The PILF-opedia

“The one that won’t leave the house without a little lip.”

Lipstick Plant

Aeschynanthus radicans

Scarlet flower clusters at the tips of waxy, trailing vines. It blooms most for whoever gives it the most light.

Fling

2.9/5

how easy it is to care for

3.4/5

how much it stands out visually

: Shade to filtered

Out of the sun, near a window; too dim means no lipstick

Flowers best near a window but out of direct sun; a sheer curtain works too. Medium light keeps the vines leafy, but the red blooms likely stop.

In the wild it perches on tree branches in damp forests, from peninsular Thailand to Sumatra and Borneo (NC State; Missouri Botanical Garden), under a canopy that takes the edge off the sun.

The RHS points it to an east- or west-facing spot in bright, filtered light for the best growth and flowering. Short on windows? Missouri Botanical Garden notes it does well under artificial light, so a grow lamp can stand in through a gray Chicago winter.

A basket hung in a window also sits close to cold glass, and NC State notes its leaves drop below 50°F. In January, let the vines hang a hand’s width back from the pane.

Of everything it asks for, light decides whether those red tubes ever appear at the vine tips.

: 2-3× a month

Even drinks and no drafts, or it drops its lower leaves

Every 7-10 days in summer, stretching to 10-14 in winter. Its thick, leathery leaves store water through a missed week; constant sogginess or a cold draft costs more, often in dropped lower leaves.

Hung up high, it dries faster than you might expect: Missouri Botanical Garden calls these thirsty plants and warns against forgetting them, especially in baskets.

The longer winter gaps do it good: a cooler, drier rest is what sets buds for the next flush of red (Missouri Botanical Garden).

It loves humid air, as long as that air moves. Still, damp air invites fungal disease (NC State), so a steamy bathroom works well with a fan running or the door left open.

Gone for a while? Ten days is fine if it’s soaked the day you leave; the leathery leaves carry it through.

: Medium

Arching vines that cascade 1-3 feet over the rim

Waxy-leaved stems arch up, then spill 1-3 feet from a basket: hang it a little above head height so the vine tips face you. A trim after blooming keeps the top full.

When a round of flowers fades, Missouri Botanical Garden suggests taking the stems down to about 6 inches, which spurs fresh growth from lower on the vines.

NC State’s method for the trimmings: a soft cutting three nodes long, stripped to its top 2-4 leaves and set in equal parts perlite and vermiculite kept moist; roots should show in about two weeks.

Its shape wants a drop below it. A ceiling hook by a window, the top of a bookcase, or a tall plant stand lets the vines fall clear of furniture.

: Pet & kid safe

Nothing to worry about for dogs, cats, or kids

DogsSafe
CatsSafe
KidsSafe

The ASPCA lists a close cousin, Aeschynanthus humilis, as non-toxic to dogs and cats, and UConn lists the whole lipstick-plant genus as safe for kids. Its dangling vines may tempt a cat, and that’s fine.

Its waxy leaves, smooth stems, and red flowers hold nothing harmful for a pet or a child, so a nibble costs the plant, not the nibbler. A pet that eats a lot of any plant may still get an upset stomach (ASPCA).

The plant is the one at risk. Vines dangling at paw height can turn into a cat toy, and a firm tug on a stem may bring a light basket down with it.

If you share your home with a climber, hang it from a ceiling hook out of jumping range, with the vine tips ending above the back of the sofa. With a toddler, there’s nothing to plan around beyond the odd flower picked early.

ASPCA, Lipstick Plant (A. humilis): safe for dogs.
ASPCA, Lipstick Plant (A. humilis): safe for cats.
UConn Extension: safe for kids.

Cats and dogs: Most of the leading sources agree.

Kids: No poison-centre listing; rated from university extension sources.

: Average

60-70°F; average humidity is fine

Happiest at 60-70°F, and it shouldn’t sit below 55°F. Keep it away from cold glass in winter. It wants at least 35% humidity.

Temperature: 60-70°F

: Mealybugs

Mealybugs and aphids; check leaf joints and shoot tips

Mealybugs and aphids find it most: check leaf axils and stem nodes for mealybugs, and new shoot tips and flower buds for aphids. Mites hide under the leaves, and scale sits on stems and along the veins.

Mealybugs
Aphids
Mites
Scale insects

Not many pests, and mostly the sap-⁠sucking kind: aphids, mealybugs, and scale. Wet leaves bring mold and leaf spot.

Aphids are small, soft bugs clustered on new growth and flower buds. Rinse them off in the shower; if they come back, spray with insecticidal soap.

Mealybugs look like tufts of white cotton where leaves meet the stem; scale looks like small brown bumps stuck to stems and leaves. Wipe them off with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, then check again next week.

Gray, fuzzy mold (botrytis) or spots on the leaves mean they’re staying wet. Pick off what’s affected, water the soil rather than the plant, and keep the leaves off the damp soil surface.

: Some

Feed monthly in summer; prune after blooms

Feed monthly at half strength from mid spring to late summer, and sweep up dropped leaves and flowers all year. Cut stems back to about 6 inches after flowering, and trim weak shoots as needed. Repot every other spring.

Feed5× a year
Prune1× a year
Clean leaves4× a year

A light, rich mix that drains fast, in a pot or hanging basket with a drainage hole. In the wild it grows on trees, so its roots like air; potting mix with some perlite or orchid bark stirred in works.

Repot only when the roots fill the pot, in spring.

Food helps it flower: a dilute liquid fertilizer (one made for orchids works) through spring and summer, and none in winter.

: Suave

Waxy green leaves on trailing vines

Thick, leathery leaves with a waxy gloss line the trailing vines, plain green so the scarlet flower clusters at the tips stand out. The vines cover the soil only partly.

Fun fact

Its name comes from the buds: each red flower first peeks out of a dark, tube-shaped case, like lipstick wound up from its tube, before opening with a yellow throat.

Designer tips

Glossy and trailing, with pops of red, it gives a hanging basket a vintage, tropical look.

In a hanging basket by an east window, in flower

The seasonHolds the hanging spot from spring well into fallRed flowers push out of dark, lipstick-like buds through spring and summer and into fall, so hang it at eye level a few feet from a bright window for the season.

The colorSaves its red for a pale room with one echoIts red flowers do the most in a pale room with one other red in it: a print, a cushion, a stripe in a rug.

The styleBrings a vintage, tropical-lounge note to a roomGlossy trailing stems and red tubes have a retro, tropical look that suits a bar cart, rattan and a record player.

Troubleshooting

Why isn’t it flowering?

Usually not enough light. Move it closer to a bright window, still out of the sun’s reach, keep it warm, and feed it through spring and summer; it flowers from spring into fall. A cooler, drier winter rest helps set the next round of buds (Missouri Botanical Garden).

It’s dropping leaves

Cold, most often: NC State Extension says it drops leaves below 50°F, so move it back from cold glass and drafts. Soil left soggy or bone dry can do it too.

Leaves are turning yellow

Usually too much water. Let the top of the soil dry a little between soaks, empty the saucer, and check that the pot drains.

See all 9

Why are the stems long and bare?

Age or too little light, usually. Cut the long stems back to about 6 inches after it flowers if you like; new shoots fill in from below, and the cut pieces root.

White cotton where the leaves meet the stems

Likely mealybugs, its most common pest. Wipe them off with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, then check again next week.

Gray fuzz on the flowers or leaves

That’s botrytis, a mold that likes wet leaves and still air. Pick off the affected parts, water the soil rather than the plant, and give it some air.

Is it safe for my cat?

Yes. The ASPCA lists a close cousin, Aeschynanthus humilis, as non-toxic to cats and dogs, though eating any plant can upset a pet’s stomach. The dangling stems invite batting, so hang it up high if you want it to stay full.

Can it go outside for the summer?

Yes, in shade: a porch or under a tree, where sun doesn’t land on the leaves. Bring it back in before fall nights dip below 55°F, and check it for bugs first.

Why is it called a lipstick plant?

The flower buds: each red flower pokes out of a dark cup, like lipstick rising from its tube.

Propagation

Yes, easily, from stem cuttings.

Snip a soft stem tip with three nodes (three pairs of leaves), take off the lowest pair, and pot it in damp perlite and vermiculite, half and half.
Keep it moist; roots appear in about two weeks.
Several cuttings in one pot make a fuller plant.