The Aeschynanthus genus or Lipstick plant as it is also known as is fast becoming a popular choice for most home designers and indoor gardeners out there.
With origins tied to the tropical regions of Southeast Asia, their vibrant, rich dark green foliage, coupled with beautiful burgundy flowers, make it a design staple houseplant for most victorian style homes.
The Aeschynanthus genus is blessed with about 150 different varieties that each carry unique distinct features.
Some members of the Lipstick plant genus are blessed with soft leaves, while some are blessed with waxy, thick, cuticles. Some are large while some are small. Their fast-growing speed, and luxurious thick foliage, oftentimes make them a perfect hanging plant.
However, the Lipstick plant might not be the best plant to select for its aroma, as the blooms of the Lipstick plants do not produce a sweet or pleasant scent.
Aeschynanthus Overview
The varieties of the Aeschynanthus are oftentimes regarded as trailing, vine plants that grow on the surface of other plants. Getting their moisture from the rain, air, and water that surrounds it.
It gets its name lipstick plant from its tubular emerging buds that resemble a burgundy lipstick. The dark green, waxy lipstick plant leaves are not toxic and safe around pets and kids making them the perfect plant to be kept indoors.
Lipstick Plant Care
Taking care of lipstick plants is often a fun affair, this is because these beauties are easy to grow and care for. Providing the right amount of sunlight, warmth, and humidity to these exotic houseplants could be all you need to keep them happy and flourishing all year long.
Lipstick Plant Light Requirement
When it comes to sunlight, the members of the Aeschynanthus favor bright but indirect sunlight. Too little or too much sunlight would be harmful to their luxurious leaves, so more filtered sunlight would be perfect.
Lipstick Plant Soil Requirement
The Lipstick Aeschynanthus is a natural epiphyte, so you can often find them growing on the branches of other plants and on walls.
Whether growing the lipstick plant indoor or outdoor, ensure you pick a soil mix that is delicate on its roots.
A well-drained, well-aerated soil would be the perfect soil choice for the Aeschynanthus. Be sure to use soil that holds enough moisture without being soggy.
Lipstick Plant Watering Requirement
Watering your Aeschynanthus shouldn’t be an everyday affair. Even though the lipstick plant does like moist soil, overwatering it would end up causing more harm than good.
A soggy soil opens up the lipstick plant roots to rot, which could also lead to fungal problems accompanied by leaf drops.
A good practice would be to check the water level of the soil by feeling the top layer of the soil with your finger before watering. If you notice that it is dry, you can proceed to water your lipstick plant.
Lipstick Plant Pruning Requirements
Pruning the Lipstick hanging plant might be required to keep it from growing out of proportion. This is because the Lipstick plant is a fast-growing plant with thick waxy leaves that tend to outgrow its pot fast.
Prune should be done often. Be careful though, so as not to hurt its sensitive stem.
Lipstick Plant Temperature Requirements.
The perfect temperature for most members of the Lipstick plant genus would be 65 degrees in Fahrenheit at a minimum and a maximum temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
This is because most lipstick plants are natural tropical plants, hence, they require enough heat to stay alive. If the temperature of the room should drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, you might kill most Lipstick plant varieties.
10 Beautiful Lipstick Plant Varieties For Your Homes
With a total of 150 different plant varieties of the Lipstick plant or Aeschynanthus, there are so many options to choose from when it comes to the beautiful plant genus.
However, not all of the 150 Lipstick plant varieties make suitable houseplants for the home. Here are 10 of the most sought-after varieties of the Lipstick plant varieties that are perfect for any home or living space they are placed in.
1. Black Pagoda Lipstick Plant
The Aeschynanthus longicaulis or Lipstick Black Pagoda or zebra basket vine is a strange variety of the lipstick plant that bears more resemblance to the Hoya genus than the Aeschynanthus genus, that is why it is sometimes called the Hoya Lipstick Plant.
It features shiny dark green leaves with beautiful purple variegations at the top and undersides that present a striking view from any angle, making it more of a foliage plant.
Unlike the typical bright red or burgundy blooms of the Lipstick plant, the flowers produced by the Black Pagoda are green and yellow, and are unimpressive, making the leaves of the plants its most striking quality.
The zebra basket vine plants are better suited in a hanging basket as hanging basket plants. The black pagoda lipstick plant care routine is simple, as they are easy to grow and cater for requiring between 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit to survive, access to sufficient indirect light, and require little watering.
2. Curly Lipstick Plant
The Aeschynanthus Radicans might be the most popular of the Lipstick Plant Varieties, this is because of its unique leaves that seem to keep gardeners everywhere interested.
It features beautiful dark green leaves that curl and twist in a rather unique but stunning manner. In addition to that, it features bright red emerging flower blooms that are typical of the Aeschynanthus genus.
They are better suited as hanging plants in a hanging basket, this is because of their cascading growth and fast growth speed.
The Twisted lipstick plant is rather easy to grow and cater for a plant, requiring almost the same conditions and care as its counterparts in the Aeschynanthus genus.
3. Variegated Lipstick Plant
Another beautiful Lipstick plant variety that is better suited as a hanging plant, the variegated Lipstick plant or Aeschynanthus Radicans Variegata is a special variety of the curly lipstick plant.
However, the leaves of the variegated Lipstick plant appear as white streaks that are in contrast to the dark foliage in a most spectacular way. They also feature a beautiful combination of bright orange and red flowers during their blooming season.
They are also easy to grow and cater for. The roots require little or less frequent watering, and the leaves require bright but indirect light to stay healthy and safe. You might need to prune often as they do have a tendency to grow fast.
4. Krakau Lipstick Plant
The Aeschynanthus Radicans Krakau is another common variety of the Aeschynanthus Radicans.
It features beautiful dark green but shirt leaves that are shiny and eye-catching when viewed from an angle. They also feature beautiful bright red flowers that are typical to the usual Aeschynanthus or lipstick plant flower.
Taking care of the Krakau is easy and stress-free, they require bright, indirect sunlight, little watering due to their sensitive roots, and also a good airy, well-drained soil mix to thrive.
They are better used as indoor plants, kept in hanging baskets, pruning might not be as often as the other radicans due to their short leaves but they do however require pruning to look healthy.
5. Tangerine Lipstick Plant
This indoor flowering vine comes with yellow and orange blooms that accompany the luscious dark green foliage.
The beautiful orange blooms are quick to flourish after a long and cold winter season and it keeps producing these beautiful flowers throughout the summer. They feature cascading stems that make them a perfect hanging Lipstick plant.
They are also easy to take care of, as they require little to no watering, enough access to bright indirect light, and an aroid soil mix to help them survive.
6. Mona Lisa Lipstick Plant
Another Variety of the Aeschynanthus Lipstick plant offers beautiful tropical aesthetics to whatever space they are placed in.
The Mona Lisa Lipstick plant features foliage that is a little bit darker than its counterparts of the Lipstick genus. The blooms are also unique as they grow through the dark green foliage in an upright manner. Their red and orange color also helps in showcasing the indoor hanging lipstick plant’s true beauty.
The Aeschynanrhus Mona Lisa care routine is simple, they are easy to cater for as well as grow. Their delicate sensitive roots require moist soil, be careful not to overwater them though, they require bright but indirect light that is sufficient, and they also require a humid climate with temperatures between 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit to thrive.
7. Mini Variegated Lipstick Plant
The Mini Variegated Aeschynanthus Lipstick Plant is a shorter version of the variegated Lipstick plant. It is a better choice if you love the variegated lipstick plant but don’t want it growing all over the place.
It features short dark green leaves with white streaks just like the variegated lipstick plants, however, the lipstick plant flower and leaf height are also shorter than those of the variegated lipstick plant.
Best suited as a hanging indoor plant, the Mini variegated lipstick plant does require little to no watering, access to sufficient light, and well-drained soil to thrive. Pruning should not be a regular affair as the growth of the mini variegated lipstick plant is often slow and stunted.
8. Purple Star Lipstick Plant
The Aeschynanthus purple star plant is another great hanging plant from the Lipstick plant genus. Its unique blooms are the most mesmerizing feature of this variety.
The purple star lipstick plant features beautiful glossy dark green leaves that are beautiful, bringing a tropical feel to whatever space they are placed in. Their blooms are bright red in color, however, they also feature a violet or purple dash or streak added to them.
They are best suited in a hanging plant and are quite easy to take care of and nurture. Ensure you provide them with as much access to bright but indirect light as possible, little to no watering during the winter season, once a month during the spring, and once a week during the summer.
9. Rasta Lipstick Plant
The Rasta Lipstick Plant might be the most abundant in terms of growth when looking at the Aeschynanthus genus.
This variety features curly leaves that are robust and fuller, their blooms are bright red and resemble lipsticks. They are best suited as hanging plants as they provide a more tropical feel than their counterparts of the Aeschynanthus genus.
Caring for the Aeschynanthus Rasta should be pretty easy, they require sufficient indirect sunlight but can survive in a room with low lighting, they require moderate watering during the summer, and little watering during the winter. They also help in purifying the air from toxins
10. Cassiopeia Lipstick Plant
The Cassiopeia lipstick plant or Aeschynanthus Evrardii is oftentimes referred to as the dramatic Lipstick plant variety.
The plant features dark green leaves that are waxy and pointy. Their bright red blooms emerge from calyxes that are dark purple or maroon in color and take the shape of lipstick.
The Cassiopeia plant is a perfect hanging plant and can be grown and catered for with ease. They require sufficient access to direct light, little to moderate watering throughout the year, and well-draining soil to protect and enrich their delicate roots.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The lipstick plant is also known as the Aeschynanthus. It is a variety of trailing vine plants with beautiful blooms or flowers that emerges in a manner that resembles lipstick.
The lipstick plant is somewhat regarded as a succulent plant.
The Lipstick plant would require access to adequate, indirect sunlight to thrive or flourish. Ensure it is not direct to sunlight, as excess sunlight could damage the foliage.
Members of the Aeschynanthus genus are regarded as non-toxic, meaning they are not harmful to pets and kids.
The roots of most lipstick plant varieties require little to moderate watering. It is recommended that you avoid soggy soil as this could open them up to harmful root rot or fungal diseases.
