Lipstick Plant
Aeschynanthus radicans
Through the year 🗓️
☀️ Summer now
Peak bloom season. Keep it bright, evenly watered, and humid, and don't relocate it mid-bud.
🍂 Fall
Let late buds finish, then taper water and food as growth slows.
❄️ Winter
A slightly cooler (60–65 °F), drier rest helps set next year's buds. Just never let it sit near a cold window.
🌱 Spring
Resume feeding as light strengthens and prune lanky stems after the main bloom flush to keep it full.
The details
Light & placement
- Light
- Bright indirect with a little gentle direct sun, the single biggest factor in whether it blooms
- Ideal PPFD
- 200–400 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹
- Grow-light distance
- 12–18 in below LED
Water & feed
- Watering method
- Water when the top 1–2 in dry, then drain fully. It's an epiphyte with fleshy leaves, so airy soil kept lightly moist (never soggy) beats a strict schedule.
- Fertilizer
- Balanced feed at ½ strength, every 2–4 wks in spring–summer; a bloom formula can nudge flowering.
Home & habit
- Soil
- Airy epiphytic mix: houseplant soil cut with orchid bark and perlite; pH 6.0–6.5
- Humidity
- Above average (50–60%+); dry air causes leaf drop
- Temperature
- 65–80 °F; keep above 60 °F and away from cold drafts
- Mature size
- Trails 2–3 ft
- Repotting
- Every 2–3 yrs; blooms best slightly root-bound
- Propagation
- Stem cuttings with 2–3 nodes in moist soil or water; roots fastest with warmth and humidity.
When something looks wrong
- Overwatering signs
- Yellowing leaves, leaf drop, blackened stem bases
- Underwatering signs
- Wrinkled, curling leaves; crispy tips; dropped buds
- Common pests
- Mealybugs, aphids, spider mites
Common problems 🩺
The usual suspects when Lipstick Plant looks unhappy. Most houseplant trouble is watering or light, not disease — see all plant problems if you are not sure which plant is the culprit.
No flowers
Likely cause
Not enough light, or too much repotting — it blooms best pot-bound.
What to do
Bright indirect light, leave it snug, and feed through spring and summer.
Dropping leaves
Likely cause
Cold water, cold drafts, or letting it dry out completely.
What to do
Room-temperature water on a steady rhythm, in a warm draft-free spot.
Mushy stems
Likely cause
Overwatering in a dense mix.
What to do
Use an airy, epiphyte-friendly mix and let the top inch dry.
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