Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Episcia 'Cleopatra' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Cleopatra episcia, Cleopatra flame violet (Episcia cupreata 'Cleopatra').

More about episcia 'cleopatra'

About Episcia 'Cleopatra'

Episcia cupreata 'Cleopatra' · also called Cleopatra episcia, Cleopatra flame violet · flowering

Episcia 'Cleopatra' is a trailing flame violet grown chiefly for its dramatic pink, cream, and green variegated foliage, accented by small tubular red flowers. A tropical gesneriad related to African violets, it spreads by stolons into a low, spilling mat. It thrives in warm, humid, bright-but-shaded conditions and makes an excellent terrarium or hanging-basket plant.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Faded variegation / no flowers: Too little light. Move to a brighter spot with filtered sun to restore the pink tones and encourage blooms.

The reasons episcia 'cleopatra' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming episcia 'cleopatra' traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding episcia 'cleopatra' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get episcia 'cleopatra' to flower

Maximise sun. Give episcia 'cleopatra' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for episcia 'cleopatra' and get the feeding right with the episcia 'cleopatra' fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Episcia 'Cleopatra' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full episcia 'cleopatra' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Episcia 'Cleopatra' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my episcia 'cleopatra' flower?

Episcia 'Cleopatra' blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make episcia 'cleopatra' bloom?

Give episcia 'cleopatra' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does episcia 'cleopatra' normally bloom?