How to Grow and Care for a Flame Violet
Grow a lush Flame Violet with patterned leaves and bright flowers by providing the specific warm, humid conditions it needs to flourish in your home.
The Flame Violet, Episcia cupreata, is a vibrant tropical plant related to the African Violet, prized for its patterned foliage. The leaves display metallic sheens of copper, bronze, or silver and are complemented by small, trumpet-shaped flowers in red, orange, or pink. Its trailing growth habit, sending out runners called stolons, makes it an excellent choice for hanging baskets.
Flame Violet Care
Flame Violets flourish in bright, indirect light. An ideal location is near an east-facing window or several feet from a south or west-facing window. Direct sunlight can scorch the leaves, causing them to appear bleached and dry.
Keep the soil evenly moist but never saturated, as this can lead to crown rot. Water from the bottom by placing the pot in a saucer of water for 30 minutes, or carefully water the soil surface, avoiding the leaves. Use lukewarm or room-temperature water, as cold water can shock the roots and cause leaf spotting.
A light, airy, and well-draining potting medium is best. A pre-packaged mix for African Violets, amended with perlite or vermiculite to improve aeration, works well. A shallow, wide pot is suitable for its shallow root system and spreading nature.
Flame Violets require warm, humid conditions. They perform best in temperatures between 65-75°F (18-24°C) and will not tolerate temperatures below 50°F (10°C). If ambient moisture is low, you can increase humidity with a pebble tray, by grouping it with other plants, or using a room humidifier.
During the spring and summer, a regular feeding schedule supports growth and flowering. A balanced, water-soluble fertilizer for African Violets is effective. The fertilizer should be diluted to half-strength to avoid burning the roots and applied every two to four weeks when you water.
Propagation Methods
Flame Violets are easy to propagate using their runners, or stolons. These stems produce small plantlets at their ends that can create new plants. This method has a high success rate because the plantlet remains attached to the parent, receiving nutrients while it develops roots.
To propagate, select a healthy runner with a well-formed plantlet. Fill a small pot with moist, well-draining potting mix and place it next to the parent. Lay the stolon on the new soil, ensuring the plantlet base makes firm contact, and secure it with a wire or paperclip.
Maintain high humidity around the plantlet to encourage rooting by loosely covering it with a plastic bag. Keep the new pot’s soil moist. In four to six weeks, the plantlet will have developed a sufficient root system, and you can sever the stolon connecting it to the parent.
Propagating from a leaf cutting is also possible, though more challenging. Select a healthy leaf with a small portion of the stem attached. Dip the cut end into a rooting hormone and plant it in moist soil. Cover the pot with plastic to retain humidity; roots may take a month or more to form.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
If leaf edges become brown and crispy, the cause is low humidity. As tropical natives, they languish in the dry air of many homes. Increasing the ambient moisture around the plant is the solution.
A lack of flowers often points to insufficient light. If lighting is adequate, the issue may be a lack of nutrients. A regular feeding schedule with a diluted fertilizer during the growing season can resolve the problem.
If stems become long and stretched with sparse foliage, the plant needs more light. This “leggy” growth, known as etiolation, occurs as the plant stretches for a brighter source. Relocating it will promote more compact growth.
Pests like spider mites and mealybugs can become a problem. They thrive in warm, dry conditions, so high humidity acts as a deterrent. For an infestation, dab pests with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol or apply neem oil.