with the Verticillata variant as mentioned. The Peperomia Verticillata plants have succulent leaves and thus can store water and tolerate low humidity levels.
Thought the Peperomia verticillata is not entirely averse to humidity if you decide to use a humidifier, as many people do with succulents, be careful not to let the water touch the leaves.
I have an average humidity in the home of 40%, and I find that the Peperomia verticillata has never struggled with this.
So, unless you have an overly dry humidity level in your home, I would suggest refraining from using a humidifier here.
Instead, for the best Peperomia verticillata care, allow it to adapt to its surrounding conditions.
Fertilizer
When it comes to selecting and indeed using fertilizer for your Peperomia verticillata care, the keyword here is balance!
I say this because this plant will let you know, by acting out, if you get this part of its care wrong!
This compact Verticillata plant has moderate fertilizing needs. For this particular species, over-fertilizing causes more significant problems than under-fertilizing. You can follow this easy fertilizing routine for a happy Verticillata plant.
I would suggest you use a good-quality water-soluble fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium in a 1:1:1 ratio. You can add a dash of fertilizer in the plant’s soil every other week during the growing seasons of summer and spring.
Firstly, only fertilize from around March time onwards and stop before the end of October. This means you’ll allow the plant to rest during those more dormant winter months.
A water-soluble fertilizer is an ideal choice here. Though, it is crucial to follow the label instructions. I fertilize my Peperomia verticillata only when it is actively growing and usually around every two-plus weeks during this time.
Be careful not to over-fertilize the Peperomia Verticillata plant as it may lead to toxicity of some nutrients and deficiency of others.
Propagation
Having more vibrant and lively-looking plants is always a good idea. Luckily, the Verticillata species, which is both vibrant and lively-looking, is quite easy to propagate.
The most effective way of propagating a Peperomia verticillata is by using stem cuttings. This is commonly done using soil. However, more recently, I have started on the process of propagating these stem cuttings using water.
Whichever methods you choose to do this in, the Peperomia verticillata has to be amongst one of the easiest plants to propagate, in my opinion!
In fact, as many people find these plants to be the leggier and sparser, it makes sense to propagate regularly if you want the fuller effect here.
There are two ways to propagate Peperomia Verticillata: Leaf cuttings and Stem cuttings.
Leaf Cuttings Method
- Prepare your propagation potting mixture ahead of schedule. Follow the soil guide above for the ideal potting mix.
- Cut one of the healthy leaves of the Verticillata plant. You can choose a leaf close to the stem’s base or one with a short stem attached to it.
- Cut the leaf in two halves across the width. You can also use the entire leaf for propagation.
- Sprinkle some rooting powder on the cut edges of the leaf. Alternatively, you can dip the leaf into the powder. This promotes the development of new roots.
- Make a 0.4 to 0.8 inch (1 to 2 cm) small hole into the prepared potting media. Put your leaf cutting into this hole.
- Now firm the potting soil around the cutting with the help of your fingers.
- Water the potting container containing the planted cutting thoroughly.
- Cover the cutting with a propagation tray or polythene bag. Improvise if possible.
- Place the plant pot in bright dappled indirect sunlight.
- Uncover the plant for a few hours every day to prevent the buildup of unnecessary humidity.
- Initially, you will notice some roots growing out of the cut edges of the leaf. Next, the shoot will develop, and eventually, the plant will give rise to new leaves.
- You can continue to grow the plant in its existing container as the Verticillata plant’s roots enjoy being root-bound to some extent.
Stem Cuttings Method
Do this in the growing season, spring, preferably:
- Cut a healthy stem off the Verticillata plant. I would suggest you choose one with 3 to 4 leaves.
- Expose a small section of the stem by removing the bottom pair of the leaves.
- Immerse the cut stem into rooting powder.
- Make a 0.4 to 0.8 inch deep hole in the prepared potting media.
- Put the cutting in it and firm the soil around the cutting for better support.
- Water the media thoroughly.
- Keep checking the plant for new growth of leaves, roots, and stems.
- Allow the plant to grow in its current pot for some time.
Propagating Peperomia verticillata in soil
- Select and cut the healthiest stem cuttings from your Peperomia verticillata carefully. This should be one with good growth action and one that is fully established.
- Remove any leaves from the base of the stem as these will become submerged when you plant it.
- If you want to use a rooting hormone, this is the time to do it by dipping your cuttings into it.
- Using a small pot with your Peperomia verticillata soil choice, take the cutting and carefully place it into the soil.
- Water sparsely and set in a bright place to grow on.
Propagating Peperomia verticillata in water
- As you would for soil propagation, select the best stems from your Peperomia verticillata and remove any leaves from the base.
- Place the stems into a small cup of water, preferably rainwater.
- Leave them in an area of good indirect but bright light to grow roots.
- Continually change the water during this process to ensure it doesn’t go stale.
- When the roots from the stem are fully visible, take the cutting and pot it into your choice of soil mix to grow on. Again, ensure the area you place your pot receives plentiful direct light. According to the experts at Gardeners’ World, a lack of light when propagating is a common propagation mistake when growing on cuttings.
Blooms
The flowers of the Peperomia Verticillata are bushy-spiked or tailed. Although different than many others, they are not as famous as the plant’s foliage. Some Verticillata species develop spiked flowers, while others give rise to barely visible flowers.
Growth
The Peperomia verticillata for me, is a steady grower but one that I will often tell others not to expect too much activity from.
The Peperomia plants, whether it is Veticillata or any other, are small and slow-growers. The Peperomia Verticillata plant often grows up to 1 foot (30 cm). Some grow taller, up to 2 feet (60 cm).
They have vines that are either bushy or have trailings spreading about 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm). Due to its concise and manageable size, the Verticillata plant is a popular houseplant choice.
Potting
Many Peperomia verticillata owners will tell you that this is the plant that actually prefers to be a little pot bound – and I can certainly testify to that!
For this reason, I’ll often leave my Peperomia verticillata in its original pots for some time before making the final decision as to whether to move them on.
This means not worrying when you do see the roots start to come through at the bottom of the pot. If anything, this suggests all is well as the Peperomia verticillata is continuing to grow.
I recommend working on the health and condition of your specific Peperomia verticillata plant. This means if it’s thriving as it is, then don’t feel rushed to change the pot.
If your plant does start to get overly big for its pot and its overall health and condition begin to suffer, then, of course, look to repot it.
At this point, though, only select the next size pot up rather than opting for a huge pot. This will only make Peperomia verticillata care harder to manage.
Pruning
The Verticillata plant may look delicate, but it is a durable plant that can tolerate frequent pruning reasonably well. You can prune your Peperomia Verticillata plant for size control, to remove dead and yellow leaves, or merely for it to look aesthetically pleasing.
If you have limited or confined space for your Verticillata plant and some of its stems have outgrown their given area, cut off a vine or two with some pruning scissors/shears.
The plant may also fall prey to disease and damage, resulting in dead or yellow leaves. Remove the damaged foliage carefully to prevent the spread of infection.
You can also prune the Verticillata plant if some of its leaves are yellow or brown due to lack of nutrition. This will keep this reddish-green beauty looking colorful and attractive.
However, always make sure your planting tools, such as pruning shears, are sterile and germ-free. Infected tools increase the susceptibility of the plants to diseases and encourage the spread of infection.
Common Problems with Peperomia verticillata
As the Peperomia verticillata is also a succulent type plant, understandably, you may come across the odd issue. Indeed, for me, because this can often be a more delicate of succulent types because of its peperomia element, it has undoubtedly provided a learning curve!
However, I passionately believe that all such issues are easily remedied and can then be avoided once you’ve understood how they occur.
Peperomia verticillata does not cope well when left in soggy soil! Again, this is an overwatering issue and once easily solved. But, if you do continue to give your Peperomia verticillata excess water, you may well encourage root rot.
According to the IOWA State University Peperomia are prone to root rot.
If you water as I mentioned above, occasionally and ensure the pot drains out fully each time, you can easily combat this. Something to watch out for with Peperomia verticillata care is bottom watering.
If this is how you water them, be sure they get the right amount of water in one go and then remove them straight away from the water.
A Peperomia verticillata will continue to suck up any remaining water, which inevitably sits and accumulates all around the roots, becoming problematic.
Peperomia verticillata can often become leggy if they do not get a fair amount of light! Though it’s not advisable to have this plant sitting in bright direct sunlight, they still need a great deal of indirect light.
One way that a Peperomia verticillata will tell you it’s not getting enough is in its longer internodes.
This is the area in between the leaves, which will begin to look quite bare and therefore give the plant that unattractive leggy look.
Once again, this problem can be easily solved by moving your Peperomia verticillata carefully to a place that receives more natural bright light for many hours of the day.
Peperomia verticillata can be susceptible to the odd pest if not cared for correctly! Though I don’t have much personal experience with pests of any kind with this plant, I imagine they can be susceptible to fungus gnats.
And this is simply because of an overwatering issue, as discussed above. Once again, for ongoing Peperomia verticillata care, this can be prevented by allowing the soil to dry out between watering.
Wilting
One common problem with the Peperomia Verticillata plant is wilting. The plant can wilt due to various reasons such as low humidity, over-watering, and under-watering.
Overwatering is a more serious problem as compared to under-watering. If this occurs, chances of revival are slim to none. When the Verticillata plant is over or under-watered, its roots are likely to rot, widely known as root-rot. This can eventually lead to the plant’s death.
To solve this problem, avoid watering the plant until its roots are completely dry. On the contrary, water the plant if its soil seems excessively dry. If you wish, you can remove the affected foliage and rotten roots.
Pests and Diseases
The Verticillata plant is a relatively disease-resistant plant. However, some pests and diseases can attack them from time to time.
Fungus gnats often feed on this plant. They are little black flies often found in the Verticillata plant’s soil due to over-watering. Mealybugs can also attack the plant. They are usually recognizable as white masses present on the plant’s roots and underside of the leaves.
A disease, known as Pythium, can affect the Verticillata plant. If you inspect the roots of an over-watered plant and notice some soggy or overly delicate roots, chances are your plant has been infected with the disease.
To get rid of both the problems, use insecticidal spray or soap. Also, remove roots that seem too weak or abnormal in color/texture.
Nutrient Deficiencies
The leaves of the Peperomia Verticillata plant may become yellow or chlorotic due to nutrient deficiency. An easy solution to this issue is the use of fertilizer rich in nitrogen and potassium.
Tips for Peperomia verticillata to Keep it Problem-Free
- Avoid overwatering your Peperomia verticillata – instead water in relation to the amount of light it receives.
- Take a look at the plant’s soil condition before watering and water only when fairly dry
- Steer clear of misting your Peperomia verticillata leaves directly. This will lead to mushy leaves.
- Make sure your Peperomia verticillata receives a fair amount of bright indirect light daily.
- Fertilize your Peperomia verticillata carefully, as and when it needs it, and ensure balance.
- Fertilize only during the growing season of spring, mainly
- Protect your plant from scorching and direct sunlight
- Allow your Peperomia verticillata to become pot bound before considering any repotting.
- Work on regularly propagating your Peperomia verticillata to ensure a bushier and fuller plant.
- Place the Verticillata plant in abundant, bright, indirect sunlight
- A potting mixture containing perlite is excellent for a Verticillata plant
Frequently Asked Questions about Peperomia verticillata
Are Peperomia plants poisonous?
Fortunately, unlike many plants, the Peperomia plants are safe for humans and animals. They do not bring any harm if ingested. However, it is best to keep them away from children and pets.
What should I look for when buying a Peperomia Verticillata plant?
Firstly, make sure your plant is healthy and has no spots/ damaged edges. Preferably buy the Verticillata plant from a reputable plant store. Ask the experienced and research well before buying it. Make sure it has its characteristic reddish-green leaves with erect fresh-looking stems.
Why is my Peperomia Verticillata growing so slowly?
The Peperomia Verticillata plants are slow-growers. Therefore, they take quite some time to grow. Feed your plant when required, and provide it the ideal growing conditions to promote growth. Lastly, be patient.
Why is my Peperomia Verticillata plant dropping leaves?
This is normal unless your plant is dropping multiple leaves from different areas. In the latter case, give extra attention to your Peperomia Verticillata and make sure its growing conditions are up to the mark.
Why is my Peperomia Verticillata developing yellow leaves?
One major reason for yellow leaves is exposure to direct sunlight for prolonged periods. Change your Peperomia Verticillata plant’s location and allow only indirect, bright, filtered light to come into contact with it.
I have a new Peperomia verticillata which is very small, but as yet, its leaves don’t feel fuzzy. Why is this?
Though they are commonly talked about as fuzzy, the leaves of a Peperomia verticillata are, in fact, a light velvety texture.
They are exceptionally soft to the touch and, consequently, not always noticeable. However, this velvet-like texture only comes with age.
So, most baby plants and new varieties won’t initially boast of a furry feel straight away. This is nothing to worry about and will simply come with time.
My Peperomia verticillata has got very long and is starting to tip. Why is this?
I am a huge fan of propping my Peperomia verticillata up with stakes just to help encourage them to grow upright.
After a time, they do indeed start to look top-heavy and can, if not growing upwards, have a tendency to tilt.
This means they can drop and do damage to the leaves if they become too top-heavy. So, by offering Peperomia verticillata care by means of support, they can continue to grow well without potentially damaging themselves in the process.
Would it be a good idea to mist my plant for increased Peperomia verticillata care?
I strongly advise against misting a Peperomia verticillata for the very reason that it doesn’t like water on its leaves.
If you do get any water on the leaves, you will notice they do start to go mushy and eventually fall off.
Therefore, it pays to be cautious with a humidifier as well. If you must use a humidifier, make sure it does not point directly at the plant to keep the leaves water-free.
Conclusion
The Peperomia Verticillata plants are vibrant and can make any dull corner of the house look attractive and aesthetic.
They are easy to grow and manage. The Peperomia Verticillata plants are durable plants that can last you for a long time.
They are also pet-friendly, so it is okay to let your pet have a little nibble.
For those indoor plant lovers who can’t quite decide between that of a peperomia or a succulent, the Peperomia verticillata allows you to experience the best of both worlds!
With a beautiful double coloring in its leaves, this is the perfect visual plant for those that like a little extra decoration to standard green foliage.
Get the care for this one right, and you’ll soon begin to notice a bushy and healthy plant that thrives under its best indoor conditions.
Whether experienced or a beginner, Peperomia verticillata care is easy once you know-how. Thus, it’s a plant that is suitable for all levels of plant owners and, indeed, a great start to any peperomia collection.