Flame Violet
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Toxicity is partly unassessed
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for people. RHS publishes no harm statement for this plant. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Partial shadeRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Moist but well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H1B — 10–15°C 10–15 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- No statement of harm to people is published for this plant; that absence is not evidence it is safe.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- In summer give moderate water so the soil stays moist; in winter water rarely. They need high humidity, but water on the leaves does not suit them.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In winter, water sparingly as the compost dries; in the growing season, water generously and let the compost dry between waterings. Feed every two weeks with a high-potassium fertiliser.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- In winter give little water as the compost dries; in the growing season water generously but let the compost dry between waterings. Every two weeks, give a high-potassium fertiliser.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- Leaf cuttings, stem cuttingsNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Increase from stem cuttings, division or detaching runners that have rooted.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning is not needed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by tarsonemid mite, vine weevil, thrips, mealybugs, glasshouse leafhoppers and aphids. Diseases: when overwatered, grey moulds and basal rot can occur.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
Episcia cupreata is a species of perennial plant in the family Gesneriaceae that is found in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. Its common name is flame violet, although this name may also refer to other species of the genus Episcia. A number of hybrids have been created.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- Nicaragua to N. BrazilWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Colombia, Venezuela, BrazilNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- wet tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- subshrubWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Ground Cover, Perennial; habit creepingNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Trailing, Bushy (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 8–12 in; width 12–24 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height Up to 10 cm; spread 0.5-1 metres after 2–5 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers gold/yellow, orange; blooms in spring, summerNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers red in spring, summer and autumnRHS · read 13 September 2026
Other Episcia
More of the Gesneriaceae family
African violetBrown tips on the newest leaves first
Goldfish plantCrisp margins that appear in winter
Lipstick plantBuds that yellow and drop on a leafy plant
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.