[3] The plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

[4][5] The baby rubberplant is an evergreen perennial growing to 25 cm (10 in) tall and broad with cupped leathery leaves and narrow spikes of white flowers up to 12 cm (5 in) long, which grow in a shiny, winding manner and constitute the main decorative value of the plant.

[6] P. obtusifolia is often confused with Peperomia magnoliifolia, and some earlier botanists considered these two names merely synonyms for the same species.

[7] With a minimum temperature of 15 °C (59 °F), the baby rubberplant must be grown indoors in most temperate regions.

[4] In general, the baby rubberplant is a resistant plant, though it can have problems with aphids and mealybugs.