Aeschynanthus radicans ‘Caroline’

A Cultivar of Aeschynanthus radicans

‘Caroline’ is a cultivated green-leaved form of Aeschynanthus radicans. The species is native from southern Myanmar through Thailand into western and central Malesia.

It grows as an epiphyte or lithophyte in warm forest, rooting on trees or rocks where water drains quickly from the small root zone.

Care for ‘Caroline’

• Light: Bright filtered light keeps the dark stems leafy and supplies energy for flowering.
• Water: Water after the upper layer begins to dry. Let the pot drain and avoid permanent moisture around the roots.
• Humidity and airflow: Moderate humidity reduces dry leaf tips; gentle airflow keeps paired leaves and nodes from remaining wet.
• Temperature: Stable warmth above 15 °C limits leaf and bud drop.
• Substrate: Use a loose epiphyte mix with bark and mineral drainage material.
• Feeding: Give diluted fertiliser during shoot and bud development.
• Pruning: Trim older bare sections after flowering or during active growth to stimulate branching.
• Propagation: Root firm stem cuttings with several nodes in a warm airy medium.

Buds, Leaves and Older Trails

• Bud drop: Sudden drying, cold draughts or moving the plant can interrupt bud development.
• Few flowers: Improve filtered light and keep conditions stable during maturation.
• Yellow leaves: Check whether the mix is staying wet and inspect the roots if yellowing spreads.
• Bare lower stems: Age, low light or repeated stress can cause leaf loss. Prune to a healthy leafy node.
• Pests: Aphids can gather around buds, with mealybugs and mites remaining around leaf joints. 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.

Species name and original publication

Botanical and cultivar name: Aeschynanthus radicans Jack ‘Caroline’

Aeschynanthus combines the Greek aischyne, meaning shame or embarrassment, with anthos, flower. The epithet radicans means rooting or producing roots and refers to stems that can root at their nodes.

William Jack published Aeschynanthus radicans in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, volume 14, page 43, in 1823. Its natural range extends from southern Myanmar through Thailand into western and central Malesia.