Peperomia albovittata 'Piccolo Banda'

From an Ecuadorian Species to a Dutch Cultivar

Dutch breeder Obed Jacob Smit created ‘Piccolo Banda’ in Sappemeer. He crossed two unnamed Peperomia albovittata cultivars in 2013 and selected ‘Piccolo Banda’ from the resulting plants the following year.

Peperomia albovittata is native only to Ecuador and grows on the ground between the Andean mountain ranges. Wild plants have been found in montane and cloud-forest locations between roughly 700 and 2,000 metres. Ecuador’s Red Book classifies these wild populations as Critically Endangered.

Growing a foliage plant indoors

• Water: Allow the surface and upper layer to dry before watering deeply. Drain away the excess, and do not keep moisture standing around the central crown.
• Light: Bright, indirect light keeps the plant compact and its silver-green bands clear. Protect it from intense midday sun; mild early or late sun is normally suitable.
• Substrate and pot: Plant in an airy blend of houseplant mix, fine bark and perlite or pumice. Its fine roots suit a relatively shallow pot with drainage; increase the pot size gradually.
• Humidity: Moderate indoor humidity is helpful, provided air circulates around the leaves.
• Feeding: Use a weak balanced fertiliser only while the plant is making new growth. Avoid full-strength or frequent feeding.

Peperomia albovittata ‘Piccolo Banda’ Troubleshooting

• Soft leaf stalks or a dark crown: Remove the plant from wet substrate and inspect the crown and fine roots. Firm roots need a looser mix and more drying; soft tissue should be cut away with a clean tool. If watery decay keeps spreading, isolate and discard the plant; do not root its leaves.
• Wrinkled leaves: Soak a dry root ball fully and let it drain. If the substrate is still damp, inspect for damaged roots instead of adding more water.
• Faint silver bands or an open rosette: Move the plant gradually into brighter filtered light and turn the pot so all sides receive light. Existing long leaf stalks will remain, but newly formed leaves should be more compact and show the normal pattern clearly.
• Bleached or sharply browned areas: Look for intense sun, heat behind glass, contact with cold glass or recent spray use. Move the plant away from intense light or cold glass and stop using any suspected spray. Damaged areas will remain marked.
• Brown corky spots: Separate plant-tissue blisters from attached insects. Oedema often begins beneath the leaf when roots stay wet during low light and poor airflow. Armoured scale may have a detachable cover, while soft scale does not. Let more of the mix dry and improve airflow for oedema. Treat scale only when an insect is confirmed.
• Sticky leaves or cottony patches: Check bases of the leaf stalks for mealybugs and soft scale. Isolate the plant, wipe away visible insects and use an indoor treatment approved for the identified pest, continuing to inspect the dense crown.
• Twisted young leaves or pale stippling: Examine new growth with a hand lens for thrips or mites. Black specks and slender insects point to thrips; moving dots or fine webbing point to spider mites. Use a pest-specific treatment and test sprays on one leaf first.

Peperomia albovittata ‘Piccolo Banda’ is non-toxic to people and pets

• This plant is non-toxic to people, cats and dogs.
• Chewing a large amount can still cause an upset stomach.
• If a large amount is eaten and symptoms continue, contact a veterinarian or medical professional.

Why is it called Peperomia albovittata?

Peperomia combines Greek peperi, “pepper”, with homoios, “resembling”, and means “pepper-like”. Albovittata joins Latin albus, “white”, with vittatus, “banded” or “striped”, to mean “white-banded”.

Hipólito Ruiz López and José Antonio Pavon established the genus Peperomia in 1794 in Flora Peruvianae et Chilensis Prodromus, page 8.

Anne Casimir Pyramus de Candolle first described Peperomia albovittata in 1896 in Bulletin de l’Herbier Boissier, volume 4, page 510.