December 2021 - 17

MARKETING
GPN: Do you have any favorite
Peperomia angulata
'Raydiance'
Dümmen Orange
#SucculentSaturday (and if you
don't, you should as it trends
each week).
Andrew: Peperomia are durable,
with many variations of size and
color. They make a great starter
plant for new plant enthusiasts as
well as variety for the collectors.
GPN: How long has ForemostCo
been involved in the development
of peperomia?
Andrew: Foremost has been
working with peperomia since the
inception of our farm Vita Farms,
back in 2010. Since 2010, we
have slowly been adding new and
exciting varieties to our mix. We
now have 19 varieties that we offer.
GPN: And how about Little
Prince of Oregon? What has
been their experience in the
production of peperomia?
Maria: Little Prince of Oregon
has been growing peperomias
for many years, since
they began their Planter
Poppers program of 2-inch
tender succulents. They feel
they've popularized several
species via their
social media
platforms.
Peperomia
prostrata,
P. graveolans
and P. argyreia
are their top
three sellers.
They sell considerable numbers
of these to garden centers across
the country. They actively market
them on their website, social
media platforms, at trade shows
and through the broker networks
that sell their products.
GPN: What are your personal
favorite attributes of peperomia?
What makes it special?
Diane: The many, many looks
and types of peperomia! I was
semi-familiar with this plant
before but as we are digging into
it more and gathering information
for our website, I am amazed
at how many different varieties
there are.
Maria: I reached out to my
friend (and personal houseplant
doctor) Lisa Steinkopf, aka
The Houseplant Guru, to ask
her opinion and she said that
peperomia are a small plant
that stays a good size for
plant parents living in smaller
quarters. She also said they
have such a range of leaf colors
and textures - from wrinkled to
fuzzy to striped. Like Mark, she
mentioned there are succulent
types that take lower light, levels
not requiring the high sunlight
some of us may not have and
most succulents need. I think she
makes a good point here because
I think no matter your area of
expertise, you're always looking
for low light choices.
varieties of peperomia?
Andrew: I am particularly fond
of the selections of Peperomia
obtusifolia. These have nice wide
leaves, with differing variegated
coloration. They grow well without
having a stretched appearance.
Maria: So far, I'm a basic kind
of peperomia gal so luckily both
Mark and Lisa were eager to
share their favorite peperomias
with me. So now I have my " must
have " shopping list of peperomias!
Because 80+ plants in my condo
isn't enough. Houseplants are like
Lay's potato chips; you can't have
just one.
Lisa loves the P. obtusifolia
variegate but also the nonvariegated,
which can grow in lower
light level than most succulents.
She received a P. tetraphylla 'Hope'
at a trade show, and she said it was
offered inconsistent care and has
weathered it beautifully. I say, sign
me up for any houseplant that takes
a licking and keeps on ticking.
Mark recommends P. prostrate
'String of Turtles' for its trailing
habit and patterned leave. He
says P. argyreia or Watermelon
peperomia has beautiful striping
on fleshy leaves.
GPN: Have you seen any
changes or innovations in
peperomia in recent years?
Andrew: The main change
I have seen is the growing
demand for them. Because of this
demand, we have slowly added
new varieties to the mix over the
past 11 years. As the demand has
LEADS THE WAY
The America in Bloom national awards program brings out the best in hometowns
and empowers communities to excel. Lead the way and experience the benefits by
registering today.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION
HERITAGE PRESERVATION
PLANT BENEFITS
www.AmericaInBloom.org
GREENHOUSE PRODUCT NEWS 17
http://www.AmericaInBloom.org
December 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2021
