Peperomia is a wonderful and popular plant, and if you look at its wonderful fleshy leaves, you might ask yourself – is peperomia a succulent?
Do you care for this plant as you would for other succulents?
What are succulents really?
Which plants are they really? You might think that succulents are a group of specific family or genera of plants (like one could say for palms, cacti, or similar), but that is not the case.
Succulent is a plant that has a set of specific characteristics; it has parts that are thickened, fleshy and engorged. The purpose of this is to retain water better. All of that helps these plants thrive in areas with arid climates (lacking water) and drier soil. Succulents do not belong to one plant family.
Many, but not necessarily all, plants from one family can be succulents. Most popular plants from this group come from different families.
So, are peperomias succulents?
The answer is… As you probably imagined, the answer is no and rarely yes. There are over 1400 different Peperomia species.
While most are succulent-like, having many characteristics a true succulent would have, there aren’t many that can be described as true succulents. The succulent-like peperomias are the ones you see in the store. They are still easy to take care of.
You will rarely find a true one in store as they aren’t as popular. They are also harder to cultivate.
What does succulent-like mean?
It can mean easier care. Most peperomias fall into this category, they have parts that are thickened and fleshy and they do retain water to some extent.
Their succulent-like characteristics help them survive drier conditions, and they will forgive you for forgetting to water them here and there. But unlike succulents, they won’t tolerate dry conditions for longer periods. This still makes them great plants for beginners.
When the soil is dry for too long, they will drop their leaves. This way sending a signal to the owner it is time to water. As soon as you notice the leaves dropping, water the plant. Handy isn’t it? They really make it hard for you to forget to water them.
Which Peperomias are Succulents?
These are some of the plants that are often considered to be succulents. The stores often mark them as such too.
Peperomia graveolens
This one is one of the most common peperomias that you can get in stores and that is considered very succulent like.
Peperomia ferreyrae
Considered a succulent, this one is another plant that you will frequently spot in nurseries.
Peperomia Clusiifolia
Ginny is a very sturdy peperomia, with firm fleshy leaves that are fairly efficient at retaining water. The leaf colors make this one really stand out.
Peperomia vs Succulent Care – some basics
Peperomias in general require more frequent watering than a true succulent does.
Both hate over watering.
True succulents tolerate bright direct light, while peperomias prefer indirect bright light.
Both can become leggy if they don’t receive enough light.
Both do well in both high humidity and low humidity. However, succulents prefer drier conditions, while most peperomias prefer higher humidity.
We think both are pretty.
