Curly Lipstick Plant

The Curly Lipstick Plant is a blooming tropical plant that is easy to care for.  The delicate reddish-orange blooms appear during the spring, summer, and fall and give this plant its common name. The fleshy, curly leaves remain fresh green all year round and form whorls around the long stems. Aeschynanthus radicans grows as an epiphytic plant in the tropics of Southeast Asia. The plants attach themselves to woody locations like trees or structures and hang downward when in full bloom.

Best Locations For Growing Curly Lipstick Plant

Curly Lipstick Plant will thrive in a spot with filtered light, high humidity, and consistent warmth. A bright bathroom is ideal and will provide all the humidity this plant needs. Daily misting with water or using a portable humidifier are also good options for supplemental humidity.

Curly Lipstick Plant Sunlight Requirements

Lipstick Plant requires bright, indirect light to retain the deep green of its leaves and to bloom well. A south- or southeast-facing window is best. If the light levels are too low, the branches will become leggy and the foliage will be sparse. Lipstick Plant grows happily outdoors during the summer, although it requires shade from direct sun. A covered porch or patio with dappled sunlight is the perfect spot.

Curly Lipstick Plant Care

Epiphytic plants growing as houseplants need free-draining potting soil that does not retain much moisture. A commercial cactus and succulent mix is easy to use. You can make your own version by mixing potting soil with one part perlite and one part fine Orchid bark. Curly Lipstick Plant can be encouraged to grow bushy by pruning the long stems back by one-third after the flowers have dropped. You can use the cut stems to propagate new plants by removing at least 4 inches of the lower leaves and placing the stem in fresh water until new roots appear.

Watering Curly Lipstick Plant

Lipstick plants enjoy high humidity but not over-watering. Watering needs to be done sparingly. During the flowering period, check for watering once a week. The top 2-3 inches of soil should be dry before watering. Watering in the winter needs to be checked every 2-3 weeks depending on the humidity levels in your house

Feeding Curly Lipstick Plant

Fertilizing with a liquid Orchid fertilizer will help to support flowering and foliage. Apply the fertilizer once a month at half the manufacturer’s recommended dosage. Stop fertilizing during the winter months when the plant slows growth.