The 2022 Plant of the Year Is Adorable and Easy to Care for
"The baby rubber plant (Peperomia) is a succulent-like variety, originally found in the rainforests of South America," says Alfred Palomares, vice president of merchandising and resident plant dad for 1-800-Flowers.com. "It’s characterized by its thick upright stems with glossy, oversized leaves." So don’t be surprised if, like any proud plant parent, your feed winds up being taken over by photos of it—this plant is pretty dang cute.
And as mentioned before, baby rubber plants are easy to take care of. "It’s considered a beginner’s plant because its succulent leaves retain moisture, and the plant only needs to be watered when the top inch of soil is dry to the touch. This typically ranges from once a week in the summer to up to every two weeks in the winter," Palomares explains. He adds that they do best in indirect sunlight, and prefer temps in the 65- to 75-degree range.
Basically, just don't stick it in direct sunlight and give it some water and you're pretty much good to go. If you want to go the extra step and make your baby rubber plant super happy, Palomares says to use a humidifier or a pebble tray filled with water—especially in the winter—because it enjoys humidity.
Once you have one baby rubber plant, it's pretty easy to make more of them (or, in plant terms, propagating), Palomares says. "The plant grows multiple 'pups,' which can be cut and replanted to produce new plants." Adorable.
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