Sign in Start free
Species library › Peperomia › Peperomia zarzalana
Terrarium Partly documented

Peperomia zarzalana

A herbaceous peperomia of the warm, seasonally dry inter-Andean valleys of Colombia, especially the Cauca valley, with a few records from Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru. Unlike most terrarium peperomias it grows in tropical dry forest, xerophytic scrub and on rocky roadbanks, so it wants bright light, warmth and a medium that dries between waterings.

At home, aim for
Day Warm-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

Tropical dry and very dry forest, thorny xerophytic scrub, open shrubland, riverside forest and secondary growth in the Cauca, Dagua and Magdalena valleys. Collectors found it on open rocky banks and roadcuts, on the ground among scrub, and sometimes on tree trunks in taller forest.

The Colombian plant catalogue gives about 680–1100 m. Herbarium records run from about 500 m to 1600 m, with a median near 1000 m; a few records at 2400–3150 m are probably mislabelled or misidentified.

Colombia (Cauca, Dagua and Magdalena valleys)Western VenezuelaEcuadorPeru

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

Grow Peperomia zarzalana? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

Start free Sign in

More Peperomia

Peperomia caperata Peperomia clusiifolia Peperomia quadrifolia Peperomia deppeana Peperomia angustata Peperomia enervis Peperomia pellucida Peperomia aristeguietae Peperomia hunteriana Peperomia leptostachya Peperomia versicolor Peperomia duendensis All 1559 →

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.