A huge, easy genus. Peperomia belongs to the pepper family, Piperaceae, and is one of the largest genera of flowering plants, with well over a thousand species spread across the tropics of the Americas, Africa and Asia (Plants of the World Online, n.d.). The center of that diversity is tropical America. They are grown for their foliage; the flowers are slim, upright, rat-tail spikes that are easy to overlook.

Built like succulents. Many peperomias grow as epiphytes in the wild, perched on bark and rotting logs with very little soil, and most carry thick, water-storing leaves. That is the single most useful thing to know about them: they behave more like succulents than like typical tropical houseplants, and they want to dry out between waterings.

The genus is unusually varied in habit, from upright and bushy to trailing and rosette-forming, so there is a peperomia for almost any spot. The care, happily, is much the same across all of them.

Light. Peperomias want bright, indirect light: an east or west sill, or a step back from a brighter window. They will hold on in lower light, but growth stretches and any variegation fades, while hot direct sun scorches the leaves. Good light keeps them compact and colorful.

Water and mix. Treat them like succulents. The thick leaves store water, so let the top half of the mix dry before watering again, check by feel rather than by the calendar, and tip out whatever collects in the saucer. Pot them in a chunky, free-draining mix, even a cactus blend, in a pot with drainage; wet feet are what undo them.

Humidity, warmth and feeding. They take ordinary room humidity happily, though a boost helps in dry winter air. Keep them warm, 65 to 80°F (18–27°C) and above about 60°F (16°C). Feed lightly, a half-strength balanced feed through spring and summer, and expect slow growth that means you will rarely need to repot.