Peperomia caperata ‘Montevideo’

Origin and background of ‘Montevideo’

‘Montevideo’ is a cultivated form of Peperomia caperata. In nature, Peperomia caperata grows in wet tropical habitat in south-eastern Brazil.

Keeping ‘Montevideo’ healthy indoors

• Humidity: Average indoor humidity is usually enough. Keep gentle air movement around the compact clump and keep the deep grooves dry. If the room is very dry, slightly higher room humidity can help prevent dry leaf edges.
• Light: Keep it in medium to bright indirect light. Strong direct sun can scorch the leaves.
• Watering: Let the upper part of the substrate dry and check that the pot has become lighter before watering. Water thoroughly and let the excess drain.
• Substrate: Use a light, airy peat- or coir-based mix with perlite, pumice and fine bark so excess water drains easily.
• Temperature: Aim for about 18–30 °C and keep ‘Montevideo’ above roughly 10 °C. Protect a recently watered plant from cold draughts and cold windowsills.
• Feeding: Feed lightly with a complete houseplant fertiliser while new leaves are developing. Reduce feeding when growth slows.
• Repotting: Repot when the roots have filled the pot or the mix has become compacted. Move up only one pot size.

Common issues and solutions for ‘Montevideo’

• Dark spots keep spreading across the foliage: Lingering moisture and still air can contribute to leaf spotting. Remove badly affected leaves with disinfected scissors, discard them, keep the foliage dry and improve air movement around the compact clump.
• The clump wilts across several leaves: Check the substrate first. A dry, light pot needs a full watering; a damp, heavy one should be left to dry and checked for root damage if the wilt persists.
• Lower leaf stalks turn yellow and soft: Keeping the substrate wet for too long can cause root and crown rot. Remove only tissue that is clearly rotten with clean, disinfected tools, discard it with contaminated old substrate and repot into fresh airy mix. See the root rot guide if rot is confirmed.
• Cottony clusters appear around the bases of the leaf stalks: Isolate the plant and remove visible mealybugs from the crowded centre. If the infestation persists, use a product labelled for mealybugs on indoor ornamentals and follow the stated repeat interval.

Peperomia caperata ‘Montevideo’ 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.

How did Peperomia caperata get its name?

Peperomia combines Greek peperi, “pepper”, with homoios, “resembling”, and means “pepper-like”. Caperata comes from the Latin caperatus, meaning wrinkled or corrugated, and refers to the deeply folded leaf surface.

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

Truman George Yuncker first described Peperomia caperata in 1958 in Kew Bulletin, volume 12, page 421.