Episcia cupreata ‘Silver Shield’

From Nicaragua to northern Brazil

‘Silver Shield’ is a cultivar of Episcia cupreata. The species is native from Nicaragua across northern South America to northern Brazil and grows in damp, protected places on the forest floor.

The damp, protected forest floor gives ‘Silver Shield’ steady warmth and humidity with no exposure to hard sun.

Care for trailing Episcia rosettes

• Propagation: Set a daughter rosette on lightly moist mix and leave the stolon attached until roots form, then separate it from the parent.
• Light: Give bright indirect light and avoid hot midday sun on the velvety leaves.
• Temperature: Warm indoor conditions suit it best, ideally steady warmth, and avoid cold conditions.
• Humidity: Higher humidity is helpful, but wet foliage and stagnant air can cause spotting or rot.
• Leaf surface: Avoid rubbing the velvety silver leaves, and keep water and leaf-shine products off them because marks remain visible and the surface dries slowly.

Common problems with Episcia cupreata ‘Silver Shield’

• A soft crown: Cold, wet conditions can rot the centre of a rosette. Remove soft tissue with a disinfected blade, keep water out of the crown and root a healthy stolon as a backup before the damage spreads.
• Crisp or curled leaf edges: Check the root ball first. Dry substrate calls for a thorough watering, while suitable moisture with damage concentrated beside a heater points to hot, dry airflow. Restore steady moisture or move the plant according to what is visible, without misting the velvety leaves.
• Long gaps between daughter rosettes: Sparse, stretched stolons point first to insufficient usable light. If the plant is close to a bright window but new leaves are also progressively smaller, check if feeding has been missed during active growth.
• Sticky residue or cottony insects: Inspect stolons, leaf undersides and rosette centres for aphids or mealybugs Isolate the plant and repeat a product labelled for the identified pest, keeping excess spray out of the crowns.

Episcia cupreata ‘Silver Shield’ is non-toxic to cats and dogs

• This plant is non-toxic to cats and dogs.
• Its effects on people are unclear, so keep it away from young children who may chew it.
• Eating a large amount can still cause an upset stomach. Seek medical or veterinary advice if symptoms continue.

How did Episcia cupreata get its name?

Episcia comes from Greek episkios, meaning shady. Cupreata means copper-coloured.

Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius established the genus Episcia in 1829 in Nova Genera et Species Plantarum Brasiliensium, volume 3, page 39.

William Jackson Hooker first described it as Achimenes cupreata in 1847 in Botanical Magazine, volume 73, plate 4312. Johannes Ludwig Emil Robert von Hanstein later placed it in Episcia as Episcia cupreata in 1866 in Linnaea, volume 34, page 340.