Peperomia plants are becoming more and more popular as houseplants. They’re good-looking plants that many people love keeping in their homes.
Since they’re so nice, it makes sense that you might wish to own one. However, you might be trying to research the plant a bit to see if it’s right for you.
Perhaps you want to buy a houseplant that grows to be a certain size. How big do peperomia grow anyway?
Keep reading to learn about how large peperomia plants will get. You’ll learn about a few different types of these plants so you can make a good purchasing decision based on your wants.
Watermelon Peperomia
Watermelon peperomia plants are among the most popular types you can find. These pretty plants have leaves that resemble watermelons due to the pattern that they have.
It’s easy to see why people enjoy owning these gorgeous plants as houseplants. They can grow to be fairly large plants, too.
A watermelon peperomia will commonly grow to be twelve inches tall, but it can grow even larger than that. However, you should know that there are mini versions of this plant on the market.
Some mini watermelon peperomia plants have been designed to remain fairly small. These plants might only grow to be six inches tall or something close to that height.
Whenever you’re purchasing these plants, it’s wise to look at the details. You should be given a card with information about the plant when buying it from a reputable retailer. This will allow you to understand what to expect.
Standard size peperomia plants can be twelve inches or larger, but the mini ones will be substantially shorter.
Peperomia Polybotrya
Peperomia polybotrya is among the most popular types of peperomia plants. This is what most people would consider to be the standard type of peperomia plant.
Much like the normal watermelon peperomia plants mentioned above, these plants can potentially grow to be as large as twelve inches. However, it’s notable that you can find some of these plants that grow to be even taller.
These are really nice plants to own that can be found in various sizes. It’s always best to check the information to see the estimated size of the plant before purchasing it.
Since these types of peperomia plants are rather common, it’s easy to find them at local nurseries and garden centers. You shouldn’t have a hard time tracking one down if you’re interested.
They make excellent houseplants and you’ll love how lush and green they look. You can’t go wrong with this type of plant.
Peperomia Asperula
Another type of peperomia plant is known as peperomia asperula. This is a plant that has the traditional peperomia look, but it just has some minor differences that make it unique.
As with the other varieties that have been discussed, this plant has the potential to grow to be twelve inches long. It’s common for these plants to reach twelve inches in height.
This is just as simple to care for as the other types of peperomia plants, too. You’ll think this is a good addition to your home if you choose to buy it and care for it as a houseplant.
You really should be pleased with most types of peperomia plants. You can seek out plants that stay a bit smaller if you want to, but many like the plants that grow to be rather big.
Peperomia Obtusifolia
This peperomia plant is also known as a baby rubber plant. It’s sometimes called an American rubber plant.
It’s a good-looking type of plant that is rather easy to care for even for beginners. This should have a maximum growth potential of around twelve inches.
You’re likely seeing a pattern here with all of the peperomia plants that have been mentioned. They all seem to grow to be around twelve inches long at maximum length.
Some can grow to be longer, but twelve inches is a common length for these plants. You’ll like this peperomia option if you decide to go with it.
There Are Trailing Varieties
Were you aware that there are trailing varieties of peperomia plants? There are many types of peperomia plants that are trailing varieties.
These plants have the potential to get rather big as well. Many of the trailing peperomia plants can grow twelve inches long.
Trailing peperomia plants can potentially produce vines that will be up to twelve inches in length. Depending on what look you’re going for, you might find these plants to be the best.
It isn’t too uncommon to see trailing peperomia plants being sold in nurseries. Be sure to keep your eyes open for them if you’re interested.
General Growth Statistics
Now you know that there are many different types of peperomia plants. The exact growth of the plant will differ based on what variety you buy.
Even so, there is general information about these plants that you can dig into. Peperomia plants will grow to be between six to twelve inches on average when you consider all of the popular types of plants that are sold commercially.
The plants also have the potential to grow quite wide. In some cases, these plants might grow to be eighteen inches wide.
If you wish to keep them smaller than this, you’ll have to take measures to trim the plant down to size. For many, peperomia plants will be ideal houseplant options.
How Fast Does Peperomia Grow?
It’s normal for peperomia plants to grow several inches per year. You can expect the plant to grow between 2.4 and 4.8 inches in a year under optimal conditions.
Of course, this means that you need to care for it properly. If the plant isn’t receiving good care, it’s not going to grow nearly as fast.
Many factors impact how well the plant grows. For instance, you’ll need to ensure that the plant is receiving enough sunlight.
Sunlight is important because the plant won’t grow nearly as well when it doesn’t get enough light. You should endeavor to place your peperomia plant in a location that gets bright indirect sunlight.
You also want to plant it in the right type of soil. You want to use loose, slightly acidic soil. Many enthusiasts recommend using orchid potting soil for peperomia plants. This will work out nicely.
Watering the plants well is important, but you must avoid going overboard. The soil needs to dry out before you water the plant again.
Always check things with your fingers to avoid having issues. It’d be better to let the peperomia plant be dry for a little bit than it would be to make the soil soggy.
Keep the temperatures inside your home steady and within the right range for the peperomia plants. You’ll also need to ensure that the plants are getting enough humidity to thrive.
There are many ways that you can increase the humidity if necessary. Many houseplant enthusiasts simply mist their plants with water daily to increase the humidity level. You could leave bowls of water out to increase the humidity.
Some people like to buy small humidifiers that will raise the humidity in the area where the plants are located.
Taking care of all of the basics will ensure that the plant has the best chance of growing. It should be able to reach around 4.8 inches of growth each year if you’re doing things right.
How Can You Make Peperomia Grow Faster?
So you want your peperomia plant to grow even faster than usual. What can be done to accomplish this?
In some ways, it might be wise to use fertilizer to encourage plant growth. However, it’s worth noting that this can backfire if you do things wrong.
Fertilizers can indeed promote faster growth in peperomia plants. You simply need to use it sparingly while being careful to dilute the fertilizer. Using too much fertilizer can shock the plant and cause problems.
Often, people make mistakes when using fertilizer on these plants and wind up causing the plants to experience leggy growth. Technically, this plant doesn’t need fertilizer to thrive. It’d be fine to never give fertilizer to a peperomia plant.
So if you want to use fertilizer, you must use small amounts and you must only use it every so often. Most people who fertilize these plants recommend using a standard 20-20-20 fertilizer for the job.
Dilute the fertilizer to half strength and then apply it once per month during the spring and summer. It’s best not to use it more often than this since you want to avoid potential negative impacts.
Pruning
You might not realize this, but pruning can be beneficial to the growth of these plants. Pruning is something that you should be doing from time to time.
As peperomia plants get older, they’re going to grow and some parts of the plant will get old. There will be old leaves and stems that need to be pruned away. If you do nothing, you’re not going to help the plant.
The old parts of the plant that need to be pruned away will simply remain. These parts of the plant take up resources that should be going toward new growth.
Thus, it’s wise to prune the plant to get rid of dead leaves, legless runners, long stems, bits of leggy growth, and other such things.
You should likely prune the plant on a semi-regular basis. It’ll also help you to shape the plant to your liking. If you’re willing to put in the effort, you can help the peperomia plant to grow well. It can make a difference and is probably more helpful than using fertilizer overall.
Whenever you prune these plants, it’s important to use sharp pruning shears. Sterilize the pruning shears before doing anything. Make your cuts at the base of the plant whenever possible.
Once you get used to pruning peperomia plants, it’ll seem like very simple regular plant maintenance.
Can You Keep Peperomia Small?
Would you prefer to keep peperomia plants on the small side? There are a few options to consider.
First, you might want to look into buying peperomia plants that aren’t too big. There are hundreds of varieties out there that you can purchase.
Look around at your local nursery or garden center to see what you can find. You might find a plant that stays around six inches long that will be perfect for your purposes.
Many people love plants that don’t get too big. You can find peperomia plants that will be small enough for you so long as you’re not looking for anything too small.
You can also keep your peperomia plant small by trimming it. Pruning is something that can promote new growth, but you don’t have to let the plant grow very large.
It’s easy enough to trim the edges and shape the plant a bit. You can cut it back and only let it grow so tall.
This will involve a bit of work, but it might be worth it depending on how you feel. Granted, it would be simpler to buy a peperomia plant that doesn’t grow to be as large as some of the bigger options.
So you can decide how you want to proceed. You might want to buy a specific type of peperomia plant or you could be fine with just trimming it as necessary to try to keep it small.
Either way, it’s not that hard to get good results. You shouldn’t have a difficult time with pruning.
Final Thoughts
There are many different types of peperomia plants out there. Most of them grow to be between six and twelve inches long.
Some have the potential to grow even longer than this, though. Depending on what you’re looking for in a houseplant, you might wish to buy a specific type of peperomia plant.
There are great options to consider such as watermelon peperomia plants and obtusifolia peperomia plants.
If you want to keep the plant small, you can look for a variety that is a bit on the small side. You could also trim the plant to keep it down to whatever size you prefer.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.