Lipstick Plant – Aeschynanthus pulcher

Common Name: Lipstick Plant, Lipstick Vine

Botanical Name: Aeschynanthus pulcher, ie-skee-NAN-thus PUL-ker

Decorative Life: Many weeks to months. Under right environmental conditions, numerous flowers can be present nearly all the time.

Flower Color: Purple, Red, Yellow

Availability: Year Round

Biggest production problem is to get predictable and uniform flowering as the precise cultural requirements are still being developed.

• Member of the Gesneriaceae (gesneria family).
• Native of Java.
• Related species include gentian, exacum or Persian violet and African violet.

• Classed as a dicotyledon, leaves not parallel veined.
• Flowers tubular, in clusters at stem ends.
• Plant is often vine-like, leaves are fleshy. This species is classified as an epiphyte (living on other plants but not parasitic, like many orchids).

Chill sensitive, store above 55F.

• The specific epithet name of “pulcher” means handsome, beautiful. From “aischyno”, to be ashamed, and “anthos”, flower, referring to the red flowers.
• The cluster of flowers appearing on the ends of stems resemble a group of lipsticks, hence the common name.
• This species is classified as an “epiphyte” or air plant. It grows on other plants and elevated supports as subshrubs or vines. It is not a parasite but obtains water and nutrients through a spongy covering of their roots.