Wholesale Peperomia Program: Mercer Botanicals Story
7/14/2026
Whole Sale Peperomia Program:
“There’s a Peperomia for Everybody”
How Mercer Botanicals Built a Successful Soft Foliage Program
Mercer Botanicals has built a successful Peperomia program by combining consumer-friendly plants with reliable starter material from Foremost. In this customer story, CEO Maxwell Mercer explains why Peperomia is a strong fit for retail garden centers, how its diverse shapes, colors, textures, and low-maintenance care appeal to today’s indoor plant shoppers, and why high-quality cuttings and liners are essential for producing a consistent finished crop.
“I think there’s a Peperomia for everybody,” Maxwell Mercer, CEO of Mercer Botanicals, said.
For commercial foliage growers looking to expand their reach in retail garden centers, finding a crop that balances grower efficiency with consumer appeal is key to building a successful nursery catalog. In Central Florida, Mercer Botanicals has leveraged its soft foliage program to deliver versatile, low-maintenance indoor plants to retailers and consumers across North America.
In this customer story, Mercer shares why Peperomia has become a valuable part of the nursery’s foliage lineup, how the crop supports retail variety, and why reliable starter material from Foremost is essential to producing a consistent finished plant.
A Family Nursery Built on Foliage Growth
Wayne and Chris Mercer founded Mercer Botanicals in 1989, launching the business with just three acres of greenhouse space. Over the past several decades, the nursery has grown to more than 20 acres of covered production, distributing foliage throughout the United States and Canada.
That growth has been shaped by a clear focus: building a strong foliage offering that gives retail customers dependable, attractive, and consumer-friendly plants.
Why Mercer Botanicals Added Peperomia to Its Catalog
To help retail clients keep their shelves stocked with engaging, diverse options, Mercer Botanicals integrated a dedicated Peperomia program into its lineup.
“We started the Peperomia program because we were really looking for another item to introduce into our catalog that might help assist our customers fill their garden centers or whatever needs their customers may have,” Mercer said. “We thought it might be a great addition to our already great varieties that we have.”
For garden centers and retailers, variety matters. A strong foliage program needs plants that feel fresh on the bench, offer visual diversity, and remain approachable for shoppers. Peperomia helps meet that need with a wide range of shapes, sizes, colors, and textures.
What Makes Peperomia a Consumer-Friendly Plant?
The program quickly gained traction because Peperomia bridges the gap between experienced houseplant collectors and casual plant enthusiasts.
“I think the Peperomia makes a great product for the customer because it’s hardy,” Mercer said. “It’s low on pest pressures, not huge watering requirements, and it comes in a lot of great different shapes, sizes and colors.”
For garden centers, stocking accessible foliage is vital for converting first-time plant owners into repeat buyers. Easy-care plants help reduce hesitation at the point of sale and give shoppers confidence that they can be successful at home.
“Peperomias stand out to me because they’re just so easy and consumer friendly that it’s just an easy plant for people to take care of,” Mercer said. “We went through a period of time where there were so many different plants, and some of them were so hard, and it’s hard for new people to get into enjoying plants. And Peperomia is a great start.”
How Peperomia Supports Retail Variety, Color, and Texture
Adding the series to the nursery lineup provided an immediate boost to seasonal sales, particularly during the spring surge.
“It really broadened our variety to our customers, as well as different textures and colors and things that were very attractive to our customers,” Mercer said. “They’ve really been happy with the line and want us to continue.”
That range is one of Peperomia’s strongest commercial advantages. For retailers, the crop offers more than one look. It can support small-pot programs, indoor foliage assortments, impulse-buy displays, and collector-focused benches with a product that remains manageable and approachable for the consumer.
Why Commercial Growers Should Consider Peperomia
For other commercial greenhouses evaluating whether to start or expand soft foliage programs, the combination of distinct textures and straightforward care makes Peperomia a strong contender for bench space.
“To take on Peperomia, especially the series, would mainly be because it’s an easy plant that offers a lot of great diversity,” Mercer said. “Color and texture really kind of makes it an eye-catching product that the customer could enjoy.”
For growers, that balance is important. Peperomia is not just a visually interesting plant. It is a crop that can support retail needs while offering production predictability when supported by strong starter material.
How Long Does Peperomia Take to Grow Commercially?
Behind the scenes, producing consistent, market-ready soft foliage requires high-grade starting material and precise production planning. Crop turnaround times remain predictable from intake to retail delivery.
“Peperomia can take about three to five months, depending on the pot size and the spec required by the customer,” Mercer said.
That timeline gives growers the ability to plan around seasonal retail needs, customer specifications, and program timing. For retailers, the result is a finished crop that can arrive with the consistency needed to keep shelves stocked and displays looking strong.
Why Quality Cuttings and Liners Matter
Maintaining consistency begins with reliable unrooted cuttings and liners from Foremost.
“The process to grow a quality Peperomia starts with the cuttings,” Mercer said. “And that comes from Foremost. If we don’t get good quality cuttings from Foremost, then we’re never going to have a good finished product. Because we get such good product from Foremost, we’re able to give the best product available with limited effort on our end.”
For commercial growers, the quality of the finished crop begins before the plant reaches the bench. Clean, consistent, true-to-spec starter material helps reduce production challenges and supports a more reliable finished product.
Explore Foremost’s [Peperomia liners and unrooted cuttings](INSERT LINK) for soft foliage programs built around variety, consistency, and retail appeal.
Foremost as a Long-Term Foliage Partner
That level of reliability reflects a decades-long relationship focused on grower success and continuous program development.
“Foremost has been a great partner. We’ve partnered with them for decades now,” Mercer said. “It doesn’t matter whether they’re bringing us Peperomia, Aglaonemas or any other product. They always stand behind their product. They deliver a high-quality liner, unrooted cutting. Whatever we get from Foremost, we know that we’re getting a quality product that’s true to variety, true to spec, and we couldn’t ask for anything else.”
For Mercer Botanicals, Foremost is more than a supplier. The relationship supports program development, consistency, and confidence across multiple foliage categories.
Peperomia Program FAQ
Why is Peperomia a good plant for retail garden centers?
Peperomia is a strong option for retail garden centers because it is low-maintenance, consumer-friendly, and available in a wide range of shapes, sizes, textures, and colors. This makes it approachable for first-time plant buyers while still offering variety for experienced houseplant collectors.
Is Peperomia a good plant for first-time plant owners?
Yes. Peperomia is often a good choice for first-time plant owners because it has lower watering needs, generally manageable pest pressure, and an easy-care reputation. That makes it a practical entry point for consumers who are new to indoor plants.
Why should growers add Peperomia to a soft foliage program?
Growers can use Peperomia to add texture, color, and diversity to a soft foliage program. Its compact habit and broad variety range make it useful for retail shelves, garden center programs, and indoor foliage assortments.
How long does Peperomia take to grow commercially?
According to Maxwell Mercer, Peperomia can take about three to five months depending on pot size and the customer’s finished product specifications.
Why are quality Peperomia cuttings and liners important?
Quality cuttings and liners are essential because the finished crop depends on the starting material. Reliable Peperomia starter material helps growers produce a more consistent, market-ready finished plant.
The Future of the Peperomia Program at Mercer Botanicals
As customer demand for diverse indoor foliage expands, Mercer Botanicals plans to build on the momentum of the crop.
“The Peperomia program here at Mercer Botanicals will absolutely continue, given the popularity of it,” Mercer said. “It certainly is an ever-evolving market, and we have no idea what’s going to come next. But given the diversity, the amount that Foremost offers, I think it’s something that we could certainly grow even more.”
That future growth reflects the strength of a crop that meets multiple needs at once: grower efficiency, retail variety, and consumer confidence.
Build a Stronger Soft Foliage Program with Foremost
“Foremost has been such a great partner with Mercer Botanicals,” Mercer said. “They’ve offered such a wide variety of products to us over the years. They’re always invested in us. They’re interested in the success of the programs. They’re interested in the success of the business. They are a true foliage partner with us, and we couldn’t do it without them.”
Mercer Botanicals’ Peperomia program shows how the right crop, supported by reliable starter material and a strong supplier relationship, can help commercial growers expand their soft foliage offering with confidence.
Looking to expand your soft foliage program with reliable Peperomia starter material? Contact your Foremost sales representative to explore Peperomia liners, unrooted cuttings, and variety options for your next retail program.
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