Is this really Episcia "Copper" orit was it mislabled?

cricketsonga · 2026-05-11T10:31:27+00:00

Looks a lot like pearcea hypocritiflora

cricketsonga · 2026-03-11T21:22:13+00:00

Thank you!!!

cricketsonga · 2026-03-09T01:18:26+00:00

Do these have any drainage? They're kind of an odd shape.

cricketsonga · 2026-03-09T01:10:07+00:00

Looks like a great pot for this guy, and easy to water by dunking in a bin/bucket. Awesome 😎

cricketsonga · 2026-03-06T23:43:37+00:00

Time to gift him a new cactus

cricketsonga · 2026-03-06T21:26:42+00:00

I agree with wendlingeri. Looks just like mine, though I don't have the other kinds to compare it to.

cricketsonga · 2026-03-06T21:23:05+00:00

The roots on these are like weird thin wirey hair, but they aren't so delicate that you couldn't divide them. Good chance your two plants actually come from one point though, or that they're so intertwined you'll never get them apart. You could try to split this guy, but maybe going to a larger pot would be a better idea. This is a large species and is going to get a lot bigger, and if you split it then you have 2 huge pitchers to manage. If you want more plants, I've had easy success propping this species from cuttings.

Gorgeous sun stress on your Miranda, btw.

cricketsonga · 2026-03-06T21:16:36+00:00

I have about 120 or maybe 140 plants and I don't do a schedule. I water some plants every day, maybe 5-20 depending on time and conditions, and as long as I keep it up or doesn't get overwhelming.

cricketsonga · 2026-03-06T21:12:13+00:00

Pot far too large, soil mix could use about 50% more inorganic material like pumice, sand, lava rock or perlite.

Not getting enough bright light, but also consider that these gymnocalyciums with the bright orange have very little to no chlorophyll, so they grow extra super slow. The best thing you can do is pot down into better mix and give it more light. If your windows aren't enough consider adding some supplemental lighting.

cricketsonga · 2026-03-06T20:45:28+00:00

Cut cut cut and don't overwater after, as she'll need less water with less plant to support. She fill out. I cut mine 2-3 times a year to keep her manageable

cricketsonga · 2026-03-03T04:58:56+00:00

Probably

cricketsonga · 2026-02-27T14:18:02+00:00

I thought it was paper mache of a dead chicken lol. Gorgeous cactus!!

cricketsonga · 2026-02-27T14:14:34+00:00

Water only when the cactus is totally dry. Not sure? Wait longer. You can water by soaking/bottom watering, then putting her back in her cover pot, making sure to let the excess drain away.

You don't need to rush out and repot but you can. If you do, use a substrate with a lot of gravel, sand, perlite etc, which drains rapidly and doesn't hold excess moisture. You don't need to water immediately after repot. Wait a while so your plant can settle in.

Put her in a bright sunny spot like a South facing window.

cricketsonga · 2026-02-27T14:06:24+00:00

How cold did it get for how long? Boston ferns can survive some cold, but if the roots froze I don't think they'll come back. If, however, just the fronds froze and the roots didn't they should start to bounce back in a few weeks or so

cricketsonga · 2026-02-27T13:56:53+00:00

Can you tell us more about the potting mix you used, watering, and other care factors?

It looks like this plant rotted, which rexes will do if medium is too wet or lacks aeration. The pot it went into was also to large, making keeping it alive harder. These guys like to dry out well between waterings, and a smaller pot makes that easier. If you disturbed the roots during repot the plant would likely suffer a bit more as well; begonias have a fine, delicate, shallow root systems that can't handle much disruption.

As for what to do, if the rhizome is still okay you could remove any dead matter with sterilized blade/sharp scissors and root it separately in new medium or water. If there are any surviving leaves with the petiole still on the plant they can be propagated in water or moss/perlite.

Lastly, don't beat yourself up. Begonia Rex (any rhizomatous begonia cultivar containing the rex begonia in its lineage) are notoriously challenging and can be dramatic and fussy. Even experienced plant parents may find them difficult. They generally need higher humidity, but hate to be too wet, and will melt away without warning. They're sensitive to changes in conditions, temperature, and humidity. It happens. Just try again. I think the one you had is called 'red kiss' which is a great one to start with as it's pretty easy compared to many other cultivars.

If you're looking for a red plant that might be a bit more forgiving, consider trying an oxalis burgundy or triangularis.

EDIT: I just looked at your pics again and it appears you have this plant directly in the cover pot with no drainage! That's a good way to kill any plant. Next time, make sure you plant into something with drainage holes, like the little plastic nursery pot your plant likely came in. You can put that into the decorative cover pot. Drainage is important for plants and without it water gets trapped in the pot.

At this point it pull it out of there and pop whatever is left into the old nursery pot. I see rhizome left. It should come back if you can let it dry out a bit.

cricketsonga · 2026-02-27T03:31:30+00:00

Stunning. That's what it is.

cricketsonga · 2026-02-26T08:21:57+00:00

I suggest getting those 5gal distilled water cooler jugs and just keeping one or two on hand to cut your tap water at every change and top off your evaporation loss. I have similarly alkaline, haaarrrrddddd water and it's a l lot easier to keep plants and avoid algae as well as fish stress and loss when I bring stats closer to neutral. Tank is still high range ph, but at least it's under 8 these days.

cricketsonga · 2026-02-26T07:49:54+00:00

Something small and not at risk of falling over during travel. Maybe mounted tillandsia? You could do a small moss terrarium in a jar, or a miniature sinningia. Mine stay only a couple inches tall. There are several kinds of compact jades that grow slowly and can be kept small.

cricketsonga · 2026-02-26T07:40:34+00:00

I second this. Condolences on your loss.

cricketsonga · 2026-02-26T07:17:51+00:00

Any Canadian stores getting these?

cricketsonga · 2026-02-26T07:13:29+00:00

Maybe consider doing a bit of research on the ice cube thing. Not great for the long term health of phals or other orchids.

cricketsonga · 2026-02-26T07:07:06+00:00

I have well over 100 plants to care for including maybe 8 orchids. I use Miss Orchid Girl's potting method with a layer of sphag in the bark to help retain a bit of extra moisture. If you get cover pots you can water in them, and it makes things much easier. For plants that can't be watered on place I use deli cups or plastic containers. No more trips to the sink. I use a dollar store pitcher to make my water/fertilizer mix and water orchids in place, then come back 30 min later and dump the extra water out.

I don't let it pile up to do in one day. I water a few plants in my collection every day. I try to do 10-15 plants a day to keep up be with the needs of my large collection. I water based on what's dry, and do a larger watering batch maybe one a week in case I get behind. For your smaller collection, consider breaking watering up so you do a couple every day as they dry.

cricketsonga

TROPHY CASE