The Lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus pulcher) is a popular tropical plant often used in office plantscapes. It makes a great table-top or hanging plant as the stems grow quickly and will trail down the sides of the container.
It has small dark green fleshy leaves and when the conditions are right, will produce a very unique pink or red flower. When the flower first appears, it looks just like lipstick emerging from a tube.
Native to Malaysia and South America, this plant is an epiphyte. Epiphytes grow harmlessly on another plant, taking moisture and nutrients from the plant rather than the soil.
The Lipstick plant requires good light, but avoid direct sunlight as the leaves will burn. Allow the plant to dry out somewhat before watering, especially in the winter months. This plant prefers a humid environment. It may drop some leaves in the cold weather when the humidity indoors drops dramatically. Cut back the long trailing vines regularly to promote new growth. Fertilize with either a standard house plant fertilizer, or one designed to promote flowers. The flowers appear sporadically throughout the year.
Lipstick plants are fairly resistant to pest. In dry conditions, they may get spider mites, and inconsistent watering could result in a mealy bug infestation.
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NOV
2015