How to grow and care for Wax Privet Peperomia (Peperomia glabella) Indoors
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Botanical name: Peperomia glabella
Family: Piperaceae
Common names: Wax Privet Peperomia, Cypress Peperomia
Wax Privet Peperomia Description
Wax Privet Peperomia (Peperomia glabella) also called Cypress Peperomia is a small plant with beautiful oval leaves and red stems where the foliage is fleshy and often has variegation.
The oval leaves in Wax Privet Peperomia can be a darker or a lighter green, depending on the amount of light the plant receives.
Likewise, the petioles and stems in Wax Privet Peperomia vary from pink to red depending on the amount of light. The flowers are small and insignificant.
The plant is hardy, and fast growing, and will spread or trail. It makes an ideal desk plant on account of its small size.
Wax Privet Peperomia Origin
Peperomia glabella (Peperomia glabella) is native to the West Indies and a large part of South America, where it can be found growing epiphytically on trees or terrestrially creeping on the ground.
Peperomia glabella Variegata
Wax Privet Peperomia (Peperomia glabella) Care Indoors
Wax Privet Peperomia Light Requirements
Wax Privet Peperomia grows best in bright light to semi-shade (partial shade). It can also grow under a grow light where the natural light is not adequate.
Too little light for your Wax Privet Peperomia will result in leggy plants and loss of leaf color.
Keep your Wax Privet Peperomia away from direct sunshine as it can lead to scorching of the leaves. Check out this guide on understanding light for houseplants.
How to Water Wax Privet Peperomia
Water Wax Privet Peperomia liberally during the growing season and allow the soil to dry out between waterings.
Significantly reduce watering for your Wax Privet Peperomia during the cold season to keep the soil barely moist as growth is minimal at this time. Read more on how to water houseplants.
Ensure the pot for your Wax Privet Peperomia Plant has a drainage hole to prevent the soil from getting soggy as it can lead in root-rot disease.
Temperature for Wax Privet Peperomia
Average warmth between 15-260C is ideal for Wax Privet Peperomia. A room temperature that is comfortable for you is ideal for these plants. If the temperatures are outside this range, they impact the growth of the plant negatively.
Protect your Wax Privet Peperomia from cold draughts as they can cause leaf drop. Read more on understanding temperature for houseplants.
Humidity for Wax Privet Peperomia
Wax Privet Peperomia thrives in a high humidity environment. Set pot on a wet pebble tray or use a cool mist humidifier to raise humidity for your Wax Privet Peperomia. Read more on how to raise humidity for houseplants.
You can also grow your Wax Privet Peperomia Plant in a terrarium as high humidity can be maintained. Read more on how to make a terrarium for houseplants.
Fertilizer (Feeding) for Wax Privet Peperomia
Feed Wax Privet Peperomia with a balanced, liquid fertilizer once a month during the growing period.
Withhold feeding for your Wax Privet Peperomia during the cold season as growth is minimal and feeding at this time may lead to fertilizer burn. Read more on how to feed houseplants.
How to Repot Wax Privet Peperomia
Repot Wax Privet Peperomia during the growing season only when the plant has become pot-bound.
Use a pot one size larger than the current one and ensure the pot for your Wax Privet Peperomia has a drainage hole to prevent the soil from getting soggy as it can lead to root-rot disease.
How to Prune Wax Privet Peperomia
Pruning Wax Privet Peperomia involves regular removal of dead foliage to maintain the plant neat and tidy.
To encourage a bushy, compact growth for your Wax Privet Peperomia, regularly pinch off the growing tips.
As your Wax Privet Peperomia ages, it becomes straggly therefore, cut back the stems during the growing season to rejuvenate growth. Read more on how to prune houseplants.
Wax Privet Peperomia (Peperomia glabella) Propagation
Wax Privet Peperomia propagation can be done from leaf cuttings or by plant division.
How to propagate Wax Privet Peperomia from leaf cuttings in water
Wax Privet Peperomia Plant leaf cuttings root easily, therefore there is no need for a rooting hormone.
Take leaf cuttings from a healthy Wax Privet Peperomia and ensure each leaf cutting has a petiole.
Allow sometime for the formation of a protective callus tissue over the cuts of the leaf cuttings to prevent rotting.
Place the leaf Wax Privet Peperomia Plant cuttings in a jar of clean plain water and change the water every 5-7 days.
Place in warm shaded place until growth begins at the base of the cuttings leaf petiole. Allow enough time for substantial growth of the roots and new leaves.
Transfer the rooted Wax Privet Peperomia cuttings to individual pots and place in a cool shaded place.
Maintain the soil moist until the new Wax Privet Peperomia plants are well established.
For a fuller Wax Privet Peperomia, plant several plants in one pot.
How to propagate Wax Privet Peperomia by plant division
Take out your Wax Privet Peperomia from its pot and divide it into several sections.
Pot these sections in individual pots and place in a cool shaded place.
Maintain the soil moist until new growth emerges on your Wax Privet Peperomia sections.
Allow the new Wax Privet Peperomia Plants to be well established before transplanting.
Wax Privet Peperomia (Peperomia glabella) Problems Indoors
Wax Privet Peperomia brown leaf tips and edges
Brown leaf tips and edges in Wax Privet Peperomia are due to sudden drop in temperature from cold draughts.
Remove all the damaged leaves and keep your Wax Privet Peperomia away from cold draughts to maintain average warmth.
Wax Privet Peperomia dropping leaves
There are many and varied causes of dropping leaves in Wax Privet Peperomia. One possible cause of dropping leaves in your Wax Privet Peperomia is temperature is too low.
Move your Wax Privet Peperomia to a warmer spot away from cold draughts and maintain an average room temperature.
The second possible cause of dropping leaves in Wax Privet Peperomia is that the plant has been underwatered causing the foliage to wilt.
Water your Wax Privet Peperomia liberally during the growing season and allow the soil to dry out between waterings but reduce watering during the cold season.
Here is an outline on 12 reasons why Peperomia is dropping leaves (with solutions).
Wax Privet Peperomia brown, shrivelled leaves
The cause of brown and shrivelled leaves in Wax Privet Peperomia is too dry air. Wax Privet Peperomia prefers a humid environment.
Set the pot on a wet pebble tray or use a cool mist humidifier to raise humidity for your Wax Privet Peperomia. read more on how to raise humidity for houseplants.
You can also grow your Wax Privet Peperomia in a terrarium as high humidity can be maintained. Read more on how to make a terrarium for houseplants.
Wax Privet Peperomia dry and shrivelled leaves
Dry and shrivelled leaves in Wax Privet Peperomia are due to excess soluble salts in the soil from the water or excess feeding.
Regularly flush out the salts from the soil for your Wax Privet Peperomia by running a stream of water through the soil until it comes out through the drainage holes and repeat the process several times.
Wax Privet Peperomia leggy stems
Leggy stems in Wax Privet Peperomia are due to low light. Wax Privet Peperomia grows best in bright light to semi-shade (partial shade). It will also thrive under flourescent light.
Cut back the stems to rejuvenate growth and move your Wax Privet Peperomia to a brighter spot where it will receive bright light to partial shade. It can also grow under a grow light where the natural light is not adequate.
Wax Privet Peperomia wilted and discolored leaves and corky swellings under the leaves
Wilted and discolored leaves and corky swellings under the leaves in Wax Privet Peperomia is due to soggy soil.
This is an indication of root-rot disease. Isolate the affected plant and treat it appropriately for the disease.
Wax Privet Peperomia diseases
Wax Privet Peperomia diseases; leaf spot disease and root-rot. Isolate the affected Wax Privet Peperomia and treat it appropriately for the disease.
Wax Privet Peperomia pests
Wax Privet Peperomia pests; spider mites, whiteflies and mealy bugs. Isolate the affected plant and treat it appropriately for the pests.
Is Wax Privet Peperomia (Peperomia glabella) toxic?
Wax Privet Peperomia (Peperomia glabella) like other Peperomia Plants is non-toxic to humans and pets. The plants are safe to grow indoors.
