Houseplant growing guide
Lipstick plant
Aeschynanthus radicans · Gesneriaceae
Sun
Bright indirect
Season
Year-round indoors
Maturity
2 to 3 years
Water
Moderate
Soil pH
6.0 to 6.5
Spacing
Hanging basket
Planting lipstick plant
Lipstick plant is a hanging-basket tropical, an epiphyte that trails waxy-leaved stems over the pot edge. Pot it in a light, fast-draining mix; African violet mix with extra charcoal or perlite suits its epiphyte roots better than heavy potting soil. Repot in spring when roots fill the basket. Flowers follow steady warmth and bright indirect light, so site it near an east window or back from a south one, where it gets light without midday sun. Outdoors it can summer in shade, but frost ends it everywhere except zones 10 and 11.
Planting details
- Hanging basket or tall pot so the stems can trail
- Light, fast-draining mix; African violet or orchid-style blends suit epiphyte roots
- Bright indirect light; direct sun scorches the waxy leaves
- Warmth matters: aim for 65 to 70 F, and never below 50
- Propagate from 3-node tip cuttings, which root in about 2 weeks
Growing requirements
Bright indirect light, real warmth, and humidity with moving air. This is a gesneriad, an African violet relative, so it wants evenly moist soil with excellent drainage and no standing water in the saucer. Water regularly, since it is thirstier than it looks, and feed weakly with a dilute fertilizer through the growing season to keep vines leafy and blooming. Winter means slightly cooler and drier, which encourages the next bud set, but anything under 50 F triggers leaf drop. Stagnant damp air invites fungus, so keep air moving around the basket.
Harvesting and care
After flowering, prune stems back to about 6 inches to force fresh branching, since an unpruned plant strings out over the pot edge. The burgundy tubes at the stem tips are the buds; scarlet blooms slip out like lipstick, mostly through the warm months. Watch for aphids, mealybugs, and mites at the tips, and botrytis or leaf spot on foliage that stays wet. A plant shedding lower leaves is usually cold or inconsistently watered, while a basket that never blooms wants more light.
Common mistakes
- Direct sun, which scorches the waxy foliage
- Cold below 50 F or drafts, which make it shed leaves
- Soggy soil or a water-filled saucer, which rots epiphyte roots
- Stagnant damp air, which invites botrytis and leaf spot
- Never pruning, which leaves a few long stringy stems instead of a full basket
Companion plants
Lipstick plant belongs with other epiphytes and shade bloomers that share its airy mix and humidity: it hangs well alongside hoyas and moth orchids, or above a grouping of ferns that benefit from the same humid corner. Keep it off the succulent shelf; it wants more water and less sun than they do.
Varieties worth growing
- Species form: the classic; scarlet tubes tipped with yellow-throated blooms
- Black Pagoda: dark marbled leaves with the same red flowers
- Mona Lisa: heavy-blooming selection; the common florist type
- Twister: curled, twisted foliage that looks good even without flowers
Frequently asked questions
Why is my lipstick plant not blooming?
Usually too little light or a cold spot. It blooms most freely in bright indirect light at steady warm temperatures, and a cooler drier winter rest helps set the next buds.
Why is it dropping leaves?
Almost always cold or drafts. Temperatures below 50 F trigger leaf drop, so keep it away from chilly windows and doors in winter.
Can lipstick plant go outside in summer?
Yes, in a shaded sheltered spot; it is an understory epiphyte. Bring it back in well before frost, since it is only hardy outdoors in zones 10 to 11.
How do I propagate it?
Take a soft tip cutting with about three nodes, strip the lowest leaves, and root it in moist vermiculite-perlite; roots usually appear in about two weeks.
