#piperales

[dendroica]

Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense (by me)

[friendsrpbg]

J20170223-0055—Aristolochia californica—RPBG by John Rusk Via Flickr: Aristolochia californica—California pipevine. Host to the beautiful pipevine swallowtail butterfly (Batus philenor), whose larvae feeds on leaves, and pollinated by yucky fungus gnats (Mycetophilidae) attracted to the plant by an unpleasant odor. Pipevine swallowtail larvae feed on other Aristolochia species thoughout the New World, as well. Photographed at Regional Parks Botanic Garden located in Tilden Regional Park near Berkeley, CA

[dendroica]

Wild Ginger (by me)

[gallimenagerie]

The secretive and fuzzy flowers of Asarum canadense, Canadian Wild Ginger. It took me a woefully long time to realize these existed beneath all of those leaves.

[partial-sun]

Peperomia obtusifolia

My own personal Peperomia obtusifolia actually belongs to my mother, and was just bought on a whim because she thought it was cute and it said that it liked shade and being kept indoors. Peperomia obtusifolia isn’t really a TRUE succulent itself but comes from a genus that contains succulent plants but also a lot of non-succulent plants. Peperomia obtusifolia appears more like a succulent to me than some other things that ARE technically succulents (I’m looking at you Beaucarnea recurvata…) with it’s naturally very shiny thick green leaves. And I mean, I know this is a succulents only blog but there are other Peperomia out there that are succulents, so we can pretend for today. Plus I think this one is the best looking Peperomia of all of them so…

General Info

Peperomia obtusifolia is an evergreen perennial with dark green, leathery, spoon shaped, and cupped leaves. When compared to many succulents and things that are usually talked about on partial-sun​… Peperomia obtusifolia is VERY different, even being related to pretty different other species and being in a genius that is located in a very different part of the “tree of life”. Peperomia obtusifolia is native to Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean, and needs very warm temperatures year round, making it a houseplant only option for much of the world. Peperomia obtusifolia also enjoys bright to full shade with high humidity, even though it can live in less humid areas. Most importantly Peperomia obtusifolia needs a soil with a lot of organic material, especially peat, because it grows in very rich soil in the wild and that needs to be carried over when it’s being kept indoors. It also likes regular waterings, but like succulents, doesn’t like to be kept in standing water and even let dry out a little bit before being watered again. Unfortunately Peperomia obtusifolia is vulnerable to a plethora of diseases that usually end with a dead plant, but as long as you keep it in good healthy condition and remove dead matter and don’t heavily overwater, it should be okay. I would recommend Peperomia obtusifolia to anyone out there who maybe doesn’t have the right conditions or traits to properly take care of more traditional succulents and give this one a go instead. 

Characteristics

Native to: Florida, Mexico, and the Caribbean

Height: 12 max,

Spread: 2 foot max, clumps with age

Hardiness: to 59°F+

Light Requirements: Full to Partial Shade

Water Requirements: Moderate (Heavy for succulents)

Flowers: yellow/white and unimpressive in summer

Other: Shade lover, shiny foliage, water lover, faux succulent.

Species Classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Angiosperms

Clade: Magnoliids

Order: Piperales

Family: Piperaceae

Genus: Peperomia

Species: P. obtusifolia

[dendroica]

Wild Ginger (by me)

[friendsrpbg]

N20150211-0009—Aristolochia californica—RPBG on Flickr.

Aristolochia californica. FWIW in fiction, Sherlock Holmes smoked a churchwarden, never a Dutchman's pipe.

[dendroica]

Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) (by Dendroica cerulea)

Wild ginger is one of the few brown wildflowers. Its flowers lie prostrate along the ground underneath the heart-shaped leaves. The roots smell and taste like ginger but are best avoided because they contain carcinogens.