Aeschynanthus (Lipstick Plants)

Aeschynanthus pots and hanging baskets

• Container format: compact nursery pots and hanging baskets.
• Pot fullness: rooted shoot count and branching indicate fullness.
• Flower stage: buds and blooms can change during delivery.

Aeschynanthus: botanical profile for Lipstick Plants

Aeschynanthus is a genus of evergreen epiphytic and lithophytic perennials in Gesneriaceae, described by William Jack in 1823. The name combines Greek roots often interpreted as “ashamed” and “flower”, referencing intensely coloured corollas that resemble lipstick emerging from a tube. Around 150-180 species are recognised, and several are widely cultivated as hanging Lipstick Plants.

• Order: Lamiales
• Family: Gesneriaceae
• Tribe: Trichosporeae (subtribe Didymocarpinae)
• Genus: Aeschynanthus Jack
• Type species: Aeschynanthus volubilis Jack
• Chromosomes: 2n counts mostly around 28-32, with higher polyploids (2n ≈ 48-96) reported in some taxa

Range & habitat: Native from the eastern Himalayas and southern China through mainland Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Aeschynanthus typically grows as an epiphyte on tree branches or occasionally on rocks in humid lowland to montane rainforest, often in mossy, well-ventilated canopy gaps.

• Life form: Trailing or scrambling evergreen vines and subshrubs, usually epiphytic, sometimes lithophytic.
• Leaf attachment: Opposite, short-petiolate leaves spaced along slender to woody stems, often forming pendulous curtains.
• Leaf size: Mostly small to medium, roughly 3-12 cm long in many species, with species-level variation from tiny to broader foliage.
• Texture & colour: From thin and soft to thick, coriaceous leaves; typically uniform green but sometimes mottled or flushed, with a cuticle that tolerates intermittent drying.
• Notable adaptation: Tubular, brightly coloured corollas positioned at shoot tips or in clusters, well suited to bird pollination in shaded forest canopies.

Inflorescence & fruit: Flowers are produced in terminal or axillary clusters with narrow, tubular corollas in red, orange or yellow tones, often adapted to sunbird visitation. Fruits are elongate, dehiscent capsules that split to release numerous small seeds with hair-like appendages that aid wind dispersal.

Aeschynanthus vines and lipstick-shaped flowers

Aeschynanthus grows through arching or trailing stems with leaves that range from small and firm to broad and softly textured. A plant with many stems creates a dense hanging display, whereas vigorous long-vined forms need more open space below the pot.

Strong filtered light supports shorter spacing and seasonal flower buds. The bright indirect light guide helps place the plant without exposing the foliage to harsh sun. Its fine roots benefit from bark and air in the root zone, reflecting the conditions described for epiphytic houseplants.

Pruning can encourage branching, and suitable stem sections may be rooted using the methods in the houseplant propagation guide. Aeschynanthus is commonly listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs. Chewing can still cause temporary digestive upset and damage long vines.