Let it Shine!

Peperomia polyboytra 'Raindrop"

Peperomia 'Raindrop' - Natural shine

            Peperomia polybotrya ‘Raindrop’ is a solid foliage houseplant from the past.  Its current claim to fame is that it looks like the Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides).

            To get indoor gardeners to pay attention, we need the dominant characteristic to be obvious.

            It can survive in very low light, a great feature to give long life as a decorative plant.  But if you don’t notice it, you’ll never find out.

            Plants with shiny leaves are somewhat suspect --- Did you shine those leaves?  Did you spray it with leaf shine?

            With Peperomia ‘Raindrop’, shine is what you get.  It will be its dominant feature.  All its other desirable qualities will be apparent later.

            Many customers just want some no-nonsense greenery.  Why are Pothos and Philodendron so popular?  They just live, no matter what.  ‘Raindrop’ will do this, too.

            Costa Farms, the largest foliage producer in the United States, is promoting this plant in their foliage collections.  They have their production, I have mine.

            When there was a frantic demand for this plant two years ago, I found there was no supply.  I was fortunate to find a tissue culture lab that would take on this project. The media protocol was not known. Now, two years later, we have plantlets coming out as bushy liners that can be grown on for the houseplant market.

            And guess what --- they have shiny leaves.

            Peperomia ‘Raindrop’ is a much better plant than Chinese Money Plant.  It is upright and sturdy, doesn’t go flat with drought and lives.

            Will it catch fire like Pilea peperomioides?  We won’t know until you have one and you tell your friends.

            Let it shine!

What will we do with them?

Peperomia polybotrya 'Raindrop" --Everywhere.

Right now, there are so few Peperomia polybotrya ‘Raindrops’ that nobody even knows that they exist.

But what if tissue culture propagation is successful such that an infinite supply suddenly becomes available.  It might happen.

          ‘Nothing is sold unless it has a name and a use’

I want the name to be Peperomia ‘Raindrop’.  The dominate player in the market will influence the name and what becomes accepted through common use.

The leading ‘use’ for ‘Raindrop’ will be as a low light houseplant.  It is sturdy and has shiny leaves.  It should be able to take its place by other houseplant standards like Pothos, Philodendron or Ferns.

If you follow the Law of Focus, then one use---- houseplant----should be enough.

However, the most dominate segment of the horticulture industry is Spring Garden and Patio Plants.  And more and more gardens are in the shade.

What if we made a planter with ‘Raindrops’ and Begonias?

If Peperomia ‘Raindrop’ could get in the Spring market, we will need a lot of them.

Why are we holding back?

Peperomia polybotrya 'Raindrop'

            The phenomenon of the Chinese Money Plant has gotten a lot of ‘Press’.  Many in the plant world have followed the rapid rise of Pilea peperomioides and tried to explain it.

            Indoor plant lovers published pictures on social media and the demand spiraled up.  The real shortage of availability fed the instinct of ‘Get it before its gone’.  With demand chasing limited supply, the prices moved up, which just made it more desirable.

            There is a similar plant, Peperomia polybotrya‘Raindrop’ out there waiting for its chance to zoom.

            Experienced plant collectors all say it’s a better plant than Chinese Money.  It has a sturdy stem with coin-shaped shiny leaves.  It’s the perfect houseplant.  It can live in very low light, doesn’t mind being a little dry and will branch and make shiny, green leaves.

            So, why hasn’t it caught fire?  The supply is very limited, but that didn’t stop Pilea.

            Why are we holding back?

            Peperomia ‘Raindrop’ needs to be promoted in every possible way.  Garden Centers need to promote it when the they have plants for sale.  Being temporarily sold out increases desire.

            This is a legitimate, easy houseplant.  Those who have one will tell others.

What should we call it?

Peperomia polybotrya

       "If it doesn’t have a name and a use, you will never sell it”

     “Botanical names are mandatory for plant science; Common names are necessary for marketing plants”

            Pilea peperomioides would have not had its success without common names of ‘Chinese Money Plant’ or ‘The Friendship Plant’.  These names are tied to the folklore of this obscure foliage houseplant.

            The next internet wonder after Pilea peperomioides could be Peperomia polybotrya.  Initially, and probably in the future, the two will be confused.  Plant collectors who know both plants, tell me that they like the Peperomia much better.  It is bigger, more upright, less floppy and has shiny leaves.  It is a low light plant, less phototropic (doesn’t grow toward the light), is self-branching and is more durable.

            But what to call it?

            An internet search comes up with ‘Owl’s Eye’ and ‘Raindrop’.

            Each leaf has a round dot with radiating lines out from it.  I liked ‘Owl’s Eye’, at first, because older leaves had distinct radiating lines and I could see the connection to an Owl’s eye.  Younger leaves don’t show this.

            ‘Raindrop’ seems to fit better.  You have the dot which could be where the raindrop hit the concave leaf and the splash radiated out onto the shiny leaf.

            Will the rage be: “Do you have a ‘Raindrop’ plant? --- It’s similar to the ‘Chinese Money Plant’, but better”

Peperomia polybotrya 'Raindrop'