Aeschynanthus ‘Japhrolepis’

A Cultivated Lipstick Plant

Aeschynanthus ‘Japhrolepis’ is a cultivated Lipstick Plant. Aeschynanthus species are native to tropical and subtropical Asia, where many grow on trees or rocks with their roots in loose organic material.

Maintaining Fine, Leafy Stems

• Light: Provide bright filtered light. Weak light widens the gaps between leaf pairs; direct midday sun can mark the narrow blades.
• Water: Water after the upper layer of the mix begins to dry, then drain the pot completely.
• Humidity and airflow: Moderate humidity limits dry tips. Air should move around the close stems so the foliage does not remain damp.
• Temperature: Stable warmth above 15 °C supports continued growth. Avoid cold draughts and cold wet roots.
• Substrate: Use an airy epiphyte mix that holds limited moisture without compacting.
• Feeding: Diluted fertiliser during active growth supplies nutrients for new leaves and shoots. Avoid strong doses that leave excess salts around the roots.
• Pruning: Cut long bare stems back to a leafy node to encourage branching nearer the pot.
• Propagation: Root stem cuttings containing several healthy nodes in a lightly moist open medium.

Changes in Fine Leaves and Trailing Stems

• Wider gaps and thin stems: Increase filtered light and prune stretched sections after compact growth resumes.
• Yellow soft leaves: The mix is remaining wet for too long. Check drainage and root condition.
• Dry narrow blades: The root ball dried repeatedly or hot air is crossing the plant. Restore even watering and stable humidity.
• Few flowers: Flowering depends on plant maturity, strong filtered light and stable warmth; the cultivar is often grown chiefly for foliage.
• Pests: Mealybugs, aphids and mites can remain hidden around nodes and within the dense inner stems. Isolate the plant, rinse or wipe away visible insects, then treat the affected stems and leaf undersides with a product labelled for ornamental plants. Repeat as directed on the label and keep checking new growth.

Pet safety

• Generally considered non-toxic to cats and dogs.
• Plant material is not intended for consumption, and swallowing it may still cause digestive upset.

The Aeschynanthus name

Horticultural name: Aeschynanthus ‘Japhrolepis’

Aeschynanthus combines the Greek aischyne, meaning shame or embarrassment, with anthos, flower. The Scottish botanist William Jack published the genus in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, volume 14, page 42, in 1823. The genus is native to tropical and subtropical Asia.