Variegated baby rubber plant
Light: Part shade
Height: 6-12 inches
Spread: 6-12 inches Hardiness: Zones 10-12 Origin: Mexico and northern South America
There are plenty of peperomias, but a particularly lovely one is commonly known as variegated baby rubber plant (
‘Variegata’). This peperomia grows in a small, upright mound and has red stems. Its leaves are 3 to 4 inches long and have a fleshy, waxy texture.
The leaf variegation makes this peperomia stand out from the rest. Every leaf is slightly different. Their patterns have a base of dark green and a creamy white overlay, and the leaf center is silvery green.
is a large genus of about 1,600 species. A relative is black pepper (
like that found on the dinner table, but don't eat the variegated baby rubber plant. It is commonly found in gift baskets and terrariums, but it is poisonous.
The plant easily adapts to a wide variety of soil moisture and is a nice plant addition to a vivarium with tropical amphibians. See it in the Himalayan biome in the North Conservatory at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.