Native to Bolivia, the beautiful Peperomia Napoli Nights, is a dark-colored Peperomia variant with silver iridescent leaves, an appearance that earns aesthetic points for the plant.
There are over 1000 species of Peperomia plants out of which I am guilty of owning quite a few—something I take pride in. It is genuinely difficult to resist these absolutely beautiful greens sometimes, right?
Well, if you are also guilty of using up all the space available and then regretting not planning the spatial layout first, the Peperomia Napoli Nights are going to be perfect for you!
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Peperomia Napoli Nights Care
Peperomia plants, in general, don’t grow a lot past a maximum of 12 inches (30 cm), which makes it easy for you to place them just about anywhere! Just make sure that they receive moderate water, medium humidity and are kept under indirect sunlight, and these plants will grow slowly without much maintenance. These plants naturally have a slow growth rate, which, combined with the easy-to-fit size, really makes it one of the most convenient options for your personal garden space. They thrive at temperatures not exceeding 65°-75°F (18-24℃) and no lower than 50°F (10℃).
Here’s all you need to know to tend to the Peperomia Napoli Nights.
Soil
Peperomia Napoli Nights is the kind of plant that thrives in well-draining soil. A soil with plenty of intergrain space for drainage of excessive moisture is best suited for this plant.
When you are preparing a potting mix for the Peperomia Napoli Nights at home, the regular potting plant mix should serve the purpose just fine. But, I would suggest you add some perlite to the mix—this will work out great for the plant as it will make the soil more porous.
If available at home, you could also try using loam or sand—the only requirement is that potting mix should be composed of substances that help to loosen the soil and allow proper drainage of excess water.
Saturated soil is not recommended when it comes to plants like the Peperomia Napoli Nights.
Light
Most peperomia plants are well suited to grow under medium to bright indirect sunlight. Direct sunlight can be very harsh on your plant and cause the leaves to turn yellow and/or wilt as well as lose their signature silver patterns.
So the best course of action for you would be to place the Peperomia Napoli Nights in an east or west-facing window where it can find plenty of indirect sunlight.
These plants can survive in less bright light than a lot of other Peperomia varieties, but medium to bright light still works the best.
Whatever you do, just make sure that there is no constant exposure to very intense, direct light. Indirect sunlight is the key to preserving the Peperomia Napoli Nights’ loveliness!
Watering
The Peperomia Napoli Nights plant does not require much watering! An interesting fact about the Peperomia Napoli Nights plant is that it has semi-succulent leaves—which means that these plants can retain the water they need. So you don’t have to water them too often.
The first sign of overwatering is when you notice that the leaves are getting squishy to touch. Excessive watering and stagnant water tend to damage Peperomia Napoli Nights.
While a 1 or 2 reading on a moisture probe is dangerously dry for this plant’s tolerance, you should let the first two layers of the soil feel dry between two consecutive waterings of the plant.
If you don’t have a moisture probe at your disposal, just feel the topsoil between your fingers to make sure it is dry before you go in with the next round of watering.
Peperomia plants grow most rapidly during the summer, so in winters, the plant might need even less water.
Temperature
The Peperomia Napoli Nights is native to South and Central America and most commonly grow as undergrowth—so emulating these climate and environmental conditions is essential to the growth and development of this plant. Naturally, the plant would do completely fine in high temperatures, and it would be quite risky to let the temperature that the plant is being reared in go below 60℉(16℃).
In fact, the warmer it gets, the better it is for your plant! Just keep in mind that humidity is also an important factor and while it is completely okay to go for a higher temperature, make sure that the air doesn’t get intolerably dry for the Peperomia Napoli Nights.
Cooler temperature can also affect the way the soil remains moist or dries out, by the way. So different temperatures will require you to change your watering schedule accordingly.
Humidity
Peperomia variants love humidity and they grow best in medium level humidity. Don’t fret too much over the Peperomia Napoli Nights’ humidity requirements— as most rooms have just about the right level of humidity indoors, for the plant to thrive in—so it shouldn’t be too difficult to arrange for an adequate level of humidity for your plant.
However, if you live in an area with less humidity, or there is low humidity in the air, you can always use a humidifier, if possible.
For example, a tray with pebbles in the water helps in trapping the humidity, or maybe you could try misting your plant every alternate day.
A point to take into consideration is that heating or air conditioning systems can contribute to unnatural dryness inside a room, which can affect the growth of your plant negatively.
Keeping your plant away from air conditioning systems is advisable to keep it happy and healthy!
Fertilizer
Almost all plants from the Peperomia family can grow without any external nutrition. The Peperomia Napoli Nights, too, is no exception to this. The growing season, which lasts from spring to summer approximately, is when your plant will manifest the most rapid growth. This is about the only time that you may add fertilizers to these plants if you deem it fit, but that too shouldn’t be more than once every couple of weeks.
Ideally, once a month during the growing season should be sufficient. During the winter months, you don’t have to bother with feeding your Peperomia Napoli Nights plant at all!
To fertilize your plant, just grab a bottle of medium strength fertilizer.
But remember to dilute the solution by following the instructions—as, take it from someone who has learned from enough gardening-related mistakes already, diluting the fertilizer is essential to the development of the plant.
Growth and Potting
Peperomia plants collectively have a very slow rate of growth. They grow to a maximum height of about a foot, which makes them super adorable and very easy to put pretty much anywhere, as I said earlier.
You genuinely don’t have to worry about switching your plant from one pot to another primarily because your plant will not be growing out of pots very often at all! It never hurts to be alert, though.
Peperomia plants are very roots-oriented because, in the wild, they grow on the barks of other slightly decaying trees and send their roots into the barks of the host to obtain nutrition and moisture.
This makes their roots grow comparatively quicker and if you notice that the roots are having a tough time remaining confined to the pot your plant is currently planted in, you could consider moving it to a larger pot.
Your plant will do perfectly fine in container gardens or a pot on your desktop, for months together, as long as your plant receives adequate light, of course!
Peperomia Napoli Nights propagation steps
The Peperomia Napoli Nights is a plant that can be propagated very easily because they develop from stem cuttings. A little piece from a grown Peperomia Napoli Nights plant should do the trick.
Simply snip a little part of the stem from a grown plant and put it in water. Soon, you will observe that the leaves have started to develop, and once the leaves have grown to about two inches, that’s your cue to replant the little piece into the potting soil mix that I talked about a while ago.
Another simple way to propagate the Peperomia Napoli Nights plant is by planting half a leaf straight into the potting mix you have prepared. And that is all that you have to do!
From that, little pieces will start to develop and grow into a whole new plant! However, make sure you get multiple cuttings because sometimes, you might just not get lucky with the snipping’s growth.
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Common problems with Peperomia Napoli Nights
To be fair, the Peperomia Napoli Nights will not pose a lot of problems for you. But from time to time you might want to check if you are facing one of these problems with your Peperomia Napoli Nights.
Leaves Wilting
Sometimes, overwatering can make the leaves wilt, or too squishy, or you might notice that growths like scab are forming on the leaves—fixing this will require you to review how often and how much you are watering your precious plant.
Losing too many bottom leaves
If you notice your plant losing its bottom leaves, it may be due to three reasons, namely— overwatering, a drop in the temperature, and over-fertilizing. Keeping them in check should resolve your issue.
Shedding
If there is a sudden shift in the temperature or the humidity around the plant, your plant may start shedding at an alarming rate.
This can also happen if you get the fertilizer wrong in some way—but you need not worry if your plant happens to lose one or two leaves! It’s completely normal for the Peperomia Napoli Nights to shed a few bottom leaves.
Pest control
Pests and the like don’t often attack the plant, but mealybugs are fairly common. If you notice white cottony blobs on the leaves, especially on the undersides, a regular pesticide spray or a neem-oil spray should come in handy.
Frequently asked questions on Peperomia Napoli Nights
Are Peperomia Napoli Nights difficult houseplants?
Not at all. These plants are low maintenance as long as they receive adequate indirect sunlight, moderate water, and enough humidity to thrive.
Can you grow Peperomia Napoli Nights under artificial light?
These plants do not do well under direct sunlight nor do they do well in extremely dark areas. In case you cannot provide it with indirect sunlight, artificial lighting is also a good option. They even do well under fluorescent lights, so you can hang them in your office as well.
Are Peperomia Napoli Night succulents?
While most Peperomias are succulents, the Napoli Nights have semi-succulent leaves, making them easy to maintain as they require moderate watering.
Are Peperomia Napoli Nights poisonous for pets?
Peperomia plants are known to be non-toxic in nature, so you can rest assured they are 100% safe for you and your pets. However, if you have your doubts and wish to be extra careful, you can always hang it, somewhere the plant has access to sunlight, out of your pets’ reach.
Conclusion
The Peperomia Napoli Nights is a relatively low maintenance plant, if you compare the care it needs to what a lot of other house plants demand. The propagation process is easy, and you can afford to be lax about the watering.
Its temperature, humidity, and soil requirements are also not that difficult to arrange for.
Naturally, this gorgeous house plant, with its silver patterned leaves and compact, convenient size, is something that I consider to be one of the easiest options for those who aren’t very confident with plants or are just beginners in this context.
Trust me, these tips are pretty much all you need for a healthy and happy plant to adorn your home!
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.