The plant of the year 2022 has been revealed as the baby rubber plant! Floral gift retailer, 1-800-Flowers, voted this low-maintenance plant as the variety to best sum up the mood as we head into the new year.
So if you're on the lookout for the best indoor plant for our post-lockdown lives, a baby rubber plant (Peperomia Obtusifolia) is a great option.
Plant of the year 2022
Alfred Palomares is Vice President of Merchandising at 1-800-Flowers.com. 'The symbolism behind the baby rubber plant is really about good fortune, good luck, and happiness,' he says.
'All those qualities tie back to the idea of 2022 being about joy.' The floral gift retailer describes the plant of the year 2022 as something unique and different, making it a wonderful plant gift for the plant lovers in your life.
The plant looks just like the fan-favorite rubber plant, but won't grow so tall. As its botanical name Peperomia Obtusifolia suggests, it's a member of the pepper family, a group of around 3,600 plants, including creeping hearts and the trailing jade plant.
The baby rubber plant can grow to around a foot in height
This new 'it' plant is said to represent optimism, perfect for the new year. But the best thing is that it's one of the best low maintenance indoor plants as it's so easy to care for. With succulent, moisture-retaining leaves, it will forgive you for leaving it while you go on vacation and will manage if the ongoing return to offices means we can't be such hands-on plant parents as we were before.
The baby rubber plant is native to the rainforests of South America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Florida. Its leaves are glossy and teardrop-shaped, and despite its name, it can grow to around a foot tall.
Its preferred conditions include indirect sunlight and a temperature of between 65 and 75˚F Fahrenheit (18 - 24˚C). In the wild, it grows in high humidity.
It's also considered one of the top plants for beginners, making it great option if you're just starting your own indoor garden ideas. Simply water it just once a week in the summer and every two weeks in winter, only when the soil is dry. Like many plants, it can suffer from aphids (find out how to get rid of aphids in our guide) as well as mealybugs, and will struggle with root rot if overwatered.
Out in the garden, the tulip has been named the flower of the year 2022, another plant associated with hope and happiness.
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