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Episcia Plants
Episcia is a genus of about 8 species belonging to the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. Often referred to as "flame violets", these gesneriads have the family's most beautiful foliage. All grow quickly and easily.. This family also contains the African violets, and other fleshy-leaved plants that can have prominent red pigmentation
Habitat/ecology: These creeping, tropical perennials. Episcias were originally found in Northern and Southern Mexico, Central America, South America, Brazil, West Indies, Southern island of the Lesser Antilles and other tropical areas. They are seen growing in the wild from full sunlight to tropical shaded woodlands. Episicas are primarily terrestrial in nature, where they function as ground covers in tropical rainforests
Description: They are perennial herbaceous plants characterized by a stoloniferous habit, prostrate, somewhat succulent,with hairy stems, and frequently have marked or patterned leaves with margins scalloped, and surface variegated with pale green, copper, reddish green, or all three colors.. Numerous cultivars have been produced, primarily by selection and hybridization of the species E. cupreata and E. reptans.
Growth habit, uses: Episceas are most often grown for their highly attractive, variably colored foliage. They are suitable in baskets, as groundcovers and in terrariums. Foliage and form: Episcia flowers are tubular with five petals (lobes) which sometimes show pinked or fringed edges. The range of color is wide: red, scarlet, orange, orange-red, orange-yellow, wine, pink, yellow, lilac or blue and white. These have patterns as well. Foliage colors are just as wide: light emerald and jade green, bronze, copper and silver-leafed as well as brown, pink and white. These have texture of smooth or pebbled, glossy or matte finish as well as iridescence and have scarablike markings of bronze, copper, green and silver. Foliage varieations are numerous.
Height x width: 4-6” tall, width depends on length of stolons. Propagation: Episcias can be propagated from most any part of the plant. Stolon propagation is quickest. Cut stolon from plant, pin it down onto fresh soil and place a plastic bag for humidity. Plantlets may be obtained by setting an episcia leaf in soil although this method is much slower than propagation by stolen. These plants can also be propagated by seed. Soil: Use a well-drained compost consisting of 2 parts peat moss to 1 part loam to 1 part sand with gravel added to increase drainage.
Potting: Shallow pots are better than deep pots since roots like to grow up nearer the surface of the soil. Episcias placed in expositions are often grown in large saucers. Episcias do not like to be pot bound. Humidity: Episcias needs high humidity. Humidity of 40% to 50% is adequate, but 70-75% humidity is much better. Humidity is important to their culture. Thirty percent and less will not produce beautiful plants while 40% to 60% is tolerated but the ideal humidity for episcias is 65% to 75%. This higher humidity percentage produces larger, more luscious plants with vividly marked leaves. High humidity is also a must if you expect to grow large and numerous flowers. Light: Plenty of light but cannot tolerate the strong rays of the sun. Prefers partial shade or partial sun. Episcias are less tolerant of light than most gesneriads. In fact, the name “episcia” comes from “espiskios” which means “shaded.” However, episcias can take dense shade or full sun depending on the variety and from where its parents come. The pink varieties require slightly more light intensity than most other episcias, 750 to 800 footcandles. They are often grown quite close to the lights, around 4 inches. Long-fiber sphagnum moss may be substituted as soil medium.
Temperature: Sixty degrees F. is about as low as an episcia should have to endure and 65 to 90 degrees F. is a much more welcomed temperature. Amazingly enough, a temperature of 110 degrees F. will not be injurious to the plant if you provide daily mistings. Episcia roots should never be allowed to dry out. When temperatures are lower than 60 degrees F. the edges of the leaves turn brown or the whole leaf will shrivel up and often will fall off. Some varieties grow in the lower 65 F. to 80 F. range. In the medium temperatures 65 F. to 90 F., all the light green, medium green and silvery cupreata-type hybrids will grow well. From 65 F to 110 F. all the dark brown and bronze hybrids as well as the pink, lilac and magenta colored ones thrive.
Watering: Their soil needs to be continuously moist while they are growing freely, but not waterlogged. Do not wet leaves, use tepid water. Fertilizers: Fertilize every 2 weeks in summer with a balanced fertilizer diluted to ¼ strength recommended on the label. Leach soluble salts
Episcias are heavy feeders yet need no more than ¼ teaspoon fertilizer to a gallon of water. They enjoy foliar feeding. Problems include: Fungal leaf spots, stem blights and root rots, aphids, mealybugs, cyclamen mites. Treat with homemade remedies or natural remedies first before resorting to chemicals which often destroy episcias before they cure them. New centers grow in extremely slowly if at all when burned out by chemicals or affected by pests. Episcias, especially younger cultivars, may be more sensitive to certain chemicals and may react badly.
Episcias are especially subject to foliar mealy bug. Look on the back of young leaves on spent leaves and flowers, on stems and crevices.
Symptoms of mite include centers of the stolons or main crown appearing dusty, curled up and hard. Sometimes when centers turn brown and leaves completely shrivel up, it may not be mites. These symptoms may be from too high a percentage of nitrogen in the fertilizer which makes it too acid. Or it may be a symptom of salt build up. This could also be from lack of humidity.
Leaf margins turn brown under dry, low humidity conditions. Leaves scorch in full direct sun. Leaves die back if the plant is given too much water or air circulation is poor. Bibliography The Genera of Gesneriacea,e Basic information with illustration of selected species by Anton Weber & Laurence E. Skog
http://www.botanik.univie.ac.at/morphology/genera_gesneriaceae/index.htm
http://www.robsviolets.com
http://www.hear.org/Pier/species/episcia_cupreata.htm
http://www.botanik.univie.ac.at/morphology/genera_gesneriaceae/index.htm
http://www.botany.com/episcia.html
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This intel was contributed by pampaws
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May, 2012
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