In this guide you will find everything about Peperomia nivalis care and facts about the Snow Peperomia.
Peperomia nivalis Plant
Snow Peperomia is the common name for Peperomia nivalis.
A succulent member of the Piperaceae family, this plant offers both a flower and fragrance.
The Peperomia family consists of magnificient succulents with stunning flowers.
Peperomia nivalis is native to Peru. It can be grown as a climbing succulent.
Peperomia nivalis Takeaways
| Species | Peperomia nivalis |
| Synonyms | Snow Peperomia |
| Family | Piperaceae |
| Genus | Peperomia |
| Growth | Compact, spreading |
| Height | 0.7 feet |
| Width | 1 feet |
| Soil | Well-draining |
| Watering | Every 7-14 days |
| Light | Bright Indirect |
| Temperature | 68-80 °F (20-27°C) |
| Humidity | 40-60% |
| Fertilizer | Fertilize every 28 days in spring and summer |
| Propagation | Stem cuttings, leaf cuttings |
| Toxicity | Non-toxic to cats, dogs and humans. |
Table of Contents
Peperomia nivalis Care
To care for Peperomia nivalis provide well-draining soil and keep it under bright indirect sunlight at home. A temperature between 65 ° to 80 ° Fahrenheit (18-27 degrees Celsius) and a humidity of 40-60%. Fertilize monthly using a liquid fertilizer during spring and summer.
What Soil is best for Peperomia nivalis?
Use well-draining soil for Peperomia nivalis.
A cacti soil mix is an excellent choice as it encourages greater drainage action.
However, I use a combination of cactus soil, extra perlite, bark, and a little bit of clay. For me, this ensures that the mix drains instantly, and the roots of the Peperomia do not have to sit in water continually, which they hate!
I’ve also had success with using humus-rich soil. This locks in moisture and encourages better aeration.
What is the ideal Light for Peperomia nivalis?
Peperomia nivalis needs bright indirect light.
This is often conflicting advice compared to what some people believe about succulents.
The Nivalis can thrive in a medium or diffused light and even works exceptionally well under grow lights.
I find the peperomia Nivalis is great for when you have little room available on your main windows. I place my plant further away from the window where it does still get light, but not substantial direct amounts of it.
I have also placed a Peperomia nivalis under a grow light before and found that they respond well and enjoy it.
How often do you water the Snow Peperomia?
Water the Snow Peperomia every 7-10 days.
A typical issue when catering to a peperomia Nivalis is that of overwatering. I have seen so many Nivalis plants succumb to heavy-handed watering.
I find this to be a relatively common problem with other plants in the Peperomia genus.
The rule here is balance! Though I often campaign for underwatering rather than overwatering, Nivalis likes to sit on the fence! Preferring moist soil, it can take a little time here to work its needs out!
Ensure not to overwater your Nivalis and never leave it to soak in wet soil. Instead, keep the soil a little moist so that when you dip your finger in, it feels a bit damp.
When you notice your Nivalis edging towards this condition, this is time to water it.
Though individual home conditions play a role here, I find that during summer months, I water my peperomia Nivalis around once every 7 to 10 days. In winter, however, this drops considerably.
I give the pot a good soaking, using rainwater, from the top of the soil, waiting until the water runs right through. Then, I make sure it is fully drained before I return it to its pride of place.
What Temperature is best for Peperomia nivalis?
Peperomia nivalis grows best at temperatures that range between 65 ° to 80 ° Fahrenheit (18-27 degrees Celsius).
If the temperature is kept consistent and doesn’t drastically rise or fall, peperomia care is straightforward for most household environments, typically offering these figures.
How much Humidity does a Peperomia nivalis need?
Peperomias prefer a humidity level of around 40% to 60%.
But this is not practical for many indoor house plant owners, me included. Yet, speaking from personal experience, I find that this peperomia choice does not play up if you can’t quite match such humidity levels!
If you find your peperomia Nivalis needs a little more moisture in the air, consider using a small cheap humidifier. These are readily sold online and can offer instant humidity relief to many types of plants.
Fertilizer
Fertilize Peperomia nivalis once a month during the growing season in spring and summer. Even then, I limit this to once a month and then never throughout the winter season.
This is because if you over-fertilize or under-fertilize, you can cause irreplaceable damage to a peperomia Nivalis.
Use a liquid fertilizer with an NPK ratio fo 20-20-20.
Peperomia nivalis Growth
Undeniably, the peperomia Nivalis is a slow grower! This is, unfortunately, the plant from the peperomia group that will never really get any further than 8 inches (20 cm) in total!
So, when it comes to peperomia Nivalis care, provided you’re growing it in the best conditions, you can probably expect to see a Nivalis reach about 1 to 2 inches in height!
Potting
Another common placed mistake I often see plant owners making is regarding repotting. Some will take one look at their peperomia Nivalis and decide it needs a repot merely because it has slight signs of roots growing through.
This often then means potting up into a new one that is way too many sizes bigger in the hope that it will grow to the pot.
What I have learned about the peperomia Nivalis is that it loves being slightly pot-bound. Therefore, the longer you can leave it in its nursery pot or original pot that you purchased it in, the more it will thrive. It will also show promising signs of visible growth.
When you do find that it’s time for potting, the best peperomia Nivalis care will mean selecting the next size pot up to the one it’s in. And, certainly no more than two inches bigger than its current pot.
This will ensure you don’t shock your plant or create an environment whereby the roots will sit in an oversized pot that has ongoing wet soil.
How to Propagate Your Peperomia Nivalis – Step by Step Peperomia Nivalis Care
Peperomia Nivalis is relatively easy to propagate by using either leaf cuttings or stem cuttings. The ideal time to do this is throughout spring, as the plant is tender. It will also develop good roots by the middle of summer to make it through to the winter.
By propagating the peperomia Nivalis regularly, you can ensure a good collection of this plant throughout your home! Looking for the best stems and cuttings is also a great time to work on tidying up and pruning the plant.
For propagating peperomia Nivalis, I use some fresh new soil from the cacti mix used for potting up all my succulents.
Propagating Peperomia Nivalis by Soil:
- Choose a small pot.
- Select either those leaves or stems that seem the healthiest on the plant. Take around 2 – 3 of these.
- Place into your small pot a little of your cacti soil mix.
- Plant stems into the soil while resting the leaves on top of the soil.
- Cover the pot with a small plastic bag to keep the heat/moisture in.
- Place the pot near the window for indirect light, but not directly in front of it.
- Keep an eye on the growth process over the next few weeks, watering the soil accordingly, and removing the bag once some growth has been established. You should notice new growth quite quickly from the stems, while for the leaves, you will see callouses begin to form. For the leaf method, this takes a little longer.
- When the stems have begun to show good growth, you can transport them to the next size up nursery pot and grow on as you would do with your other peperomia Nivalis.
- When the leaves have formed a fair amount of callouses, you can also repot them into a small-sized nursery pot. Then continue to treat them as you would do an established peperomia Nivalis
(Note: Some people like to dip their Peperomia nivalis cuttings into a rooting hormone before beginning this propagation process. This is something I occasionally use as it can give your cuttings a better and indeed faster start)
Common Problems with Peperomia Nivalis
Though I haven’t personally encountered any problems with my Peperomia nivalis, you may want to look out for several common issues. These include overwatering and mealybugs. Yet, both can be prevented, if not easily remedied if spotted in time.
Overwatering
Overwatering peperomia Nivalis can lead to leaf loss, wilting, and protrusions. One of the more sensitive Peperomia plants, the Nivalis will show its dislike of an overwatered soil-base through losing a few leaves at the bottom of the plant.
The leaves may also begin to wilt or, in some cases, show signs of scab-like raised protrusions on them.
But this can be solved instantly by allowing the plant to dry out, although not thoroughly, and being more careful to get the balance right the next time.
If you continue to over water in response to these issues, there’s a chance you could lose your peperomia Nivalis to root rot.
Curled Leaves on Peperomia nivalis
A Peperomia nivalis with curled leaves may be the start of mealybugs. Though an irritating common sight for indoor plant owners, mealybugs need to be kept in check as they can do irreplaceable damage if left to their own devices.
Though most succulents experience very little in the way of pests, according to the World of Succulents, mealybugs are the most common pests when it comes to succulents. These annoying intrusions often develop from insufficient plant care.
The best practice here is to regularly maintain your peperomia Nivalis. This means inspecting both the leaves and soil as often as you can. S
hould you spot any signs of mealybugs, place the entire plant in the shower and blast the leaves (as carefully as you can) with short sharp bursts of cold water.
Then dry them with a soft cloth to ensure no critters are left behind. This will usually do the trick. But, you’ll need to remain vigilant for some weeks after doing this to ensure you’ve got rid of them all.
Tips for Peperomia Nivalis Care to Keep it Problem-Free
- Never be tempted to overwater your peperomia Nivalis. Pay attention to its requirements closely when bringing it into your home, and then water it accordingly to keep it balanced.
- Allow your peperomia Nivalis to become slightly pot-bound. It will not harm them – if anything, they will do better!
- Prune your peperomia Nivalis after the summer when the growth dies.
- Avoid placing your peperomia Nivalis in direct sunlight as this will burn and discolor its leaves.
- Keep your peperomia Nivalis away from drafts.
- Work on the side of caution when fertilizing this plant.
Is Peperomia nivalis Toxic to Cats?
Peperomia nivalis is non-toxic to cats and dogs as well as humans.
Peperomia nivalis vs axillaris
Peperomia nivalis has longer leaves that are more narrow compared to Peperomia axillaris. Both plants produce taco-shaped leaves.
Peperomia Varieties
Some common Peperomia varieties are:
- Peperomia obtusifolia (Baby Rubber Plant)
- Peperomia caperata (Emerald Ripple Peperomia)
- Peperomia argyreia (Watermelon Peperomia)
- Peperomia puteolata (Parallel Peperomia)
- Peperomia scandens (Cupid Peperomia)
- Peperomia clusiifolia (Red Edge Peperomia)
- Peperomia ferreyrae (Happy Bean or Pincushion Peperomia)
- Peperomia graveolens (Ruby Glow Peperomia)
- Peperomia polybotrya (Raindrop Peperomia)
- Peperomia quadrangularis (Ginny Peperomia)
Frequently Asked Questions
My peperomia Nivalis seems to be dropping leaves all over the place. I am not overwatering it. What else could be the problem?
A peperomia Nivalis may drop a few leaves when it is overwatered. However, you may notice a substantial loss of leaves that cannot be put down to overwatering.
Another common factor here is most likely an issue with the fertilizing process or a dramatic temperature change.
This can be solved by the process of elimination. If you have not moved your peperomia Nivalis or the temperature has remained stable, you can look to the fertilizing process.
Check that you are not over-fertilizing it or under-fertilizing it and that it’s the right combination.
Should I be regularly misting my new peperomia Nivalis?
A controversial subject with many indoor plant owners is that of misting! Over the years, I have dropped much of my misting activities merely because I have found not only does it encourage fungus gnats but makes the leaves prone to scorch marks.
Yet, my biggest concern with misting is that it gives a false sense of watering. By misting, you only hydrate the topsoil and leaves.
Therefore, if you glance at your peperomia Nivalis and see the top layer of soil is wet, you may mistakenly believe it does not need watering.
As a peperomia Nivalis depends on its root system, you only need to ensure they get the right watering schedule through their soil. Therefore, misting for this specific plant is not usually recommended as the best peperomia Nivalis care.
What is the best type of artificial light for my peperomia Nivalis?
Many people are turning to other means of providing increased light sources for their plants, and this can be a brilliant choice for the peperomia Nivalis plant.
As I’ve said earlier in this article, I and many others have successfully grown peperomia Nivalis under grow lights.
My best recommendation is a fluorescent tube. These not only give the best lighting source, but they also reduce the heat. Unfortunately, some grow lights tend to increase heat, which is not always the best practice for any of your plants.
Try imitating a typical day by using your fluorescent tube lighting on a timer. That way, your peperomia Nivalis can continue to grow healthy with supplemental lighting getting you through winter and those darker days.
Conclusion
Whether you are actively looking for an excellent-looking peperomia, you are short on space, or you do not quite get as much bright light in your home – a peperomia Nivalis is a perfect plant for everyone.
With its glorious trademark scent of anise, once you get the initial care requirements sorted, it will require minimal effort when fully established.
By working closely with the guidance above, it is possible to give the best peperomia Nivalis care. This can then mean hopefully encouraging your peperomia Nivalis to mature for many more years to come.
Then, once you get to that mature stage, the peperomia Nivalis will reward you with tiny delicate flowers as a thank you!
So, if you are yet to experience either peperomia plants or succulents, there’s no better place to start than with that Peperomia nivalis.