Peperomia caperata ‘Moonlight’

A silver-leaved Dutch Peperomia caperata

Peperomia caperata ‘Moonlight’ was bred in Sappemeer, the Netherlands, from two plants of the species.

In the wild, Peperomia caperata occurs in wet tropical south-eastern Brazil.

Care for Peperomia caperata ‘Moonlight’

• Check hidden moisture: The broad leaves can conceal uneven drying. Check several points in the pot and water only after the top layer has dried, then let the pot drain until it stops dripping.
• Keep the leaf stalk bases dry: Keep them above the potting mix and do not press mix against them. Water trapped at the bases can make the tissue turn soft.
• Light: Strong filtered light supports an even, broad rosette. Move the plant back from hot glass before midday sun scorches exposed leaves.
• Pot size and mix: Use bark, coco fibre and perlite or pumice in a snug, stable pot sized to the root system. The broad top can become heavy before the roots need more space.

Maintain 18–27 °C with moderate airflow. Average household humidity is sufficient; closed damp conditions can increase leaf spotting.

Feed lightly while new leaves are expanding, and pause when the rosette stops producing fresh growth. Repot when roots fill the pot, keep the plant at the same depth and trim old flower spikes without pulling at the centre.

Use our houseplant watering guide to check several points beneath the broad ‘Moonlight’ canopy before watering.

Troubleshooting Peperomia caperata ‘Moonlight’

• The silver surface is turning yellow: Strong sun, root stress or too much fertiliser can all shift the colour. Inspect the roots and recent care before making another change, then correct one likely cause at a time.
• The striped leaf stalks are soft at the base: The plant may be buried too deeply or kept wet around the centre. Expose the bases, remove decay and repot at the original level.
• The large rosette is leaning: Uneven light is pulling the broad leaves to one side. Turn the pot and provide filtered light from above or more than one direction.
• Dry pale patches are appearing: Hot window glass may have scorched the broad silver leaves. Increase the distance from the pane and acclimatise new growth gradually.
• Fine webbing or stippling appears underneath: Mites may be feeding on the broad leaf undersides. Isolate the plant, rinse it thoroughly and repeat treatment until fresh growth is unaffected.

Peperomia caperata ‘Moonlight’ 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.

Who first published Peperomia caperata, and what does the name mean?

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.