Emerald Ripple Peperomia (Peperomia caperata) is a popular houseplant with beautiful wrinkled, heart-shaped leaves. The foliage colors are gorgeous with color combinations of greenish to purplish. It’s fairly easy to grow your Peperomia caperata since it does well in artificial light. A nice little houseplant for office desks and on bookshelves. Here are tips on how to care for your Peperomia caperata indoors.
You may be interested in these Peperomia houseplants: 8 Tips to Care for Your Pepper Face (Peperomia obtusifolia Infographic) and 8 Tips on How to Care for Your Watermelon Peperomia (Peperomia argyreia Infographic)
Emerald Ripple Peperomia Houseplant Infographic
8 Tips on How to Take Care of Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia
1. Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia is Happiest in Bright Filtered Light
Emerald Ripple Peperomia will be happy in bright, filtered light. It does well in an East facing window or even a north window with low light. Your Peperomia caperata does well under artificial light and grow lights. It does well on desks and bookshelves.
2. Abundant Water is Best for Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia
Your Peperomia caperata is a tropical houseplant with high water requirements. Water your Peperomia caperata when the soil feels dry. The best way to tell when it is time to water your Peperomia caperata is to feel the soil. Stick your finger in the soil 0.5 inches deep. If it feels dry, it’s time to water your Peperomia caperata.
3. Get the Soil Right for Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia
Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia needs a well-draining, organic all-purpose potting mix.
4. Fertilize Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia
Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia should be fertilized once every 2 weeks at half strength during the growing season. Once a month in the winter.
5. Don’t forget to Repot Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia
Repot your Peperomia caperata when it outgrows its current pot. Repot your Peperomia caperata in a container with a diameter 2 inches larger than the current pot. Plant your Peperomia caperata in small containers since these are small plants.
6. Drainage is Essential for Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia
Good drainage is important, you don’t want your Peperomia caperata to sit in soggy soil. Make sure there are drainage holes at the bottom of the container. After watering your Peperomia caperata and you see water draining out of the pot’s drainage holes, make sure you empty out the accumulated water in the saucer. Don’t let your Peperomia caperata’s pot sit in this puddle of water. It will cause root rot!
7. Get the Temperature Right for Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia
Your Peperomia caperata needs to have a daytime temperature of 70F to 80 Fahrenheit (21-26C). The nighttime temperature should be at 60-70 Fahrenheit (15-21 C).
8. Humidity is Vital for Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia
Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia is a humid-loving tropical houseplant. You should increase indoor humidity. Turn on the humidifier. Mist your Peperomia caperata a few times a week.
Another way to increase humidity is to keep your Peperomia caperata in a saucer filled with water. But make sure the pot is elevated with pot feet or pebbles so your Peperomia caperata is not sitting directly on the water.
3 Common Emerald Ripple Peperomia Problems
The common problems for Emerald Ripple Peperomia are root rot, edema, and mealy bugs.
Why are there Fluffy White Growth In Between the Leaves and Stems of Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia?
Problem: There are fluffy white growths in between the leaves and stems of your Peperomia caperata.
Cause: Mealybugs are causing the fluffy white growth on your Peperomia caperata. It is a common houseplant disease.
Solution: To get rid of mealybugs on your Peperomia caperata, wash your plant with water. You can also use soapy water. Spraying rubbing alcohol on affected areas can also get rid of mealybugs. Horticultural oil and insecticidal soap are also effective in getting rid of mealybugs.
Check out our article on how to make your own homemade pesticides using baby shampoo: How to Make Horticultural Oil and How to Make Insecticidal Soap
Why does Your Peperomia caperata Look Wilted even if the Soil is Wet?
Problem: Your Peperomia caperata looks wilted even if the soil is wet. Check for root rot by pulling the plant out and examining the roots. If the roots of your Peperomia caperata plant look mushy (healthy roots are firm) and the roots are gray to black in color, these are telltale signs of root rot.
Cause: Root rot is caused by fungus and is a serious problem for your Peperomia caperata. Root rot is a result of wet soil due to overwatering or poor drainage.
Solution: When your Peperomia caperata is afflicted with root rot the chance of survival is slim. Your best course of action is to throw your Peperomia caperata out and start over with a new plant. This time don’t overwater your Peperomia caperata and make sure there is good drainage in the pot.
Why are there Small Brown Bumps on the Leaves of Your Peperomia caperata?
Problem: There are many small brown bumps on the leaves of your Peperomia caperata. These brown bumps can’t be picked off the leaves.
Cause: Your Peperomia caperata has developed Edema. These small brown bumps are growth on the leaves that is a result of overwatering.
Solution: Reduce watering frequency on your Peperomia caperata. Make sure there is sufficient drainage so your Peperomia caperata does not sit on soggy soil.
Emerald Ripple Peperomia Houseplant Facts
| Name | Emerald Ripple Peperomia |
| Scientific Name | Peperomia caperata |
| Light | Bright Filtered Light |
| Daytime Temperature | 70 to 80 F (21-26C) |
| Night Time Temperature | 60 to 70 F (15-21C) |
| Water | Abundant Water |
| Humidity | High Humidity |
| Potting | Well-draining, organic, all-purpose potting mix |
| Fertilizer | Once every 2 weeks at half strength during the growing season. Once a month in the winter. |
| Toxic to Pets and Humans | Non-Toxic |
Emerald Ripple Peperomia: Frequently Asked Questions
What are Other Names of Emerald Ripple Peperomia?
Emerald Ripple Peperomia (Peperomia caperata) is also called Ripple Peperomia, Green Ripple Peperomia, and Emerald Ripper Pepper.
Is Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia Toxic to Pets?
Emerald Ripple Peperomias are not toxic to pets. However, you may want to keep your Peperomia caperata out of reach if you find your pet snacking on it frequently!
Find out which houseplants are toxic to pets and humans
How Can You Tell When It’s Time to Water Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia?
Water your Peperomia caperata when the soil feels dry. The best way to tell when it’s time to water is by sticking your finger into the soil. Stick your finger in the soil 0.5 inches deep. If the soil feels dry, then it’s time to water your Peperomia caperata.
Can You Use Cold Water When Watering Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia?
Emerald Ripple Peperomia can be watered with tap water but be mindful of the water temperature that you are using to water your Peperomia caperata. Don’t use straight cold water from the tap to water your Peperomia caperata.
Peperomia caperata prefers cool water that is not hot and not cold. When you turn on the cold water from the faucet add a little bit of warm water. You can also get to this ideal temperature by filling a watering can or pitcher with water and leaving it out overnight until the water is at room temperature.
What Fertilizer Should You Use for Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia?
Use liquid or powder, organic fertilizer with a higher nitrogen ratio on your Peperomia caperata.
How Big Does Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia Get?
Your Peperomia caperata is a small houseplant that can grow to 8 inches tall.
How Do You Propagate Your Emerald Ripple Peperomia?
Peperomia caperata is easy to propagate. You can propagate your Peperomia caperata by leaf cutting.
Below are steps on how to propagate Peperomia caperata by leaf cutting.
1. Take a Leaf Cutting of your Peperomia caperata
Cut a mid-sized leaf from your Peperomia caperata and include 1-2 inches of the leaf stalk.
2. Plant Your Peperomia caperata Leaf Cutting
Dip the leaf stalk into rooting hormone and then plant it into a pot. Make sure the soil mixture is damp by watering it thoroughly before planting the leaf stalk. You can plant more than one leaf in the pot.
3. Repot Your Peperomia caperata to its Permanent pot
The roots of your Peperomia caperata will grow in 2-4 weeks. You will see the baby leaves will be about 1 inch long. When that happens, you can repot your Peperomia caperata to its permanent container.
4. Place New Peperomia caperata Plant in a Spot with Bright Indirect Sun
Place your new Peperomia caperata plant in a spot with bright indirect sunlight. Don’t put it in direct sunlight.
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