If you’re looking for tropical plants to add to your indoor houseplant collection, then look no further than lipstick plant. The lipstick plant is a tropical houseplant. Aeschynanthus radiatansThe name comes from the bright red tubular flower that grows out of dark purple-red flowers, which resemble lipstick tubes.
This vine is sometimes called lipstick vine due to its tendency to spread out. Some call it basket vine, because it is beautiful when hung in a basket.
Lipstick plants require little maintenance, making them ideal for novice houseplant growers. It is non-toxic for humans and pets. This makes it an ideal addition to any home with children or animals.
The beautiful red flowers of this evergreen succulent will bring a splash of color into your home. If you provide the proper growing conditions, this succulent plant will flower profusely.
Grow lipstick plants if you’d like to add year-round interest to your houseplant collection. The tubular flowers make it an interesting addition to indoor plants. It can also add height and visual appeal when it is grown in a basket. Although it grows as a vine, it can also be pruned and kept bushy if you don’t quite have the space for hanging planters.
Quick Care Guide
Common Name | Lipstick vine, Rasta lipstick vine, Twisted Lipstick plant |
Scientific Name | Aeschynanthus radiatans |
Families can be found in every ethnicity. | Gesneriaceae is also known as the Gesneriads or Gesneriads’ family. |
Height & Spread | 3-4 inches high and 2-3 feet wide |
Light | Indirect light of medium to high intensity |
Soil | The neutral-alkaline potting mixture drains well |
Water | Water the soil regularly enough to keep them moist but never waterlogged |
Pests & Diseases | Root rot, leaf spot and spider mites are all caused by aphids, mealybugs or spider mites. |
Lipstick Plants: All You Need to Know
Lipstick plants Aeschynanthus radiatansIt has bright red blooms and dark green foliage. The leaves are glossy, leathery and thick. They resemble succulents. The terminal buds are topped by the flowers, which can be deadheaded or pruned to promote more blooms.
This tropical plant is native to the Malay Peninsula which includes Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar. This tropical evergreen perennial is native to its habitat. USDA zones 11-12 can grow it as such. All other zones will require it to be grown indoors.
There are well over 100 different species of lipstick plants, but there are only a few that you’re likely to encounter at your local nursery. Aeschynanthus radiatans ‘Mona Lisa’ is one of these common lipstick plant varieties. Mona Lisa is a common lipstick plant variety with red flowers and orange-yellow throats.
Other lipstick plant varieties like Aeschynanthus micranthus “Variegata” mini is a variegated cultivar that offers medium green leaves spattered with golden-yellow variegation. Some varieties have purple flowers and others have curly-leaved leaves.
Lipstick Plant Care
The care of lipstick plants is fairly simple. Being a tropical plants, there are specific humidity requirements. Here are some tips on how to care for your lipstick plant.
The Sun and Temperature
The best way to grow lipstick plants indoors is in bright indirect sunlight. This can be achieved by placing the plant in a sunny window with 6-8 hours per day of bright light.
You should avoid direct sunlight if your lipstick plants are being grown outdoors or in a place where they will be outdoors for a part of their growing season.
It is best to place it in a location that has partial shade. It cannot tolerate complete shade. Lipstick plants will reliably grow outdoors in USDA zones 11-12. Other zones are likely to grow lipstick plants indoors, or at least partially indoors.
Ideal temperature is 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (18 and 29 degrees Celcius). It is therefore sensitive to cold temperatures and cannot tolerate frost.
If temperatures in your area are below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degree Celsius), you will need to bring it indoors, or provide some protection within a space such as a greenhouse or shed.
It should be kept in a heated greenhouse or house if temperatures are below freezing. Normal conditions show beautiful green foliage on the lipsit plant. When the leaves start to turn red, it can indicate that the air temperature has dropped too low.
This plant’s blooming time is also affected by air and soil temperatures. The soil temperature must be 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit for the plant to bloom properly.
Water and Humidity
Lipstick plants like to remain moist without becoming waterlogged. It’s a good idea to keep these plants in pots made of a porous material like terracotta so that water can evaporate easily. Terracotta pots will prevent standing water as well as potential fungus issues.
During the growing season, you’ll want to water your plant once a week when the top few inches of soil have dried out. You can water less frequently in the winter but still wait for the soil to be completely dry before you water.
Use a watering hose with a thin spout to avoid splashing back on the leaves.
Growing lipstick plants require supplemental humidity when they are grown as indoor plants, as most houses don’t supply it with the levels at which it is happiest. This tropical plant prefers high humidity levels, usually around 50%, and can be obtained by misting it regularly with a spray.
You can also place a tray of pebbles filled with water under your plant. The water evaporates and creates a humid atmosphere. You may choose to use an indoor humidifier that is designed for houseplants.
Soil
As we have already mentioned, lipstick plants dislike standing water or soil that is waterlogged. For this reason, it’s important to select a potting mix that provides adequate drainage. Perlite can be added to your potting mix to increase drainage.
When you’re growing lipstick plants as hanging plants in a hanging basket, make sure that the basket provides good drainage as well since some hanging baskets are made without drainage holes or a drip tray attached to the bottom.
Lipstick plants do not have a particular preference for pH of the soil, but they prefer neutral or alkaline soil.
Fertilizing Lipstick plants
To encourage more flowers, lipstick plants will benefit from fertilization in the spring or summer. This can be achieved by using a slow-release fertilizer, such as a houseplant fertilizer.
Please follow the directions provided on the packaging for the application strength and frequency. You should use a balanced fertilizer, as a high-nitrogen fertilizer will encourage foliar growth and reduce flowering.
Pruning
The Lipstick Plant is known for its prolific blooming and is often called the Lipstick Vine. If you don’t prune it regularly, this plant will grow and hang out of your planter.
Prune back scraggly vines to promote bushier growth, or let it sprawl — it’s up to you! Deadheading spent blooms will encourage new buds.
When flowering is over, trim the plant down to 6 inches. This will stimulate new healthy growth. This will encourage another round of blooms.
This will ensure that your lipstick plant produces more blooms. As with most indoor houseplants, it’s always a good idea to prune back dead or dying foliage.
Lipstick Plant Propagation
A second benefit to growing lipstick plants is the ability to propagate them using stem cuttings. You will have an endless supply! You can take a stem cutting below a node of a leaf. Cuts can be placed in water for a week and then they will grow roots.
You can dip the stem cuttings into a rooting hormone to speed this process, but this isn’t absolutely necessary. After your cuttings are rooted, you can plant your new plant in the medium of your choosing and continue to water it until it starts to grow.
Repotting Lipstick Plants
Aeschynanthus radiatans It is beneficial to repot every 2-3 years. It is essential to take care of your lipstick plant. You may want to consider repotting your plant if it is growing slowly, has few blooms, and is bigger than its container.
It is best to pot your plants after they have finished blooming. This can happen in the fall, or even winter.
Slowly increase the pot size by going 1-2″ larger than your current pot. You will avoid problems with too much water, as you won’t have extra soil to water to keep the entire pot moist.
Troubleshooting
If you give your lipstick plant the proper care, it will flourish! While following the above guidelines is a good start, there can be some problems. Now that we’ve discussed lipstick plant care tips let’s cover some issues you may face when caring for them.
Growing Problems
When it comes to lipstick plants, the most common problem is that they receive too much direct sun.
It is possible that your plant has been receiving too much light if it starts to drop leaves or if the leaves start to look scorched. Your plant should be moved to an area that has partial shade or indirect lighting. If the leaf drop subsides, then you’ve found the ideal lighting conditions.
In the opposite case, if you notice that your plant has a hard time producing its bright red flowers, and that growth is slow and lackluster it could be because of inadequate light. You can move your plant into a brighter place to make sure it gets enough light and care.
Pests
Lipstick plants Aeschynanthus radiatansAphids, spider mites, and mealybugs can all be a problem for. You can remove aphids with a strong spray of water, or wipe them away with a moistened cloth. Neem oil is a good treatment for a more severe aphid problem.
You may notice pale leaves of lipstick plants and a web-like or cottony mass under the leaves. This could be an indication of a mealybug invasion. An infestation can be treated with insecticidal soap.
Spider mites can be a problem for many indoor houseplants. They prefer a warm and dry environment, with low levels of humidity. It is a good idea to increase the humidity in your home around houseplants. The first sign of mites is a small hole in the leaf or a yellowish spot on the foliage. You may also notice tiny web clusters.
If the mites are already present, but have caused little or no damage, you can remove them manually by spraying water on your plants, or wiping them down with a wet cloth. If the infestation becomes more severe, you can use insecticidal soaps or organic insecticides that contain pyrethrins to eliminate all of these mites.
Diseases
Lipstick plants kept in soil that is too wet or soggy are susceptible to fungus problems, such as root rot. The main disease to affect your plants is root rot. Rot will show up as a mushy, soft stem, wilting leaves, and rotten roots.
The rot can be harder to treat, but it is possible to fix if the plant still has fresh white roots that are not mush. Plant the roots in a pot with dry soil after cutting back rotted ones.
Leaf spots appear as well. It is a fungal disease. To prevent it, water your plants near the base and avoid wetting their foliage. Neem oil can be used to control this disease, and in more severe cases liquid fungicides can be used.
Always read the directions on the back of your package before applying any product. Leaf spot can be spread to other plants, so in very advanced cases, it’s best to remove and destroy the infected plant rather than lose more of your houseplants.
FAQs
Q: Does the lipstick plant require sunlight?
A: It is possible, but the best results are achieved with filtered sunlight rather than direct sunshine.
Q: How many times does a Lipstick Plant bloom?
A: Lipstick plants generally bloom late summer into early fall, but when they’re grown indoors, they can bloom at any time of the year.
Q: Is the lipstick plant poisonous or not?
A: Lipstick plants do not pose a threat to people or animals.
How long does a lipstick plant last?
Lipstick plants can live for up to five years under ideal conditions.
Q: Do lipstint plants like being misted?
It is important to mist this plant regularly, as it comes from humid tropical climates. To avoid fungus, it is best to mist the plant early in the morning.
How can I make my lipstick plant bushy and thorny?
A: Trim the plant immediately after it has bloomed. To encourage bushy growth, cut stems to 6 inches.
Q: What is a lipstick plant?
A: Yes. It’s a small evergreen cactus plant.
Q: When should you deadhead lipstick plants?
A: Deadheading spent blossoms will encourage new flower buds and bushier growing.