Houseplant · Gesneriaceae
Lipstick Plant
Aeschynanthus radicans
Give it warmth, bright indirect light, and humid air, and glossy stems trail red tubular flowers from a hanging basket for much of the year.
Bright indirect
Every 5–10 days
55–81°F · 13–27°C
USDA 10–11
Overview
The name lives in the flower itself: a red bloom slides from a dark tube exactly the way a stick of lipstick rises from its case, one bright column pushing free of a darker sheath. This trailing tropical sits in the gesneriad family beside the African violet, and in the wild it lives as an epiphyte gripping bark on Southeast Asian trees. Its stems run 12 to 35 inches (30 to 90 cm) long, lined the whole way with paired, thick glossy leaves that catch the light.
Those leaves are firm and waxy to the touch, and they clasp the stem in neat opposite pairs down its length. The flowers open in clusters at the tips and along the stems, each a slim red tube flaring at the mouth, so a full plant reads as a curtain of deep green studded with vivid red. It repeats that show on and off from spring into the cooler months.
Beyond the color, the plant is a safe one to keep close. The ASPCA lists it as non-toxic, so those glossy leaves and red tubes can hang within reach of a cat or a small child.
Care
The short version: it wants bright indirect light, warmth above 55°F (13°C), and humid air to hold its glossy leaves and red tubular flowers. Let the top of the mix dry between waterings, ease off in winter to set buds, and feed lightly through spring and summer.
Light
Set it in bright, indirect light near a window but clear of harsh midday sun, which scorches the glossy leaves and dulls their shine. It tolerates medium light and partial shade, though the brighter the spot, the more of those red tubes it opens.
Water
Let the top inch (3 cm) of mix dry before watering again, roughly every 5 to 10 days, and never leave the pot standing in water. Hanging baskets dry out faster, so check them more often. Ease off in winter, since cooler, drier roots are what set the flower buds.
Soil
Plant it in a light, fast-draining mix, such as African violet soil loosened with sphagnum moss and a little crushed charcoal. It grips tree bark in the wild, so its fine roots want air far more than steady wet.
Temperature
Keep it between 55°F and 81°F (13°C to 27°C) and away from cold glass. Below the mid-50s the glossy leaves start loosening and dropping, and a real chill sets the whole plant back hard.
Humidity
It wants high humidity to keep the leaves plump and glossy. Group it with other plants, set it over a pebble tray, or run a humidifier, but pair that moisture with moving air so gray mold does not settle on the foliage.
Feeding
Feed every two weeks through spring and summer with a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer at half strength. Stop feeding in fall and winter while the plant rests.
Pruning
After a flush of the red tubular flowers fades, cut the stems back to about 6 inches (15 cm) to push out bushy new leaves. Trim any bare, straggly stems back to roughly 2 inches (5 cm) to keep the plant dense and full.
Repotting
Repot only every 2 to 3 years, or when roots crowd the drainage holes. It flowers best a little pot-bound, so hold off on a much bigger pot.
Size & spacing
The leaf-lined stems trail 12 to 35 inches (30 to 90 cm) long with a spread of 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm). A hanging basket or a high shelf lets the glossy stems cascade at full length.
Troubleshooting
Most trouble shows first in the leaves and stems, whether from a cold draft, dry stagnant air, or watering that never steadies. Watch the glossy foliage closely and the earliest change gives the cause away before much of it falls. Match what you see below, then adjust the plant's spot or its routine.
Glossy leaves loosening and falling near the base
When the lower leaves work loose and drop, a chill is usually behind it, so trace it to a cold draft, a cold pane of winter glass, or an air conditioning vent breathing on the stems. Watering that swings from a dust-dry rootball to a sodden one deepens the bare patches. Set the plant in a warm spot above 55°F (13°C) and water it on an even rhythm, and fresh leaves fill the gaps.
Fix:
- Move to a warm spot away from drafts and cold glass
- Keep temperatures above about 13°C (55°F)
- Water consistently so the medium stays evenly moist but not soggy
Gray fuzz or dark spotting marking the leaves and stems
A soft gray fuzz spreading over the tissue is botrytis blight, while sharp dark spots pocking the surface are leaf spot, and both take root where damp air hangs motionless around the plant. Cut away the fuzzed and spotted foliage down to clean tissue, then stir the air so the leaf surfaces dry. Keep the glossy leaves dry and off the mix, and the spores find no wet film to grip.
Fix:
- Remove affected foliage
- Improve air circulation
- Keep leaves dry and off the potting medium
A sticky sheen, fine webbing, or tiny insects on the stems
A tacky glaze on the leaves or a thread of fine webbing between the stems gives away aphids, mealybugs, scale, or spider mites. They cluster along the stems and the shaded undersides of the leaves, so search there and rinse or wipe them off. Insecticidal soap or horticultural oil finishes the survivors, and a plant held apart from the others keeps them from crossing over.
Fix:
- Wipe off or wash off pests
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Isolate the plant until controlled
Toxicity
For all its bright color, the lipstick plant is safe. The ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, and neither the thick glossy leaves nor those red tubular flowers hold anything that would poison an animal or a child. It can hang wherever you like.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
The ASPCA lists this plant as non-toxic to cats. A cat that bites into a firm, glossy leaf may get a little mild stomach upset from the fiber, as with any plant, but no poison waits inside.
Dogs None
The plant is safe for dogs on the ASPCA list. A curious chew on the waxy foliage brings nothing worse than a passing bout of indigestion from the roughage.
Horses None
The ASPCA clears it for horses. A horse is unlikely to reach the trailing stems of a houseplant, and nothing in it is toxic regardless.
Rabbits Safe
Nothing in the lipstick plant is poisonous to a rabbit, so a stray nibble at a glossy leaf is no cause for alarm.
Livestock Safe
It carries no toxic risk for grazing animals, though a tender tropical trailing from a basket rarely comes within their reach.
Birds Safe
A pet bird can share a room with it safely. The thick, glossy leaves hold no known toxins that would trouble a bird.
People Safe
It is safe around children. The plant is not grown to be eaten, yet a curious taste of a leaf poisons no one.
Varieties
A few named forms circulate in the houseplant trade, set apart mostly by the color of their leaves or their flowers. These are the two you are most likely to find.
'Variegatus' (variegated lipstick plant)
In place of the usual solid green, this form paints its leaves with streaks of cream to yellow variegation.
Aeschynanthus radicans var. lobbianus
Sold as the red bugle vine, it lifts dark red calyces around a red corolla, though modern taxonomy now folds it in under A. pulcher.
How to propagate
The lipstick plant grows easily from cuttings, so one leafy basket yields several more. Take cuttings from soft, green stems during the warm growing months for the quickest roots.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring to summer during active growth · Roots in about two weeks
Fresh, supple stems root best, so take cuttings in spring or summer during active growth. Choose a soft green stem with three nodes, pinch off all but the top 2 to 4 leaves, and dip the raw cut end in rooting hormone. Bury it in equal parts gritty vermiculite and perlite kept lightly moist, and pale new roots push out in about two weeks.
Myths
The lipstick plant is poisonous and unsafe to keep near cats and dogs.
The fear tends to grow from the flowers themselves, those glossy lipstick-red tubes that look as if bright color must mean danger. It does not. The ASPCA lists the plant as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, marking it a genuinely pet-safe houseplant you can hang within reach.