The Peperomia Napoli Nights (pronounced pep-er-ROH-mee-uh NA-poh-lee) comes from the huge Piperaceae plant family (Peperomia) of over 1,000 ornamental plants.
Peperomia plants originate from the Amazon basin in South America. It is known best for its lush leaves. Its botanical name is Peperomia spp.
Peperomia Napoli Nights is a hybrid. The cross used a select cultivar of Peperomia peruviana as the female with the pollen from Peperomia marmorata.
Peperomias have a few common names, but the most common name is “the radiator plant.”
Peperomia Napoli Nights Care
Size & Growth
Peperomia Napoli Nights grow slowly, and don’t get much bigger than a foot tall. You can plant them at any time, but planting them at the start of spring is best.
The oval shaped leaves display a grey-green color pattern on the upper surface. The underside of the leaves are pink-red.
Flowering and Fragrance
Most variations of the Peperomia Napoli Nights produce a brightly-colored flower spike.
The flower has no real fragrance.
Lighting Conditions & Temperature
Napoli Night grows best in shady, humid conditions. They are easy to care for and can grow in most rooms. They need bright indirect light for a few hours each day.
Windows facing south, east, or west provide the best lighting options.
Peperomia Napoli Nights grow best in temperatures of 65°-75° degrees Fahrenheit (18-24℃) and no lower than 50° degrees Fahrenheit (10℃).
If the leaf is dark green, and direct sun can damage it. Like most Peperomia plants Napoli Nights grows well under fluorescent lighting.
Add humidity by placing your plant on top of a pebble tray filled with water. Keep your plant away from heating or air conditioning vents.
Watering and Feeding
Peperomia Napoli Nights care requires watering only once a week.
When watering allow the soil to dry out before watering. This translates in watering once a week.
Feel the top two inches of the soil with either your finger or a moisture probe tool to tell when the soil is dry. You might even dip these tools in three inches if need be.
If the moisture probe reads 1 or 2, then the plant is too dry.
During warmer months, you can get away with lightly misting the plant.
The thick leaves of Napoli Nights Peperomia store water over long periods, especially in winter.
If leaves start to yellow or wilt, that could be a sign of overwatering.
Use a diluted liquid fertilizer once every two weeks, during the spring. Fertilize once per month during summer. Don’t fertilize during the autumn and winter.
Soil & Transplanting
Peperomia soil mix must be well-drained. For this purpose, a peat-based potting mix is best. You can use 2 parts peat and 1 part perlite or sand as well.
It’s a good idea to change the soil once a year.
Grooming And Maintenance
Peperomia plants do not have extensive root systems. Repotting often to accommodate root growth is unnecessary. When in doubt, lean toward a smaller pot size to prevent the potting soil from waterlogging.
Consider replanting your peperomia every two or three years to replace the soil.
They look their best when the leaves are bushy. Pinch out the tops of their stems make plants bushier.
If your Napoli Nights Peperomia grows taller than a foot, it might need pruning. Make sure you use sterilized pruning scissors or knives.
Remove yellowed leaves or extra growth as necessary. Pruning the plant too much can damage its growth.
How To Propagate Peperomia Napoli Nights
Propagate peperomia using tip cuttings with a few leaves still attached. Place the stem tip cutting in a small container with fresh, moist seed starting soils.
The plant should grow in a 68° degrees Fahrenheit (20℃) room with warm, bright light.
We always use a rooting hormone to speed up the rooting process.
New plants can also be started from single two-inch leaf cuttings. Follow the same procedure described above.
Be careful with variegated Peperomia Napoli Nights. They might lose their variegation in propagation. But, you should allow for the leaves or stem tip to dry before you plant them.
It might take some experimentation to see which propagation method works best.
More on How To Propagate Peperomia
Peperomia Napoli Nights Pests or Diseases
Luckily, Peperomia care does not involve worrying about many pests or diseases. The plant might lose a few bottom leaves from time to time, but that’s normal.
But, a plant starts losing several bottom leaves, it could be a sign of:
- Overwatering
- Temperature drop
- Over-fertilizing
If your peperomia develops cotton-like white masses on the stem or leaf bottoms, it might be a sign of mealybugs. These tiny soft insects surround themselves in white fuzz. They suck the juice from their host plants, causing the plant’s leaves to yellow.
You can get rid of mealybugs neem oil sprays or by making homemade insecticidal soap.
Details on Controlling Peperomia Pests
Peperomia Napoli Nights is one of many types of Peperomias to collect, grow, and enjoy.