Peperomia dolabriformis 'Fire Sparks'

Cultivated form and natural range of Peperomia dolabriformis 'Fire Sparks'

'Fire Sparks' is a cultivated form of Peperomia dolabriformis with red to orange-red edging around the leaf windows.

Peperomia dolabriformis is native to Ecuador and Peru and is associated mainly with wet tropical habitat.

How to care for 'Fire Sparks'

• Light: Give very bright indirect light. Gentle morning or late-afternoon sun can be useful after the plant has gradually adjusted to it, but protect it from intense midday heat behind glass.
• Water: Let most of the potting mix dry, then water thoroughly and allow the pot to drain.
• Potting mix: Use a very open, fast-draining mix with plenty of pumice, perlite or fine grit and a smaller amount of organic potting mix.
• Temperature: Keep temperatures warm and steady, around 18–30 °C, especially when the potting mix is moist.
• Humidity: Average household humidity is enough. In a humid room, keep some air moving around the stems and leaves.
• Feeding: While the plant is growing, use a light feed with a balanced fertiliser, following the label.
• Grooming: Remove fully dried lower leaves and damaged stems cleanly. Leave healthy leaf tips intact when shaping the plant.
• Repotting: Repot when the roots are crowded or the mix has compacted or stopped draining well. Choose a pot only slightly larger, as an oversized pot stays wet for longer.
• Propagation: Healthy stem cuttings can be rooted in loose, well-drained potting mix kept lightly moist.

Problems you may see on 'Fire Sparks'

• Translucency spreads beyond the normal window: The narrow clear strip along the upper ridge is normal. If the rest of the leaf also becomes translucent, check recent watering and light conditions. If the leaf is still firm, monitor it for further change. If the tissue becomes soft, wet-looking, yellow or easy to detach, especially while the mix is wet, rot is more likely. Check the roots and stem base. Use a clean, disinfected tool and cut back until only firm, healthy tissue remains. Discard the rotten material and re-root only healthy growth in fresh, fast-draining mix.
• Leaves become deeply wrinkled: Check the potting mix before watering. If the mix is dry and the roots look healthy, water thoroughly. If the mix is still damp and wrinkling continues, check the roots for damage.
• New growth stretches out with wider gaps between leaves: Increase light gradually. This compact succulent form is easiest to maintain in a very bright position.
• Pale tan patches appear on the most exposed leaves: Strong direct sun or a sudden increase in sun is likely. Move the plant out of hot midday rays and introduce direct sun more gradually.
• White cottony clusters appear: Check leaf folds and stem joints for mealybugs. Isolate the plant, remove visible insects carefully and use a houseplant treatment labelled for mealybugs, repeating it at the interval stated on the label.

If you're not sure what is causing the problem, send us clear photos of the whole plant, affected leaves and potting mix. We can help you work out what is happening.

Peperomia dolabriformis ‘Fire Sparks’ 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 dolabriformis?

Peperomia combines Greek peperi, “pepper”, with homoios, “resembling”, and means “pepper-like”. Dolabriformis combines Latin dolabra, a hatchet, pickaxe or mattock, with -formis, meaning “shaped”.

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

Karl Sigismund Kunth first described Peperomia dolabriformis in 1816 in Nova Genera et Species Plantarum, volume 1, page 60.