Acorn Peperomia for Autumn Charm

When I first learned about Peperomias, they had become all the rage among houseplant lovers. I preferred the classic Pothos and Philodendron and did not buy into the Peperomia craze. As another strike against these plants, when I mentioned Peperomias to non-gardeners, I had to prepare for lots of jokes related to pizza.

Well, things changed when I really got to know Peperomias. I am a confident outdoor gardener but a forgetful houseplant caretaker, and Peperomias such as the Acorn Peperomia were designed for me in many ways. They have interesting foliage, such as the rounded and succulent-like greenery of the Acorn Peperomia, plus little need for lots of care from me. These plants I had passed aside actually became some of my favorite houseplants. Houseplant lovers had been right all along.

By now, I have tended (in a casual and sometimes neglectful way) many a Peperomia. I like the deep wine-colored ones, dark and moody. I love the varieties that have patterned foliage or rich coloring on the undersides of their leaves. I have some that grow in lengths, some that cascade with lots of leaves, and others that have a mounding form and fill out in small containers very nicely. I have given the String of Turtles Peperomia as gifts. I like so many of these plants, it is hard to choose just one to highlight. But for this time of year when I want summer to stay but also know the beauty of the season that follows, the Acorn Peperomia seems the right plant to talk about. In some ways, the Acorn Peperomia reminds me of a Jade more than anything else. Its leaves are not exactly like perfect acorn shapes by any means, but the name of the plant seems to help with the imagination. The “acorns” seemed more visible to me once I knew the name of this plant.

I guess “acorns” and “autumn” are aligned in the minds of many of us. For me, acorns and childhood also go together. When I was young, a neighbor had a gigantic Oak tree. Anything to a small child can seem gigantic, but this Oak truly was. And it was also known as a nuisance to a few other neighbors who slipped and slid on its acorns and worried that the acorns might dent their cars. But Walter, by then a very elder neighbor and a real character at that, never bent to the pressure of others. He kept that tree. I kept loving it, with the little cap-topped faces that would fall from it. 

So acorns and autumn, acorns and childhood… whatever the pairing is for you, I think you will appreciate the Acorn Peperomia for its self-sufficient nature and for its autumn charm.

Acorn Peperomia plants grow rather slowly, with rounded leaves appearing in groupings along trailing stems. They cover the plant nicely and stay looking good, as long as the plant is placed in moderate-to-bright indirect light (not direct sunlight) for a good part of each day. Acorn Peperomia wants neither to dry out nor to be overwhelmed with water. Just water it when you know the top layers of its soil have dried out. And from time to time, if you think of it, feed it with a diluted liquid fertilizer. Sometimes I skip this last step, forgetting to fertilize this and my other indoor plants. But I know they could look better if I gave them this level of care. Still, the beauty of Peperomias, including the Acorn Peperomia, lies in their healthy looks and forgiving nature. These characteristics are what made me grow to love this very admirable genus of plants known as the Peperomias.