Peperomia caperata 'Luna Red'

Background of 'Luna Red'

Peperomia caperata is native to south-eastern Brazil and grows naturally in wet tropical conditions. 'Luna Red' is a cultivated form with dark red foliage.

Indoor care for 'Luna Red'

• Light: Give it bright indirect light to keep the clump compact. Harsh direct sun can turn the dark leaf surface pale or papery.
• Watering: Wait until the upper part of the mix has dried and the pot feels lighter, then water thoroughly and let it drain completely.
• Substrate: Use an airy mix that holds some moisture, with plenty of perlite, pumice or fine bark for drainage.
• Humidity: Average indoor humidity is generally sufficient. Use a room humidifier if the air stays very dry and produces recurring crisp edges; keep the dense centre dry.
• Temperature: Keep 'Luna Red' at about 18–30 °C and above roughly 10 °C. Keep it in a stable warm position, away from cold draughts, cold glass and large temperature swings.
• Feeding: Feed lightly with a complete fertiliser during active growth. Pause or reduce feeding if new growth slows.
• Repotting: Repot when roots have filled the pot or the old mix has compacted, increasing pot size only gradually.
• Propagation: Healthy leaf and stem cuttings can be rooted, and a plant with several rooted clumps can be divided.

What can go wrong with 'Luna Red'

• The dark leaves wrinkle and lose firmness: Check the substrate first. Water thoroughly if the pot is dry and light; if it is still damp, wait and inspect the roots if the leaves stay soft or wrinkled.
• Crimson leaves develop pale dry patches: Damage facing a bright window usually comes from excess direct sun or hot glass. Move the pot back and keep the light strong but indirect.
• Lower leaf stalks soften and leaves yellow: Check for persistently wet substrate. If roots are dark and mushy, trim only the decayed parts with clean, disinfected tools, discard the rotten material and contaminated old mix, and repot in fresh airy mix. See the root rot guide for recovery guidance.
• Fine speckles and delicate webbing appear: Isolate the plant and inspect the undersides and leaf stalk bases for spider mites. Remove as many as possible by careful washing or wiping; use a labelled indoor-ornamental treatment only if needed and repeat only as directed on the label.

Peperomia caperata ‘Luna Red’ 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 the name Peperomia caperata came about

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.