Peperomia kimnachii at San Marcos Growers





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Products > Plants - Browse By Region > Peperomia kimnachii

Peperomia kimnachii - Myron's Radiator Plant

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Habit and Cultural Information

Category: Succulent

Family: Piperaceae (Peppers)

Origin: Bolivia (South America)

Evergreen: Yes

Flower Color: White

Bloomtime: Infrequent

Height: <1 foot

Width: 2-3 feet

Exposure: Shade

Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs

Winter Hardiness: 30-32� F

Peperomia kimnachii (Myron's Radiator Plant) - An unusual sprawling succulent plant that grows at first slightly outwards and then lies horizontal or pendant over a pot with uprightly held 2 inch long bright green oblong-lanceolate revolute succulent leaves that are held in whorl-like clusters (pseudo whorls) spaced every 4 to 6 inches along a sparsely branching thick stem that reaches outward and then pendulously to 3 feet or more. Interestingly the reddish petioles continually realign leaves so only the undersides are directly exposed to light - a case of negative geotropism that is quite curious! At the branch tips arise multiple thin terminal spikes that are reddish below the tiny whitish flowers that are held tight to the spike in a way likened to a rat's tail and that are notably similar to the spadix of an aroid plant. These flowering spikes can be 5 to 10 inches long and emit a strong musty aroma. Plant in morning sun to light shade and irrigate occasionally to regularly. This plant has been hardy for us outdoors in Santa Barbara where it has experienced short duration temperatures down to 31� F. We have only grown this plant in a container so do not know how it would grow in the ground but it makes a very interesting plant trailing container plant in the shade in a mild climate garden. This plant was discovered near Coroico Bolivia at 4,600' during Huntington Botanic Garden trip in 1984 but was not described until the publication of the fall 2000 issue of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America Journal (V.72 N.5) as a new species by Werner Rauh in an article co-authored by Myron Kimnach, the past director of the Huntington Botanic Garden and namesake for this species. The name for the genus name comes from the Greek words 'peperi' meaning "pepper" and 'homoios' meaning "resembling" as the plants resemble the closely related true black pepper, Piper nigrum. We were fortunate to get this plant at the Ganna Walska Lotusland Exceptional Plant Auction in 2014.

This information about Peperomia kimnachii displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.