In case you have a knack for African violets, you’ll love Episcias or flame violets. These fairly little crops in the identical household as African violets have comparable traits and provide a ton of shade and persona. Let’s have a look at these little beauties and talk about how you can domesticate them.
Overview
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About
These small tropical crops might be finicky in the event that they don’t get care per their native setting. Luckily, that may be replicated within the residence, making flame violets a superb houseplant. Additionally they make wonderful terrarium crops. The Episcias genus is a member of the Gesneriaceae household, together with African violets, Gloxinias, and considered one of my favourite crops, Michelmolleria vietnamensis.
Most members of this household are tropical to sub-tropical evergreen and perennial flowering crops. A couple of members prolong to extra temperate ranges. It’s common for crops on this household to be cultivated as ornamentals due to their relative ease of care and colourful flowers.
The identify of the genus is derived from a Greek phrase which means ‘shaded.’ It’s probably attributable to their development behavior as tropical understory crops, as Episcias don’t like direct solar and like their daylight filtered by way of a cover in a lush, tropical setting.
Native Space
All ten species of the Episcias genus are native to tropical areas in South and Central America. They have been first found in Brazil and Colombia, however we now know they’re additionally native to southern Mexico, French Guiana, and the West Indies.
These crops are all native to heat areas, which must be mirrored of their take care of greatest outcomes. These crops like persistently heat temperatures throughout the board.
Traits
Flame violets are very comparable when it comes to bodily traits to African violets. They share an analogous leaf form, which is ovate to elliptical. Additionally comparable is the comfortable flocking on the floor of the leaves. Nonetheless, these houseplants have a distinctive ribbed texture to their leaves, creating a beautiful, shimmering impact.
The leaves are organized in rosettes, like African violets, however they’ve a trailing behavior quite than rising repeatedly taller. This makes them very straightforward to propagate, as they repeatedly produce offsets on lengthy stems. The foliage is often variegated and is available in inexperienced, pink, pink, and white shades.
The flowers produced by flame violet crops are sometimes singular, small, and tubular. When it comes to shade, they have an inclination towards the nice and cozy finish of the spectrum. The most typical colours are pink and vibrant pink, however they will additionally produce flowers in yellow, white, orange, and purple shades.
The place to Purchase
Flame violets might be simply discovered by way of on-line distributors. They is probably not as available amongst retailers and native nurseries. A few of the bigger nurseries might have them accessible for buy.
Planting
As a result of they develop in a reasonably particular setting and should not tolerant of local weather fluctuations, most are stored as houseplants. If you’re planting in a tropical local weather, take into account the plant’s wants when selecting a location.
Since they’re understory crops, giving them one thing of a cover to develop beneath is greatest. They need to be planted in free soil with a impartial pH and wonderful drainage.
Don’t plant them deeply; as a substitute, dig a gap that’s as deep and twice as broad as the foundation ball. The foundation ball must be stage with the encircling soil.
The way to Develop
Flame violets generally is a bit trickier than their cousins, African violets. Nonetheless, as soon as you recognize their wants, they shouldn’t be harder to take care of. They’re reasonably excessive upkeep in that they have to be protected against environmental fluctuations, and correct seasonal care is essential.
Gentle
As I discussed, flame violets are an understory plant. They develop beneath the tropical cover, the place their setting is pretty constant and the sunshine is oblique. If you’re expert at caring for orchids, these crops have comparable publicity wants.
Give them vibrant however oblique mild for a lot of the day. They’ll thrive in synthetic mild in the event that they get a constant quantity. If you’re rising them indoors, away from a window, preserve them below fluorescent lights for 12-14 hours per day.
If you happen to place your flame violet in a window, guarantee it doesn’t obtain greater than an hour or two of direct daylight every day. An excessive amount of solar will scorch the leaves, and they’ll flip brown and wilt. In the event that they don’t get satisfactory mild, they are going to turn into leggier, with extra stems between leaves as if they’re reaching for the sunshine.
Water
Watering will rely on the place your plant is situated, and there’s no onerous and quick rule for a way a lot water your flame violet will want and after what number of days. These crops want comparable moisture circumstances to African violets.
Flame violets like their soil to be moist the entire time. Nonetheless, they don’t like for his or her soil to be soggy. This is without doubt one of the wonderful balances that have to be struck for these crops to thrive. Whether or not or not your container has drainage holes may even have an effect on how usually your flame violet must be watered.
Usually, count on to water as soon as weekly in the summertime. They are going to use way more water in the course of the summer season once they do a lot of their rising and blooming. They are going to use much less water within the winter, in order that they have to be watered much less usually. Take note of the soil and water when the highest of the soil is now not moist, however don’t enable the soil to dry out farther down.
An important think about watering these crops is the temperature of the water. Temperature fluctuations trigger stress on this plant. Use room temperature water. In case you have the time to gather rainwater, that’s the greatest water for these crops.
Containers
I preserve my violets in containers with and with out drainage, and for me, the pots with out drainage are usually simpler to take care of. It comes all the way down to your habits the place watering is anxious.
If you happen to are likely to overwater your crops, go along with a container with good drainage. If you happen to let issues dry out, a container with out drainage is perhaps greatest.
Flame violets have shallow, spreading roots. Naturally, a large, shallow pot would assist this development behavior nicely. They do prefer to be barely pot-bound, which is able to encourage extra flowering. Don’t give your plant a pot a lot bigger than the foundation ball. Relatively, give it a small quantity of room to develop, possibly sizing up 2” from the scale of the nursery pot.
Soil
For soil sort, assume alongside the identical traces as African violets. Flame violets like wealthy soil that’s considerably spongy and well-draining. The soil wants to carry some moisture, so sandy soil is not any good, however steer away from soil that compacts simply. They’ve delicate roots.
You should use a normal potting combine for these crops. Amending the soil with perlite or peat moss will assist keep good drainage and preserve the soil free, which is nice for robust root improvement.
Flame violets should not particularly choosy about soil acidity however will carry out greatest in soil with a impartial pH. Purpose for a pH between 6.5-7.5 to maintain your crops completely happy.
Temperature and Humidity
It is a essential issue within the care of flame violets. These are probably elements that make or break your relationship with these crops. It is important to the plant’s well being that it doesn’t expertise excessive temperature shifts and receives a good quantity of humidity.
The best air temperature is between 70-80°F. That’s nice information for many of us in temperate climates, the place we preserve our thermostats in that vary for a lot of the 12 months. The place this could get difficult is in climates that endure very chilly winters. If the temperature in your house fluctuates drastically, it would stress the plant.
Hold your flame violet farther from home windows and doorways within the winter. They want much less mild and water throughout winter and can survive a couple of months with much less daylight. Simply make certain to compensate with some fluorescent mild if the plant reveals indicators that it wants extra mild.
If the temperature in your house frequently drops beneath 65°F, you’ll have a tough time with this plant. At that temperature, the sides of the leaves might flip brown to suggest that the plant is below stress from chilly temperatures.
Additionally they want a good quantity of humidity. An ambient humidity stage of fifty% or increased is the popular setting. You possibly can complement the humidity within the room with a humidifier positioned far sufficient from the plant that the leaves aren’t in direct vary. You may also use a pebble tray so as to add moisture to the air.
Resist the urge to mist these crops, as they don’t like water sitting on their leaves. Like most flowers on this household, water sitting on the flocked leaves can result in ugly yellow water spots. I preserve my violets within the toilet with my orchids. In case you have a great spot for crops in your toilet, this tends to be essentially the most humid room in the home.
Fertilizing
These are just like African violets concerning their fertilizer wants. They prefer to be fertilized and can profit from African violet fertilizer formulation. If you’re utilizing an all-purpose fertilizer, search for one that’s balanced, with a 20-20-20 ratio, or ideally, one with a barely increased stage of phosphorus, similar to a 15-20-15.
Fertilize each two weeks, starting within the spring and all through the summer season into fall. Because the climate cools, you’ll discover that your plant takes in much less water and wishes much less fertilizer. Scale back your fertilizing to as soon as per 30 days, if in any respect, in the course of the winter months.
Upkeep
In case your setting is true, you shouldn’t have a horrible quantity of upkeep with this plant. You possibly can repot it each one to 2 years to offer it house to unfold however keep in mind solely to dimension up somewhat bit to maintain your plant flowering its greatest.
Pruning is usually pointless, but when the plant overgrows the house you have got given it, merely pinch again stems. Pruning flippantly after the plant completes its blooming stage will encourage it to flower once more extra shortly.
Propagation
Like most of their relations, flame violets are straightforward to propagate. Propagation might be carried out utilizing seeds, however that is much less frequent because it takes for much longer for the plant to mature. They’re usually cultivated utilizing leaf and stem cuttings or runners that the plant produces.
Cuttings
Propagating flame violets by cuttings is a straightforward course of. Spring is the perfect time to take cuttings, because the plant is coming into its lively rising section, so your slicing may have the optimum period of time to get itself rising earlier than winter.
Take your cuttings from wholesome leaves close to the bottom of the plant. I like to chop the leaf with as a lot of its stem connected as doable. Minimize the petiole near the principle stem, and dip the lower finish in a rooting hormone. Rooting hormone is non-compulsory; whereas your cuttings will probably achieve success with out it, utilizing it would make the method go quicker.
Place the slicing with its lower finish down into your rooting media. These crops might be rooted in water, soil, or sphagnum moss. I desire to make use of water as I really feel like it really works quickest and since I like seeing the foundation improvement. Go away the slicing in water till it develops roots and small leaves.
As soon as the slicing has rooted, plant it in a small container with a moist potting medium. Go away the principle left connected till the small leaves develop extra substantial to offer the brand new plant some added vitamins and house to provide chlorophyll.
Runners
Propagation with runners is simple, and the plant does the heavy lifting right here. The one caveat is that it’s important to await the plant to resolve if it desires to provide extra crops to attain it. Sometimes, a flame violet will ship out a runner, or lengthy stem, on the finish of which a brand new rosette of leaves begins to develop.
To propagate utilizing considered one of these runners, there are two doable strategies. The primary is to bury a part of the elongated stem of the runner proper at a leaf joint; if that is carried out, the stem will put out new roots below the cluster of leaves, anchoring into the soil. As soon as it has developed roots, lower it free from its dad or mum plant.
Within the different methodology, you possibly can deal with it as a standard slicing. To do that, take away the runner, leaving a portion of the stem connected. From right here, the strategies are a lot the identical as propagation by slicing. You possibly can place the tip of your lower stem in water, moist soil, or sphagnum moss.
Rooting hormone, once more, is useful however not required. Your runner ought to develop some roots inside a month or two.
Widespread Issues
The most typical points with rising this plant are associated to local weather and care. As I discussed earlier than, flame violets are very delicate to temperature fluctuations. That features each the air temperature and the temperature of the water you give them.
They will point out when they’re sad, largely of their leaves. If the plant is burdened from chilly temperatures, you might start to see brown edges cropping up in your leaves. Be certain that the plant just isn’t in a draft house and that you’re not watering with chilly water.
If the plant refuses to bloom, there are two potential culprits. Both the plant isn’t getting sufficient mild or fertilizer. In case your plant has gone a whole 12 months with out blooming, it could want extra mild. Simply make certain to maintain it out of direct daylight. Fertilize frequently from spring to fall, and use a fertilizer with further phosphorus for higher bud improvement.
Varieties
There’s an abundance of hybrid kinds of flame violet, every combining lovely leaf patterns and brightly coloured flowers. The plant buildings are all comparatively comparable, with leaves forming rosettes and a trailing behavior quite than an inclination to develop upward like a few of its associated crops.
Chocolate Soldier
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botanical identify Episcia cupreata ‘Chocolate Soldier’ |
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solar necessities Brilliant oblique mild |
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top 8”-12” |
‘Chocolate Soldier’ has blue-green leaves with darkish markings towards the outer edges of its extremely textured leaves. The darkish markings can have a pink or purple tint or a deeper blue-green shade. The flowers of this selection are sensible pink or orange.
Tropical Topaz
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botanical identify Episcia cupreata var. viridifolia ‘Tropical Topaz’ |
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solar necessities Brilliant oblique mild |
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top 8”-12” |
It’s uncommon for crops within the Gesneriaceae household to have yellow flowers, so ‘Tropical Topaz’ is a standout of its genus and plant household. It’s not a giant bloomer however produces a sprinkling of buttery yellow blooms. The foliage is a vibrant, cheerful inexperienced that appears nice in a dangling basket.
Bethlehem Pink
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botanical identify Episcia hybrid ‘Bethlehem Pink’ |
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solar necessities Brilliant oblique mild |
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top 8”-12” |
This hybrid of the favored selection ‘Bethlehem Pink’ is solely gorgeous. Deep olive inexperienced leaves are closely textured and flocked with wonderful, comfortable hairs. The flowers are a gorgeous comfortable pink with a heat yellow glow within the middle.
Jim’s Canadian Sundown
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botanical identify Episcia hybrid ‘Jim’s Canadian Sundown’ |
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solar necessities Brilliant oblique mild |
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top 8”-12” |
One other fairly pink flame violet hybrid is ‘Jim’s Canadian Sundown.’ The deep inexperienced leaves of this selection are closely textured and flocked like most of its contemporaries. ‘Jim’s Canadian Sundown’ flowers positively trace at the fantastic thing about a real Canadian sundown! The coral pink flowers have textured edges and are closely veined with a deeper shade of pink and flecked with bits of yellow within the middle.
Pests
The pests that trigger essentially the most fear with these crops should not sometimes a difficulty indoors except they journey in on one other plant. Inspecting any new houseplants for insect harm earlier than introducing them is an efficient observe. This can considerably reduce on pest points.
Aphids
Aphids are one of the vital prevalent and damaging pests within the backyard. They don’t seem to be troublesome to remove, however with all pests, the earlier you catch them, the much less harm they are going to have time to do.
These small inexperienced and yellow bugs prefer to get below leaves and on flame violet’s juicy stems and suck out the candy sap. They go away behind a sticky, candy excrement referred to as honeydew that pulls ants, fosters mildew, and interferes with photosynthesis.
A powerful stream of water can do away with aphids in lots of instances. Nonetheless, flame violets have delicate stems, so I don’t suggest it. A delicate wiping with a water-soaked cotton ball is a superb combatant towards these pests. Neem oil or insecticidal cleaning soap are additionally good alternate options.
Mealybugs
These nasty little bugs could make a critical mess of your houseplants in the event that they enter your own home. Luckily, they’re straightforward to establish. They’re pretty seen and may simply be taken care of. Issues come up when adults burrow down into hard-to-reach locations and lay eggs.
Mealybugs look white to mild pink and fuzzy. They’re usually coated with a waxy coating, making them harder to kill. An alcohol-soaked cotton swab will assist to interrupt down that waxy coating and kill these critters. Neem oil works as nicely.
Ailments
Many of the illness points that seem contain fungus. Due to the excessive moisture setting that they like, there may be loads of alternative for fungus to develop, which is able to end in a broken or rotting plant.
Fungal Leaf Spots
When water droplets sit on the leaves of a flame violet, they will go away unpleasant yellow spots. These spots are extra inclined to fungus, and in a damp setting, if that fungus finds a method in, it has the proper setting to develop in.
You possibly can stop this by not splashing water in your flame violet’s leaves. Dry any water that lands on the leaves gently. If you happen to discover a fungal leaf spot on considered one of your leaves, prune it off to guard the opposite leaves and permit the plant to recuperate.
Stem Blight
Stem blight is one other fungal illness that, whereas much less frequent, can nonetheless have an effect on your flame violet. The humid setting these crops take pleasure in makes them extra inclined to fungal pathogens. Hold the air circulating within the room along with your crops to assist deter these fungal infections from gaining a foothold. Prune off any affected tissue to keep away from spreading.
Root Rot
Root rot is sort of at all times brought on by overwatering. Since flame violets like numerous moisture within the air and their soil, it’s straightforward to overwater them, and if that occurs, they’re weak to root rot. Giving your plant soil with good drainage and solely watering when the highest of the soil is dry to the contact will go a great distance in stopping root rot.
As we mentioned concerning containers, in case you are a gardener that leans towards over quite than underwatering, a container with a drainage gap is a superb instrument for stopping root rot. If you happen to suspect your plant has rotting roots, repot the plant in contemporary soil after eradicating any rotten roots with sterile pruning snips.
Incessantly Requested Questions
This may be brought on by a couple of elements, however all of them contain a scarcity of moisture or an excessive amount of solar. Flame violets are delicate to direct daylight, and the leaves will scorch with an excessive amount of solar. An absence of humidity or water can even result in dry, crispy leaves. Shock from temperature fluctuations can even trigger leaves to show brown.
Flame violets and most different crops within the Gesneriaceae household want moist soil to thrive. If these crops dry out utterly, they are going to reply by wilting. Normally, this reveals within the lowest leaves first.
Filtered water, reverse osmosis, or rainwater are the perfect for watering your flame violet. Harsh chemical substances in some faucet water can weaken the plant. Make sure the water is room temperature to keep away from shock.
It is a bit sophisticated, however briefly: sure and no.
Calcium can typically be bloom booster to your flame violet. Nonetheless, eggshells are practically pure calcium carbonate, and they don’t break down nicely in a non-acidic setting. Whereas some suggest soaking eggshells in water, this doesn’t truly trigger the eggshells to interrupt down sufficient to offer a calcium increase, and most potting blends are pH impartial, making eggshells at greatest a slow-release calcium additive and at worst locking them within the soil.
If you happen to actually need to present a calcium increase, soluble calcium is out there as an natural liquid fertilizer, however use it sparingly and wait to see how your plant reacts earlier than including any extra. Your plant is extra prone to want phosphorus for good flower manufacturing than the micronutrient calcium, and it must be receiving it through your different fertilization strategies.
Sure. They like moist soil, however when you go away them with drenched soil for an prolonged time, you danger a fungal root rot killing your plant. Correct drainage in your soil and container may also help to stop overwatering.
Last Ideas
From their fancy, flocked leaves to their vibrant and cheerful flowers, flame violets make great additions to the houseplant assortment. Whereas they do take a little bit of pampering, when you get the grasp of flame violet care, you’ll absolutely be hooked by these enchanting little crops.
