Peperomia Marble Houseplant Care - Growing Peperomia Obtusifolia 'Marble'

Last Updated on March 19, 2022 by Admin

The Peperomia Marble is also called the Peperomia obtusifolia ‘Marble’. It gets its name from the gorgeous marbling pattern that lines the outer edges of its leaves.

The plant features round green leaves with yellow-cream splashed on its borders. And, the way the leaves grow of the middle make it amazing to look at.

The Peperomia Marble is a fairly small plant that grows to between 8 to 14 inches tall. In most cases it will be between 9 to 12 inches. As it gets bushier (which is when it looks best), its leaves will spread outwards to reach as wide as 10 inches wide.

Because it hairs from a tropical environment, it easily adapts to household conditions. And, the plant is fairly easy to care for with watering being the one thing you should watch out for.

Its attractive looks make it perfect in containers to display in living room coffee tables, furniture or side tables.

Table of Contents

Peperomia Marble Plant Care

Light Requirements

Your Peperomia Marble enjoys bright, indirect light. Although, you want to limit direct sunlight to about 2 or 3 hours a day. And, if possible from the morning sun and not the intense afternoon rays.

Too much direct sunlight or intense exposure will burn its lovely leaves which are its crowning glory.

As a general rule of thumb, variegated plants need more bright light compared to those that are solid green in color.

While this may sound counterintuitive, it isn’t.

It is also the reason why plants will dark green solid leaves are more sensitive to too much, intense or direct sunlight.

The reason is the green sections of the leaves absorb sunlight. They are also the parts that are involved in photosynthesis which is the plant’s way of making its own food from light.

Since variegated plants have fewer green surface area, they absorb less light and produce less food from light. To compensate, they need more bright light.

Otherwise, you’ll see the non-green sections slowly turn green as the plant tries to adapt in order to survive.

Thus, with the Peperomia Marble, an east, west and south facing window are idea. This gives it long hours of bright light it needs.

You also want to monitor it more in low light conditions to see where the threshold is when the plant starts to struggle due to lack of light.

Temperature

The ideal temperature for your Peperomia Marble ranges between 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. This coincides with what we humans enjoys which makes it easy for the plant to adapt to household environments.

Because of its tropical nature, it is also more tolerant of higher temperatures.

However, you want to be more wary with colder conditions. Avoid temperatures below 50 degrees. Below this, the plat will not be happy.

It is not frost hardy. Nor can it tolerate freezing conditions. So, as the mercury drops, it will begin to experience stress.

Outdoors, the plant is hardy to USDA Zones 9 to 11. Thus, if you live in these regions, you can keep it outside all year long without any issue if you wish.

However, below zone 9, you need to take it indoors as temperature drops to 50 degrees. It will not survive the snow and frost of northern winters.

Humidity

Humidity is another important climate factor in caring for your Peperomia Marble. It is used to and wants humid environments. It these conditions, it will thrive and produce its most vibrant colors.

However, households and humans are not designed for the humidity of tropical forests.

For us, it is downright uncomfortable. And, the higher the humidity goes, the more unbearable it becomes.

The plant’s ideal humidity is above 60%. However, most homes run between 30% (sometimes even lower) to 50% at most.

Fortunately, the plant does not mind levels between 40% and 50%. But, if you’re home humidity is in the 30s, it is a good idea to increase humidity at least around the plant.

You can do this by using a humidifier.

You can likewise mist the plant a few times a week, group it with other plants or place it in a pebble tray.

But before you do any of that, make sure to check what the humidity in your home is. The easiest way is to use a digital hygrometer.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Two Plant Mamas (@two.plant.mamas)

How Often to Water Peperomia Marble

The most important thing about watering your Peperomia Marble is to avoid overdoing it. It can be very tempting to water it a lot and frequently.

But, the plant is susceptible to overwatering. And, it does not appreciate waterlogged soil.

As such, the best way I’ve found to water the plant is to allow the top 2 inches of soil to dry out before watering again.

And, when you do water, do so deeply. This means soaking the root ball slowly. Then allow all excess moisture to completely drain out.

The latter takes quite a bit of time so I suggest leaving it in a sink or somewhere to drain while you take care of your other plants.

In addition to watering, it is essential to use a container with drainage holes so the excess liquid that drains out of the soil can escaped.

Finally, don’t water the plant from overhead where the leaves get all wet. This can increase its risk of leaf infections especially if the moisture does not dry soon enough.

Instead, water directly on the soil.

Soil for Peperomia Marble

Since the plant is sensitive to overwatering, you want to use well-draining soil. This helps get rid of excess moisture.

In contrast, you want to avoid soil that retains a lot of moisture. This will keep your plant’s roots in water which can eventually lead to root rot.

A good potting mix recipe you can use is to combine 2 parts peat with 1 part perlite or sand. The perlite and sand are good media for drainage.

If you already have regular potting mix at home, you can likewise use that and add perlite or sand to achieve similar results.

Fertilizer

Your Peperomia Serpens does not need a lot of fertilizer. As such, you want to take the same approach here as you would with water, less is more.

Apply liquid fertilizer once a month during spring and summer. Make sure to dilute it to half strength and water the soil when you feed.

There is no need to feed it during fall and winter as it takes a rest from its growing phase.

Pruning

Your Peperomia Serpens has a fairly compact form. And, it looks its best when you allow it to get bushy.

Thus, pruning is not often needed.

However, there are a few instances where it may come in handy.

The first is if it looks sparse or isn’t growing as much as you’d want. Pinching it will help promote growth, which over time makes the plant bushier.
You also want to prune it if it becomes leggy or spindly.
Trim it back a bit to maintain the shape you want.
If you see any discolorations, dead or damaged leaves, remove them as well.

Peperomia Marble Propagation

Because the plant is very beautiful, I highly recommend propagating your Peperomia Marble at some point in its lifetime.

The best ways to do so are via stem cuttings or leaf cuttings. I tend to prefer stem cuttings. But, both work very well.

One of the things I like about stem cuttings is it s fast and efficient. Plus it is easy to do without a lot of mess. Finally, you get a clone of the parent plant.

The latter is very important since you already know what colors and patterns you’re getting and not guessing whether the plant will come out as lovely as your old one or not.

To propagate your Peperomia Marble via stem cuttings:

Pick a stem or a few stems. You’re looking for healthy looking stems with at least 2 or 3 leaves on it. Also, check the length since you’ll need a cutting that’s around 3 to 5 inches long.
Sterilize a pair or pruning shears or scissors with rubbing alcohol. Make sure your cutting tool is sharp so you make one clean cut.
Remove the lower leaves from the stem.
Then, allow the cut end to dry. This will take at least a few hours.
Dip the cut end into rooting hormone.
While waiting for the stem cutting to dry, prepare a small container and fill it with fresh, well-draining potting mix.
When ready, plant the stem cutting into the soil.
Water the soil until it is moist. Avoid too much water that will cause the soil to get soggy.
Place the pot under bright, indirect light.

The cutting will take about 3 to 4 weeks to root.

You can likewise start the stem cutting in water and allow it root there. Then move it to soil once the roots grow to about an inch long.

How to Repot Peperomia Marble

Repotting is also another aspect of your Peperomia Marble that makes it low maintenance. The plant has a small root system. And, the plant itself does not grow to be huge either.

Thus, you’ll only need to repot on occasion.

The size of its root system also means it prefers smaller containers.

Thus, the only time you need to repot is once it outgrows its current pot. The sure sign of this is its roots coming out of the bottom holes of the container.

When you do repot, move up a pot size only. Going much larger can put the plant at risk of overwatering since the volume of the soil will increase.

Since you’ll only be repotting every few years, I’ve found that it is good practice to refresh the top soil annually.

Toxicity

The plant is not toxic to people or pets. This makes it safe to keep in containers in tables or other locations that young children, cats and dogs can reach.

Pests and Diseases

Peperomia Marble is not prone to pests or diseases. However, it becomes susceptible under stress and if not give the proper care as listed above. Thus, making sure it receives the right amount of sun, water and climate conditions is important.

if not, the most likely pest that will attack the plant is are spider mites. These are problematic crtitters that can spread. If not treated early, they can turn into infestations and affect your other plants as well.

On the other hand, fungal infections and root rot are common diseases that can affect your plant.

These are borne out of too much moisture. And, because of the plant’s love for humidity, it also increases the risk of them happening.

As such, watering is the most challenging part of caring for this houseplant. And, it is something to be very mindful of.

The best advise I can give you here is always err on the side of caution which is less water is safer than more water since the plant can quickly bounce back from lack of moisture. The same is not true for too much water.

Peperomia Marble Houseplant Care – Growing Peperomia Obtusifolia ‘Marble’