Peperomia ‘Hovaria’

About the origins of Peperomia ‘Hovaria’

‘Hovaria’ is a cultivated Peperomia selection grown for its felted leaves and thick, spreading stems.

Indoor care for Peperomia ‘Hovaria’

• Watering: Allow the upper layer to dry well, then wait until the whole pot feels light before watering deeply and draining it completely. The thick leaves and stems store water, so the plant can handle some drying between waterings.
• Light: Give ‘Hovaria’ bright indirect light. Some gentle direct sun is fine if introduced gradually, but strong midday or afternoon sun can mark the felted leaves.
• Potting mix: Use a very open, quick-draining mix with plenty of bark and perlite or pumice so the mix around the thick stem bases can partly dry between waterings.
• Humidity: Normal household levels are adequate. Keep the fuzzy foliage dry and provide good airflow, as the fine hairs can hold droplets.
• Temperature: Keep it warm, at about 18–30 °C, and protect it from cold draughts.
• Feeding: When fresh stems and leaves are developing, use a balanced liquid feed at half strength every few weeks. Heavy feeding can encourage weak, soft growth.
• Pruning: If the plant becomes too broad or uneven, shorten some stems above a leaf joint while leaving enough leafy growth on each one.
• Propagation: Healthy stem sections with at least one leaf joint can be rooted in a loose, free-draining mix. Keep them warm in bright indirect light and keep the mix lightly moist.
• Repotting: Repot when the roots fill the current pot, even if the top growth looks large. Move to a pot only slightly larger with reliable drainage.

Common issues with Peperomia ‘Hovaria’

• Soft, dark stem bases or rapidly collapsing leaves: The mix around the roots has likely stayed wet for too long. Take the plant out of its pot, remove rotten roots and stems with clean, disinfected tools, discard the rotten parts and replant the healthy parts in a fresh, airy mix. Use our root rot guide if rot has spread through the base.
• Leaves become thin, limp or noticeably wrinkled: Check whether the pot has dried completely. If roots are healthy and the mix is dry, water thoroughly; if the mix is wet, the same symptoms can come from damaged roots.
• Brown or black marks on the felted leaf surface: First check whether water is lingering in the fine leaf hairs. Keep the foliage dry and improve airflow. If the marks are dry and limited to the most exposed leaves, also move the plant out of harsh direct sun.
• Long weak shoots with wide spacing: The plant needs more light. Move it gradually to brighter indirect light and prune weak growth once stronger new shoots are developing.
• White cottony deposits in stem joints or under the leaf hairs: Inspect carefully for mealybugs, which can be easy to miss on fuzzy foliage. Isolate the plant, remove visible insects and repeat a suitable labelled treatment at the interval stated on its label. See our mealybug guide.

Peperomia ‘Hovaria’ 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.

The meaning and history of Peperomia

Peperomia combines Greek peperi, “pepper”, with homoios, “resembling”, and means “pepper-like”.

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