The Unique Tropical Houseplant That Stays Small And Is Easy To Maintain

If you're used to the temperate or cold climates of North America, the idea of growing tropical plants — those from regions set around the equator like Southeast Asia, South and Central America, Australia, or West and Central Africa — might feel like a difficult paradigm shift. However, it's often not as difficult as you might think. Considering the fact that geraniums are one of the most popular annual plants in the United States (with an African origin), it's easy enough to find tips on how to grow happy and healthy geraniums in containers if you live in a cold climate. Another good tropical houseplant that you're less likely to see in your neighbor's garden is the watermelon begonia (Peperomia argyraea).

Unlike geraniums, watermelon begonias originated in Brazil but have spread to other South American countries, like Ecuador and Venezuela. The herbaceous evergreen is a member of the pepper family, which fits a variety of ecological niches in tropical regions as herbs, vines, and whole trees alike, but the watermelon begonia is itself a bushy shrub. Though it's a slow-growing plant, watermelon begonia is considered particularly easy to raise. It's best suited for growth as a houseplant in the U.S., as it thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 through 12 (putting it at home in climates similar to Hawaii and Puerto Rico), which is why it makes a great houseplant. Not to mention, being small enough to fit on your desk with no fear of bringing in something that might be toxic to your pets.

There are over 1,000 species in the Peperomia family, and among them, the watermelon begonia requires less than a foot of space to grow, while reaching little higher than 8 inches tall. Having evolved in places with more intense tree cover, watermelon begonias are very shade-tolerant and only need about 2 to 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. This is another good reason why Peperomia argyraea is a great tropical plant to grow in places like your bedroom, where it's less likely to find the kind of full sun that other low-maintenance garden plants need to thrive. Still, you should at least keep your growing watermelon begonia in a room with lots of bright, indirect light.

While watermelon begonia is an easygoing plant in terms of necessary sunlight, you will want to be careful about the amount of water you give it. Although it's a tropical plant that naturally grows in rainforest environments, watermelon begonia prefers a soil with good drainage but stays moist; it's known to quickly develop root rot when overwatered. Watch for signs, such as leaves turning yellow or brown, or wilting as they begin to die back, and the roots turn black. However, this plant is intolerant of dry soil and will also wilt away if left with too little water. Ultimately, you need to strike the right balance of moderation in caring for your Peperomia argyraea.

One especially nice thing about raising watermelon begonia is that it's a perennial that takes incredibly well to indoor growing, so you can have a long-term piece of decor that doesn't need to be repotted very often. It also has no serious pests beyond the usual suspects, like flower-attracted aphids you might find yourself at war with. Thus, the main thing you're going to want to look out for in terms of growing watermelon begonia is diseases like root rot (and its associated fungal infection), which may cause you to repot the plant into sterile soil with infected stem cuttings removed and thrown away.

Tropical plants have been popular 'exotic' display pieces in temperate regions since the Victorian era, and getting your hands on some small, unique, and low-maintenance specimens like watermelon begonia is a great way to uphold that tradition. Caring for houseplants can have a psychological impact, lowering stress levels while even reducing your heart rate and blood pressure. It has even been found that keeping ornamental plants in your indoor environment can bolster a person's recovery after major events like surgery. There are plenty of good reasons to jump on a tropical houseplant, and watermelon begonia might be one of the best to consider bringing into your home.