Peperomia Bicolor

Names and identity

The species is Peperomia obtusifolia; “Obtipan” is part of the cultivar name on the tag. RHS lists the full name 'Obtipan Bicolor'.

The USPP29598P3 breeder record describes green-leaved 'Obtipan' as a cross between two unnamed P. obtusifolia cultivars. The separate history of the Bicolor selection is unrecorded.

Purchase and label evidence

Purchased at Carlson's Greenhouses on September 20, 2026, in a nursery basket reported as six inches wide. The tag names Carlson's as grower and reads “Peperomia obtipan Bicolor basket”, “bright, indirect light”, and $14.99.

This plant is P31 / #7 / Houseplant-03.

Last confirmed floor placement and planned pots

The last recorded location for P31 and P32 is the room-side floor near the money tree, on September 20, 2026. Both nursery pots are reported as six inches wide and full of growth. Two Amazon Basics eight-inch pots with drainage holes are available for repotting; compare the root balls with the new pots before increasing pot size. One pot is decorated, with its plant assignment unrecorded.

The proposed medium is airy, perlite-containing greenhouse potting mix blended with Molly's Succulent Mix; the ratio is undecided. Nursery-pot depth, drainage, existing medium, and root condition still need inspection. The planned repots and living-room move have no completion record.

The equipment inventory lists the Bamworld Nature stools. Their delivery and assembly are unconfirmed.

September 21 living-room plan

The September 22 plan places P31 / #7 Peperomia Bicolor and P32 / #8 Tricolor oyster plant side by side at the north-facing double glass sliding door: P32 closest to the glass, P31 raised on the smallest Bamworld stool, and the FECiDA 54 W six-tube light clipped to a shelf. The smallest stool is seller-listed at 7.8 inches; actual leaf heights and lamp clearances are unmeasured. This is a separate location from the money tree's cactus-room windowsill.

For this layout, try the FECiDA alone for 12 daytime hours first. Two Juhefa three-head fixtures, each seller-rated about 10 W total, are available to fill dim areas if repositioning the six FECiDA heads leaves gaps. A separate Diivoo is optional; its input power is unverified. Installation, settings, and canopy coverage remain unrecorded. See the equipment inventory for exact models and the living-room measurement trial for checking coverage.

Bright indirect light remains the goal. NC State's low-light tolerance note applies especially to non-variegated cultivars. For Bicolor, measure light at the actual leaves and watch the spacing and shape of subsequent growth when adjusting the setup.

Origin and form

Peperomia obtusifolia is a tropical American perennial in the pepper family. Its glossy leaves broaden toward their rounded tips, cup slightly, and attach by short stalks to fleshy branching stems. The recessed midrib is a useful detail to look for on a leaf. Despite the thick foliage, the roots tolerate neither persistently wet nor very dry soil.

Care in this collection

Reported room conditions on September 20, 2026 were approximately 45–50% relative humidity and temperatures in the 70s °F. These are approximate observations, not a daily minimum/maximum record. On September 27, the owner confirmed this plant had just been watered at the September 20 pickup. The exact watering time and any nutrients in that water are unknown; that completed nursery watering does not establish present root-ball moisture.

For the proposed living-room trial, 4–6 DLI over a constant 12-hour light period is approximately 93–139 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹. A 12-hour daytime trial matches the listed timers on the FECiDA, Juhefas, and optional Diivoo. Align whichever lights are used to the same window; the applied setting is unrecorded. The DLI comparison includes lamps plus daylight, so these PPFD equivalents are not an extra LED quota on top of window light. For the recommended first trial, measure the FECiDA alone after dark at this plant's actual leaf height, then remeasure all selected fixtures together if adding fill. Compare across the foliage, and assess variable daylight separately; a single noon reading multiplied by the timer is not a measured daily integral. Acclimate gradually and judge new growth; neither the starting nor the optional settled range establishes a minimum, optimum, or burn threshold. Measure the living-room conditions separately from the cactus display.

Watch points and propagation

• Check the undersides, leaf axils, stems, and basket before placing the new plant among the established collection.
• Persistently wet mix, soft stems, or declining roots need inspection. A soft leaf alone does not distinguish thirst from root damage.
• Pale or scorched patches after a move warrant reassessing exposure; elongated, weak new growth can warrant a gradual increase after root and moisture checks.
• Establish the purchased plant before taking cuttings. RHS recommends softwood stem cuttings rooted in free-draining medium or in water before potting; NC State also lists leaf cuttings for this species. Check the new plant's leaf pattern as it develops.

Sources

• Owner clarification, September 27, 2026: watered at the September 20 pickup, with nursery fertilizer use unreported. The requested Foliage-Pro starting plan distinguishes the historical manufacturer dilution from the collection's gentler frequency; no feed is recorded as completed.

• Iowa State Extension: supplemental-light considerations and University of Minnesota Extension: indoor lighting: generic foliage DLI categories, PPFD conversion, and suggested light duration. The collection's Bicolor ranges remain an inference, not published cultivar thresholds.

• Collection observations and plans, September 21–22, 2026: north-facing living-room layout, P31 stool/P32 glass-side positions, and FECiDA purchase. The equipment record includes the FECiDA, two Juhefas, and optional Diivoo; light ratings are seller specifications, and installation is unconfirmed.

• Collection observations, September 20, 2026: six-inch nursery pots on the room-side floor; two eight-inch Amazon Basics destination pots, one decorated; airy greenhouse mix containing perlite; approximately 45–50% RH and temperatures in the 70s °F. Root condition and nursery feeding history are unrecorded.

• Owner's September 20, 2026 acquisition photograph with Carlson's Greenhouses grower tag and purchase confirmation: purchase date, exact nursery wording, bright-indirect instruction, displayed $14.99 price, and purchase basket.

• RHS: Peperomia obtusifolia 'Obtipan Bicolor': recognized horticultural name and cultivar record.

• USPP29598P3: Peperomia plant named 'Obtipan': breeder account, same-species parents, and distinction from an unsupported interspecific-hybrid claim.

• NC State Extension: Peperomia obtusifolia: tropical origin, form, bright indirect light, sensitivity to wet and very dry soil, and propagation.

• RHS: How to grow peperomia: partial drying between waterings and condition-led watering.