Baby Rubber Plant is a tropical evergreen herbaceous shrub that is erect and bushy and grows up to 2 feet tall. It is native to South America, and it is a member of the Piperaceae or pepper family. The glossy cupped, obovate leaves on branched, distinct stems and petioles that are usually tinged pink are key ID features. Leaf attachment is a sub-peltate. This plant tolerates low light for several months without stress, especially non-variegated cultivars. It is intolerant of wet soil, very dry soil, or very drafty sites. This plant prefers bright indirect light, dry soil, and medium to low relative humidity. Sunlight that is too strong or direct will burn the leaves. This plant is commonly used as an interior specimen or desktop plant. Quick ID Hints: Leaves are obovate, cupped, glossy Stems are distinct and branched Petioles and stems are usually tinged pink and red Inflorescence is a cream-colored spike Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This plant has no serious pest or disease problems. Overwatering is a big problem and causes the leaves to yellow, and it can lead to root rot. Monitor for mealybugs, spider mites, and whiteflies. VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Houseplants, Succulents, and Cacti," a plant identification course created in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Peperomia .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple, obovate, obtuse to emarginate, cuneate, entire, concave, coriaceous, waxy, glossy green, and sub-peltate. They can grow 2-6" long and have pinnate venation, the midrib indented into the leaf surface. Petioles are short, less than an inch in size, often pink or red, and somewhat winged. The leaves are almost as thick as those of succulents. They are often variegated or have red leaf margins.
Flower color
Cream/Tan; Insignificant; White
Flower form
Spike
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Flowers are white-cream in color and minute, having no petals. They are crowded on an erect spike (spadix) that is 3.5-5" long. Flowers have 2 stamens and 0 perianths.
Fruit color
Insignificant
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Inconspicuous
Stem color
Green; Pink; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Stems are branched, stoloniferous, and ascend up to 6". May be reddish to pinkish in color and are succulent in texture.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Florida to Tropical America
Distribution
Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Florida, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, and Venezuela
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Hanging Baskets; Houseplants
Design feature
Specimen
Garden tags
#interiorscape #evergreen #fantz #non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #houseplant #hsc #hsc-f #herbaceous perennial #low maintenance #showy leaves #pet friendly #perennial #variegated