Generally speaking, native Hawaiian plants have not been cultivated for ornamental purposes. But if you have a desire to put a native plant in a pot and enjoy it indoors or on your lanai, you couldn’t do better than to choose ‘ala’ala wai nui or Peperomia. Peperomia is the genus name for an herb with 25 native Hawaiian species, about half-a-dozen of which grow in the Volcano area.
Peperomia is a mostly small, succulent plant with variations in leaf shape and color. Some are bi-color with a green leaf on top and an under-leaf of red. Another striking feature is the spikes that shoot up from the stem ends. These spikes are covered with flowers so minute you need a magnifying glass to appreciate them. The ripe fruits are easier to see as they are black and easily come off when touched. This makes for easy spreading around the forest floor where it acts as a ground cover. To start this plant on your own forest floor, you can spread some spikes with black seeds on the ground or a rotting log or a mossy rock. Another method is to put a pot of Peperomia in a likely spot for a few years and let nature takes its course.
To easily pot Peperomia, use moist, not wet, well-draining potting soil. A clay or cement pot works best. Being a succulent, Peperomia is wet-feet averse. If starting from seed, just lay down a few of those fruiting spikes nestled in the soil and keep in partial shade. If a friend is willing to share, you can take a cutting with a few nodes and nestle those in your potting medium. Good luck!
Comments