by Chuck Nishihira
This is a beautiful Peperomia that at first glance may not stand out as something special, but in my opinion it is one of the nicest species in the genus. ย It occurs in Colombia and Venezuela although it wouldn’t be a surprise if the distribution is wider. ย The leaf is a perfect little heart with raised veining. The color can range from a very dark blackish green to a fairly bright green depending on the amount of light it receives. ย The leaf is also velvety in texture due to fine hairs. ย The overall leaf size rarely gets over 3/4″ and in certain conditions the whole plant can produce leaves no larger than 1/2″. ย Another interesting trait is that the stems can be very pale green, which makes it stand out from the leaves. ย This species can create a very low carpet covering rocks and branches. ย In the terrarium it can reallyย play the role of the star. ย While not difficult to grow, patience is needed as it is not particularly fast growing. ย But as with many other plants this makes the development of a specimen plant that much more rewarding.
