A lipstick plant gets its name for resembling a tube of lipstick with its bright red flowers. This peculiar-looking tropical plant will undoubtedly stand out from the rest of your houseplant collection. It can also be a welcome addition to your other hanging plants in your home or office. Here are the tips to consider for Lipstick Plant Care!
Common Names
- Aeschynanthus Pulcher
- Red Bugle Vine
- Lipstick Vine
- Aeschynanthus Radicans
- Aeschynanthus Radicans Mona Lisa
What Soil Mix Works Best for a Lipstick Plant?
A Lipstick Plant enjoys a well-draining potting mix. You can add a few branches and rocks into the potting soil mix to give the plant something to latch onto as it grows, as it does in the rainforest. Make sure you plant this plant into a container with good drainage holes to allow the excess water to flow out naturally to avoid root rot. One tip with drainage holes is to put the rocks at the bottom of the container to stop the potting mix from blocking the drainage holes.
Can you use a Houseplant Fertilizer?
You can use a slow-release liquid fertilizer during the growing season for a Lipstick Plant. Introduce the plant to fertilizer by using half as much of the recommendation on the back of the bottle. You can ease the plant into a fertilizer routine using half the dosage without giving it too many nutrients.
How Much Sunlight Does a Lipstick Plant Need?
Being native to the topics, Lipstick Plants enjoy bright and indirect light. Having the plant receive too much direct sunlight can cause the plant’s leaves to burn. If the plant is near an east-facing window, consider putting a curtain over the window to reduce the direct sun hitting it.
Be on the lookout if the plant begins looking scraggly and not blooming during the growing season. If the plant is not blooming, it means it is not receiving enough light. Consider moving the plant into an area that gets more bright indirect light if possible.
What Temperature Works Best for a Lipstick Plant?
A room temperature environment between 60-85 degrees Fahrenheit works best for this plant. However, don’t allow it to be in an area below 50 degrees Fahrenheit for too long. Anything below the 50 degrees Fahrenheit mark for too long can cause the leaves to drop.
One thing to be careful about is leaving this indoor plant near a cold window during the winter. The same goes with putting this plant too close to an AC unit in the summer. If you notice that the plant leaves are easy to pick off, that can signify that the climate is not working for the plant.
What Humidity Requirements Does the Lipstick Vine Need?
A Lipstick Vine does best with high humidity climates. Consider placing this indoor houseplant in your bathroom that has a shower. The hot and humid environment of running a hot shower will be precisely the climate the plant enjoys.
Another way to increase the humidity around the plant is with misting. Misting helps create more moisture in the air around the plant, which it prefers. Misting also forms that tropical environment that the plant is familiar with within the tropics.
Finally, you can add a humidifier or pebble tray for this plant. In addition to that, you can place this plant around other plants to create a more humid environment. As water evaporates in the air from other plants, it will create a slightly more humid climate.
How Often Should You Water a Lipstick Plant?
You should only water a Lipstick Plant when the top inch or two of soil is dry. Overwatering can create Root Rot and fungal problems, a common problem for this plant. One way to reduce the chance of Root Rot is to mist the plant whenever the top inch of soil becomes dry. Misting the plant means you don’t have to worry about having too much water sit at the bottom of the pot.
What Size Does a Lipstick Vine Typically Grow to?
A Lipstick Vine grows to two to three feet with its mature size.
Most Common Bugs
Mealybugs, Spider Mites, and Aphids are common bugs infest this plant. You can remove these bugs using neem oil and a damp cloth if you notice them. If you can’t remove these pests with a cloth, you can spray the plant down with insecticidal soap.
Most Common Diseases
Root Rot is a common disease for a lipstick plant, and it occurs from overwatering the plant before the soil dries out completely. To fix root rot, you need to remove the plant from the wet soil, cut the damaged roots off, and place it into fresh soil. It is best to put the plant in an area that receives more indirect light than before.
Can you Prune an Aeschynanthus Radicans?
It is best to prune an Aeschynanthus Radicans as it becomes too straggly and leggy for the current area. One tip is to put this plant into a hanging basket if you are alright with having it hang out of the container for a bit.
Can you Propagate a Lipstick Plant?
You can take your pruning cuttings from the plant and use them for propagation.
- Take a cutting of a few inches off the plant that contains a leaf node
- Place that cutting into fresh soil
- Pack down the soil around the plant cutting so it doesn’t move easily
- Give the new cutting some water and place it in an area that has indirect light to promote new growth
Can you Repot a Lipstick Plant?
The general recommendation is to repot this plant every two years. However, repotting becomes critical if the plant grows too large for the current container. Signs of the plant growing too large is if it becomes root-bound or the stems are growing too fast for the existing home. Below are the steps for repotting the plant.
- Remove the plant from the current container. You might need to cut off some of the roots if the plant is root-bound.
- Put the fresh potting mix into a container two inches larger in diameter than the previous home.
- Place the plant into the new container.
- Give the plant some water and let it settle into the new home.
Where Does the Aeschynanthus Radicans Originate from Initially?
An Aeschynanthus Radicans originates from the tropics in Southeast Asia, like Malaysia and the Malay Peninsula.
What USDA Zone Works Best?
The USDA Zone that works best for a Lipstick plant is 10.
Is it Toxic?
A Lipstick plant is non-toxic to humans and pets.
Conclusion – How to Take Care of Lipstick Plant
In summary, a Lipstick Plant is a unique-looking indoor plant that will stand out from the rest. There are a few different lipstick plants to get, so it comes down to the size you want in your home. Remember, this plant does best with high humidity, so try and keep this plant in a bathroom, or invest in a humidifier!
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