Overview

Introduce a touch of tropical elegance to your home with the exquisite curly lipstick plant, scientifically known as Aeschynanthus radicans ‘Curly’. This live houseplant is a true showstopper, celebrated for its distinctive bright red, tubular flowers that emerge from dark calyces, resembling tubes of lipstick. Beyond its captivating blooms, the plant boasts unique, glossy green leaves that naturally curl, adding an intriguing texture and visual appeal. With its graceful cascading growth habit, the aeschynanthus radicans curly is an exceptional choice for hanging baskets, allowing its beautiful foliage and flowers to spill over and create a living curtain of greenery and color. Native to the lush environments of Southeast Asia, this tropical beauty thrives indoors, bringing a piece of the exotic into your living space. It’s a relatively easy-care plant that offers continuous interest, making it a rewarding addition for both novice and experienced plant enthusiasts looking for something beyond the ordinary. This particular specimen is a rare succulent in 3 inch pot, offering a compact start to a spectacular display.

Key Benefits

The curly lipstick plant offers numerous benefits, making it a highly desirable addition to any indoor plant collection. From its aesthetic appeal to its ease of care, it provides a delightful experience for plant lovers.

• Stunning Ornamental Value: The vibrant red, tubular flowers and glossy, curly green leaves create a striking visual display, instantly enhancing the aesthetic of any room. Its unique appearance makes it a focal point.
• Ideal for Hanging Baskets: Its natural cascading growth habit is perfectly suited for hanging baskets, allowing the foliage and blooms to trail beautifully, adding dynamic movement and dimension to your decor.
• Tropical Ambiance: This plant brings a lush, tropical feel to indoor spaces, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere reminiscent of its Southeast Asian origins.
• Relatively Easy to Maintain: Despite its exotic appearance, the aeschynanthus radicans curly is surprisingly straightforward to care for, requiring consistent but not overly demanding attention, making it suitable for various skill levels.
• Air Purifying Qualities: Like many houseplants, it contributes to better indoor air quality by absorbing certain airborne toxins, creating a healthier living environment.
• Year-Round Interest: With proper care, this plant can produce flowers periodically throughout the year, ensuring continuous beauty and enjoyment, unlike seasonal bloomers.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your curly lipstick plant is a rewarding experience, as it responds well to consistent attention and appropriate environmental conditions. This tropical houseplant thrives in bright, indirect light. Place it near an east or west-facing window where it can receive ample light without direct, harsh sun exposure, which can scorch its leaves. Too little light may result in sparse flowering, so ensuring adequate brightness is key to enjoying its vibrant blooms. Warm temperatures, ideally between 65-80°F (18-27°C), are crucial for its well-being, along with high humidity, which mimics its native habitat. Consider placing it near a humidifier, on a pebble tray with water, or misting it regularly to boost humidity levels, especially in drier indoor environments.

The lipstick plant care routine primarily revolves around proper watering and soil. This plant prefers well-draining soil; a standard potting mix amended with perlite or orchid bark works well to ensure good aeration and drainage. Water thoroughly when the top inch or two of the soil feels dry to the touch. Avoid overwatering, which can lead to root rot, but also do not let the soil dry out completely for extended periods, as this can stress the plant. During its active growing season (spring and summer), fertilize every 2-4 weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength. Reduce feeding in fall and winter. Pruning can be done to encourage bushier growth and more blooms, as flowers typically form on new growth. Watch out for common pests like spider mites and mealybugs, and treat promptly with insecticidal soap if detected. Maintaining consistent moisture and humidity will greatly contribute to a thriving aeschynanthus radicans curly.

Size & Details

This offering is for a live curly lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus radicans ‘Curly’) delivered in a sturdy 3 inch pot. At the time of shipment, the plant typically has a compact size, perfect for settling into its new home and beginning its growth journey. While individual plant sizes may vary slightly due to natural growth patterns, you can expect a healthy, well-rooted specimen ready to thrive. The lipstick plant care for this size involves allowing it space to cascade, eventually reaching lengths of 2-3 feet or more as it matures, making it an excellent choice for a hanging display. It ships as a potted plant, ensuring minimal transplant shock upon arrival. Its moderate growth rate means you will see noticeable development over time, leading to a lush and vibrant display.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: The curly lipstick plant has a cascading growth habit. While it starts compact in its 3 inch pot, its vines can eventually reach lengths of 2-3 feet or more when mature, making it ideal for hanging baskets where it can trail gracefully.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: This is primarily an indoor tropical houseplant. It thrives in the consistent temperatures and humidity found in most homes. It can be moved outdoors in warm, humid climates during summer, but must be brought inside before temperatures drop.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: The curly lipstick plant prefers bright, indirect light. Avoid direct midday sun, which can scorch its leaves. An east or west-facing window is often ideal, providing ample light without harsh intensity.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? Is it good for beginners? A: Yes, the aeschynanthus radicans curly is considered relatively easy to care for, making it a good choice for beginners with some basic plant knowledge. Consistent watering, humidity, and bright indirect light are key to its success.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your curly lipstick plant will arrive as a live, healthy plant in a 3 inch pot, carefully packaged to ensure it reaches you in the best possible condition, ready to be placed in your home.
• Q: How often should I water my curly lipstick plant? A: Water your curly lipstick plant when the top 1-2 inches of soil feel dry to the touch. It’s important to water thoroughly until water drains from the bottom, then allow the soil to dry out slightly before the next watering to prevent root rot.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: As a tropical plant, the curly lipstick plant is not frost-tolerant. It should be grown indoors in most climates, especially during colder months. It thrives in typical indoor temperatures and requires protection from cold drafts.