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melw21771

Episcia Recommendations

melw21771
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago

I'd like to try growing an episcia on a windowsill, not in a terrarium or covered dome. Are there any varieties that are known to do well without extra humidity? I especially like the ones with chocolate colored leaves.

Comments (12)

  • dbarron
    4 years ago

    Having absolutely no idea what part of world you are in, I can say that while humidity is important, temperature (higher temps) is critical.

    That being said, while I grow sinningias, african violets, streps, and primulinas, I can't make episcias happy without growing in an enclosed container, due to winter coolness. I don't want to live in a hot house to make them happy, so they have to live in one.

  • melw21771
    Original Author
    4 years ago
    1. Well I am in New England so I guess I will have to abandon that idea. I had seen pictures of people who had grown them for years on windowsills, so I thought there might be some older varieties out there that weren't so tender. But perhaps they lived in a warmer climate.
  • dbarron
    4 years ago

    Well, lets let someone that successfully grows them (Irina dear?) chime in. I'm the unsuccessful (mostly) with them.

  • irina_co
    4 years ago

    New England on a windowsill in winter... NO. Summer probably OK. They all do very well for me on wicks and mats under the lights. Mats create an extra ambient humidity. I only grow a couple of variegated ones - these need to be grown covered.

    Temperature wise.. it should be above 70F. So if you keep the house on a cool side... nah.



  • aviolet6
    4 years ago

    I grow them uncovered with wicks and reservoirs and they do ok for me but I’m Georgia. I do keep the house around 65 in the winter.

  • irina_co
    4 years ago

    You had them COLD TRAINED!!! Usually 62F is a fast death sentence. But our houses have microclimates, may be the windowsill is close to the heat vent - so when it is chilly - they get an extra blast and in a day time sun warms them up. Good Job!!!

  • Andrea ME z5b
    4 years ago

    Hi there, I know this is kind of an old thread but I was wondering the same thing. I have a plant shop in Maine, and decided to buy a few episcia hanging baskets from my wholesaler, there were two varieties but they were unnamed. One was solid burgundy, and those started going downhill immediately but this silvery one has been hanging on and actually growing. I've had them for about 2 months and they hang about 30 inches or so from a southeast window. I'm hoping someone will recognize the cultivar so I can get more....


  • irina_co
    4 years ago

    Andrea - I doubt you can definitely establish what cultivar it is. This is a common pattern for the species Episcia cupreata and many crosses of this species. It will bloom orange-red.

    Late Canadian hybridizer Jim Bodnar produced numerous excellent varieties - it can be one of his. Probably the people from Toronto Gesneriad Society can advise.


    This is Episcia cupreata - one of the many clones.

  • junco East Georgia zone 8a
    4 years ago

    Mine do fine in Georgia--house temp 65, humidity 67, outside temp 43. As irina said, there is a vent in the wall below this pot. This pot stays here year around, temp in the summer is 78 day/72 at night with AC blowing form below. The window faces west with some tree cover. This is Country Quilt from Costa Farms.



  • irina_co
    4 years ago

    one happy plant!

  • junco East Georgia zone 8a
    4 years ago

    Thanks, irina. It usually has orange flowers, but occasionally one will be yellow. Do you know if this is common? None of my other Episcias do this.

  • irina_co
    4 years ago

    We do not know about the parentage of this plant... it can have or not have Episcia 'Suomi' in a background. It is usually the plant that gives yellow blossom genes. Second guess - a lot of E.cupreata hybrids have orange-red flower with yellow throat - so the yellow pigment can sometimes take over the whole blossom.

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