My favorite houseplant is the one I haven’t killed. This is my true confession: I’m pretty rough on houseplants. Over the years, I bounced between neglectfulness and smothering of the indoor plants in my care, despite having a Master Gardener certification. I just never managed to get it right.
Until a few years ago, I think it was the pandemic that did it. I spent more time in my home and I could, for the first time, truly focus on the plants that grew indoors. I can report that five years into my indoor plant revival, I’m now the proud parent of a ZZ plant, several golden pothos, and a sansevieria. True indoor plant nerds will notice that these are not the most challenging of species. In my defense, I should tell you that I have a challenging environment. My home is situated with a Southern exposure and a deep porch. Natural light is pleasant for humans, but not enough for light-loving houseplants. The plants that do best in my home need to be tough enough to handle my occasional forgetfulness in terms of watering, and be able to tolerate low light.
Puffed up by my success with the easy three mentioned above, I felt quite empowered to take on a new plant. Welcome peperomia, the friendship plant. I’ve kept this sweetie at my house for six months and she’s still alive. Thank you, everyone.
Peperomia, the Friendship Plant
I brought Peperomia ‘Spice is Nice’ by Proven Winners Leafjoy home from the GardenComm conference in Grand Rapids, Mich. We toured the Spring Meadows Nursery and got our pick of locally grown indoor plants to take home.
What I like about peperomia is that it can handle low light, and seems to tolerate my inconsistent watering habits. It doesn’t seem to mind the dry heated air from the vent overhead. I also like that it’s a “friendship plant”, meant to share with friends and family. I split mine with my college-bound daughter and now Peperomia II is making new friends at the University of Tennessee.
What’s your favorite indoor plant? Any recommendations for a low-light loving houseplant to add to my collection? Let me know in the comments.
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