Peperomia 'Rana Verde'

Ecuadorian Roots and Dutch Breeding

Dutch breeder Obed Jacob Smit created ‘Rana Verde’ in Sappemeer from two unnamed Peperomia albovittata cultivars and selected the new plant in 2013.

Peperomia albovittata occurs naturally only in Ecuador. Wild plants have been found between the Andean mountain ranges and in montane or cloud-forest vegetation, mainly between about 700 and 2,000 metres. Ecuador’s Red Book lists the species as Critically Endangered in the wild.

Watering a compact green Peperomia rosette

• Growth and propagation: Remove ageing leaves at the base without damaging the crown. Divide established clumps or root mature leaves with their leaf stalks.
• Light: Choose a position with bright, filtered light. Soft morning or evening sun is usually tolerated after gradual adjustment, while strong sun can pale the green leaves.
• Water: Water once the upper layer of substrate has dried and the pot has lost some weight. Wet the root ball evenly, let it drain and avoid frequent small sips.
• Temperature and humidity: Maintain steady indoor warmth and avoid prolonged cold conditions. Moderate household humidity and gentle air movement suit its compact crown.
• Feeding: Give a low-strength balanced fertiliser while fresh leaves are developing. Pause when the plant is not actively growing.

How to Solve Peperomia ‘Rana Verde’ Problems

• Several yellow leaves above wet mix: Check the roots before watering again. Pale, firm roots may recover once the mix drains faster and dries further; cut away decayed roots before potting the plant in clean, open substrate.
• A soft or collapsing rosette: Inspect the crown for wet-looking tissue and rapid spread. Cut away a small damaged area with a clean tool if firm tissue remains. If soft, wet-looking collapse is spreading, isolate the plant immediately and discard it. Do not use the affected plant for cuttings.
• Curled or limp leaves: Water thoroughly if the root ball is dry throughout. When the mix is damp, inspect the roots because a damaged root system can cause the same loss of firmness.
• Pale leaves, tan patches or blackened edges: Check for strong sun, cold glass, spray droplets or physical bruising. Damage from sun, cold, spray or bruising stays in one area and stops after the cause is removed. If wet-looking tissue spreads, isolate the plant and inspect it for rot.
• Small leaves on long leaf stalks: Bring it stepwise closer to bright filtered light and rotate the pot. Compact improvement will appear in leaves emerging from the centre.
• Corky bumps beneath the leaves: This may be oedema, which develops when water uptake exceeds what the leaves can release. Cool, humid or still conditions make it more likely when the roots remain wet. Let more of the substrate dry and improve warmth and air movement. Use a hand lens if the newest leaves are also distorted, since mites can look similar.
• Distorted new growth, silvering or black specks: Inspect the crown for thrips and microscopic mites before changing humidity. Isolate the plant, identify the pest and follow a treatment label that specifically names it; mites and thrips should not be treated as the same problem.

Peperomia ‘Rana Verde’ 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.

Peperomia: where the name comes from

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.