Complete Guide to Lipstick Plant Care and Growth

The Sweet Spot

Aim for bright indirect light with one to three hours of soft direct sun a day, ideally morning sun. An east-facing window two to four feet inside the room is the gold standard. A south- or west-facing window with a sheer curtain works just as well, and a south-facing bathroom window often produces the heaviest blooms thanks to the bonus humidity. The leaves should look glossy and full of color, not bleached and not deep limp green.

A north-facing window is usually too dim to flower this plant well. The vines stay healthy on north light, but you will see almost no blooms. If a north window is your only option, add a small LED grow light on a timer for ten to twelve hours a day. Lipstick Plants respond very well to artificial light and many serious bloomers grow theirs entirely under grow lights for that reason.

What Too Little Light Looks Like

A light-starved Lipstick Plant produces long stretches of bare stem with leaves spaced too far apart, and refuses to bloom. The leaves themselves stay healthy and green, but the visual effect goes from full and lush to spindly and skeletal. New growth tracks visibly toward the brightest light, leaning sideways and downward. Move the plant a foot closer to the window, raise the hanging basket so it sits closer to the brightest indirect light at the top of the window, or add a small grow light directly above the plant. You should see denser new growth and the first fat unopened calyces within a couple of months.

What Too Much Light Looks Like

The plant scorches under sustained direct afternoon sun on a hot day. Watch for pale washed-out patches in the centre of the most exposed leaves, papery brown crispy edges, and a slight yellow cast across the entire plant. If you spot scorching, pull the plant a foot or two back from the window or hang a sheer curtain to break the harshest rays. Lipstick Plants tolerate a lot of light, but unfiltered direct south-facing sun on a 90°F afternoon is too much. The damaged leaves do not recover, but the plant produces fresh ones quickly once conditions are right.

A useful seasonal note: the same window that is gentle morning sun in spring becomes hot direct afternoon sun by July as the sun angle changes. Move the plant a half-step back from the window in summer, or add a sheer curtain for the warmest months. The plant signals what it wants if you check it once a week.

How Often to Water

Push a finger an inch into the soil. If the top inch is dry and the deeper soil still has a faint cool dampness, it is time to water. In a typical home with bright indirect light and average humidity, that lands around every five to seven days during spring and summer, and every ten to fourteen days through winter. The general houseplant watering primer covers the broader logic.

A few practical notes. A plant in a hanging basket dries faster than the same plant in a tabletop pot, since the warm air rises around the basket and pulls moisture from all sides. A plant in heavy bloom drinks slightly more than a foliage-only plant. A plant in a clay or terracotta pot dries faster than the same plant in a glazed ceramic or plastic pot. Adjust your check-in rhythm to match your conditions rather than counting days.

How to Water Properly

Water at the soil line and pour slowly until you see water running freely from the drainage holes. Let the pot drain fully, then tip out anything pooling in the saucer or drip tray. Standing water at the base of the pot is the fastest route to root rot on a Lipstick Plant, and once it is underway the plant declines quickly.

The plant tolerates light overhead watering far better than its African Violet cousin, since the leaves are smooth and waxy rather than fuzzy. Even so, do your best to keep water off the open flowers if the plant is in bloom. Wet petals turn translucent and brown faster than dry ones, and the bloom show ends sooner.

Bottom watering is a perfectly good option, especially for Lipstick Plants in hanging baskets that are awkward to take down for top-watering. Lift the basket into a basin of room-temperature water for fifteen to twenty minutes, then let it drain fully before re-hanging. The roots draw water up through the drainage holes evenly, and the soil rehydrates without pooling at the base.

Signs You Are Overwatering

• Lower leaves yellowing in groups within a week of watering
• Soft, blackened patches at the base of stems where they enter the soil
• A sour, swampy smell from the pot
• Soil that stays heavy and wet for more than ten days between waterings
• Whole leaves dropping cleanly when nudged, with stems looking soft just above the soil line
• Flower buds blackening and falling unopened

Signs You Are Underwatering

• The trailing stems going limp and the leaves softening
• Crispy brown leaf tips on otherwise healthy leaves
• Soil pulling away from the sides of the pot in a visible gap
• A pot that feels noticeably light when lifted
• A wholesale dropping of leaves along the older interior parts of the vines
• Flower buds drying and falling without ever opening

A thirsty Lipstick Plant recovers within a day of a good drench. A waterlogged one keeps declining for days even after you stop watering, since the rot is already underway in the roots. Erring on the dry side is always the safer call.

A Note on Water Quality

Lipstick Plants are not especially fussy about water quality, but very heavily chlorinated tap and very hard mineralised water will eventually leave a chalky white crust on the soil and brown the leaf tips. If your tap runs hard, leave the watering can out overnight to off-gas the chlorine, or switch to filtered or distilled water for the picky months. Always use room-temperature water. Cold water on warm tropical roots causes a brief stress shock and shows up as faint pale rings on the leaves.

A Simple DIY Mix for Lipstick Plant

This is the recipe I use for every Aeschynanthus and Hoya in my collection.

• 2 parts quality indoor potting soil or peat-based mix
• 1 part orchid bark (fine to medium grade)
• 1 part perlite or pumice
• 1/2 part coco coir or sphagnum moss for moisture-buffering
• A small handful of horticultural charcoal to keep the mix sweet

Mix in a bucket and squeeze a fistful in your hand. The mix should hold together briefly when squeezed, then crumble apart cleanly at the slightest nudge. If it stays in a hard ball, add more perlite and bark. If it crumbles into dust, add a touch more soil or coir. Aim for something with the springy, chunky texture of a top-quality orchid mix rather than a smooth dense potting compost.

What to Look For in a Premix

If a bag is your style, an "African Violet mix" works almost perfectly for a Lipstick Plant, since both plants share a love of light, slightly acidic soil. Cut it with a generous handful of orchid bark and perlite to open it up further. A dedicated "epiphyte" or "Hoya" blend works straight out of the bag if you can find one. Avoid anything labeled "moisture control" or "water retaining," which holds far too much water for a plant whose roots evolved to be wet then dry then wet again.

Why Drainage Matters So Much

Lipstick Plants have shallow, fibrous root systems that suffocate quickly in waterlogged soil. Unlike a tougher rhizomatous plant, they have no thick stem or rhizome to fall back on if the roots fail. Fast drainage keeps oxygen reaching the roots between waterings, which is the single biggest factor in keeping the plant alive long term. Spend the extra ten minutes mixing a proper epiphyte-friendly blend and the plant will reward you with years of summer flowers.

When to Fertilize

Feed every two weeks during the active growing season, roughly March through October in the Northern Hemisphere. In winter, when light is lower and growth slows, drop to once a month or pause feeding entirely for the coldest weeks. Resume in early spring as new growth picks up and the plant gets ready to push next season's flower buds.

What to Use

A balanced liquid houseplant fertiliser with an NPK around 10-10-10 or 20-20-20 works fine, always diluted to half the dose listed on the label. The general fertilizing guide goes deeper on why half strength is the safer rhythm for most flowering houseplants.

For the spring run-up to bloom season, switch to a slightly higher-phosphorus formula (something like 10-30-20 or any "bloom booster") for two or three feedings to push flower formation. African Violet fertilizer is the easiest off-the-shelf choice, since it is already formulated for fine-rooted Gesneriads and is widely available at most garden centres. Return to a balanced formula after the bloom-push window.

Reading the Plant

• Steady glossy leaves and bushy new growth: feeding is on point.
• Pale, smaller leaves and slowing growth: bump frequency or strength slightly.
• Lush green growth but no flower buds: too much nitrogen. Switch to a higher-phosphorus formula for a couple of feedings.
• Brown leaf tips and a chalky white crust on the soil: salt buildup. Flush the pot with plain water until it runs clear, then skip the next feeding.
• A sudden drop of unopened buds despite good watering: often a sign of fertilizer burn. Pause feeding for a month and start fresh at half strength.

A slow-release pellet stirred into the spring repot is also a fine option for low-maintenance growers. Top up with a half-strength liquid feed every three to four weeks through the warm months and the plant essentially feeds itself.

What to Avoid

• Anything below 55°F (13°C) for more than a few nights, which slows growth and may cause leaf drop
• Sustained exposure under 50°F (10°C), which can trigger stem rot at the base
• Cold drafts from a leaky winter window or a regularly opened back door
• Hot dry blasts from a heating vent or radiator pointed directly at the foliage
• Air-conditioning vents pointed straight at the plant in summer
• Direct unfiltered hot afternoon sun through unshaded glass on a 90°F day

The Cool-Down That Triggers Blooms

Here is the most useful trick on this whole page. Lipstick Plants bloom hardest after a slightly cooler, drier rest in late autumn. Through November and December, drop the night-time temperature to around 60-65°F (16-18°C) for a few weeks, reduce watering by about half, and pause fertiliser. The plant slows down visibly, but in February and March it pushes out a heavy spring flush of buds that opens through summer. Without that cool-down, the plant still grows, but blooms more sporadically.

This is the same biological mechanism that drives Christmas Cactus and other tropical bloomers to flower on cue. A short cool-and-dry period signals "the season changed," and the plant responds by switching from foliage growth to flower production. A spare bedroom that runs a bit cooler at night is perfect for this rest period.

Seasonal Care

If you summer your plants outside in a sheltered shaded spot (Lipstick Plants do beautifully on a covered north patio in summer once nights are reliably above 60°F / 15°C), bring them back in well before the first cold nights arrive. Inspect each plant for hitchhiking pests as you bring it indoors and give it a bright spot away from cold glass for the first week. The transition can pause flowering briefly, but new buds resume within a few weeks once the plant settles.

Easy Ways to Boost Humidity

• Run a small humidifier in the room for a few hours a day, especially in winter when central heating dries the air.
• Group the plant with other humidity-loving houseplants so they share transpired moisture in a small microclimate.
• Set the pot on a tray of pebbles and water. The pot sits on the pebbles, not in the water. Less effective than a humidifier but better than nothing.
• Move it into a bright bathroom. The combination of bright indirect light and naturally high shower-time humidity suits this plant perfectly.
• Avoid heavy daily misting. Quick light misting once or twice a week is fine in dry winter air, but soaking the foliage every day invites fungal leaf spot, especially when the plant is in bloom.

A general overview of boosting humidity for indoor plants helps if your home runs especially dry in the cold months.

What the Flowers Look Like

Each individual flower is two to three inches long, slim and tubular, fused into a curved trumpet that flares slightly at the open end where the stamens stick out. The classic species (Aeschynanthus radicans) produces bright scarlet-red flowers, but cultivar breeding has produced orange, coral, yellow, and even bicolor versions. The dark calyx around the base of the flower is part of the visual signature. It stays in place even after the flower drops, giving the plant a second wave of dark interest after the bright red show fades.

Flowers form at the tips of mature stems, in clusters of three to eight per stem tip. A healthy plant in good light produces multiple stem-tip clusters at once, with successive flushes of fresh flowers replacing spent ones through summer and into autumn. Each individual flower lasts five to ten days. The whole bloom show on a single plant can stretch from late June through early October indoors.

After flowering, Lipstick Plants occasionally produce long slim seed pods. Most cultivars rarely set seed indoors, but if pods form, snip them off so the plant redirects energy into new flowers rather than ripening seed.

How to Trigger Heavy Blooms

The Lipstick Plant flowers when several conditions line up at once. Check each one and the plant will reward you.

• Bright indirect light, with one to three hours of soft morning sun. Light is bloom fuel and this plant absolutely needs it to flower. A plant in dim light grows fine but refuses to flower.
• A cool-and-dry rest period in late autumn. Around 60-65°F (16-18°C) at night and reduced watering for four to six weeks, then back to warm conditions. This is the single most reliable trigger for a heavy spring-summer bloom.
• Steady half-strength feeding through the growing season, with a higher-phosphorus push for two or three feedings as buds start to form.
• A slightly snug pot. The plant flowers best when slightly root-bound. Repotting too often can delay blooming by a year.
• Pruning after each bloom flush. Trim spent flower-bearing stems by a third right after the flowers drop. Flowers form on the new growth that follows, so pruning resets the bloom cycle.

If your Lipstick Plant has stopped blooming, the most common reason is light, followed by missing the autumn cool-down, followed by overwatering through winter. Move the plant a foot closer to your brightest indirect window or add a small grow light, and rebuild the seasonal rhythm. Most stalled plants come back into bloom within one full seasonal cycle.

Spent Bloom Cleanup

Lipstick Plants are mostly self-cleaning. Spent flowers drop on their own, and the dark calyx eventually browns and drops too. Once a week, run your fingers gently through the foliage and pick off any browned petals or finished calyces still hanging on. Do not let spent flowers sit on damp foliage in a bathroom or kitchen window, since they encourage botrytis gray mould.

Aeschynanthus radicans 'Mona Lisa'

The most widely sold cultivar, with bright orange-red trumpet flowers slightly larger than the species. 'Mona Lisa' is a vigorous bloomer and a forgiving grower, and is the cultivar most commonly sold simply as "Lipstick Plant" at garden centres. If you cannot find a label and the flower is orange-red rather than pure scarlet, this is probably what you have.

Aeschynanthus radicans 'Cassiopeia'

A reliable rebloomer with classic scarlet-red flowers and slightly more compact growth. 'Cassiopeia' tends to bloom for a longer stretch than the type species and is a favourite for hanging baskets where heavy continuous bloom is the goal.

Aeschynanthus radicans 'Variegata'

A stunning leaf-variegated cultivar with cream and green marbled foliage and the same bright red flowers as the type species. The contrast between the cream-marked leaves and the scarlet flowers is dramatic. Slightly slower-growing than the all-green forms, and a touch more demanding on light, since the variegated tissue does not photosynthesise as efficiently.

Aeschynanthus 'Rasta' (Curly Lipstick)

Sold as 'Rasta' or 'Curly Lipstick,' this cultivar has dramatically twisted, curly leaves that look almost like little springs along the stems. Same scarlet-red flowers as the species, but the foliage alone is a feature even between bloom flushes. A solid choice if you find the standard smooth-leaved form a bit predictable. Sometimes confused with the 'Twister' cultivar, which has a similar look with slightly tighter curls.

Aeschynanthus 'Black Pagoda'

A different species (Aeschynanthus longicaulis) with deep maroon, marbled near-black leaves and pale yellow-green tubular flowers spotted with maroon. The leaves are the showpiece on this one rather than the flowers, and the dark foliage looks dramatic against a pale wall. Care is essentially identical to the standard Lipstick Plant. A great companion plant on the same shelf with a classic red-flowered cultivar for a side-by-side foliage comparison.

Aeschynanthus speciosus

A larger-growing species with broader leaves and looser clusters of orange-yellow flowers tipped in red. Less common in shops than radicans, but a striking plant when you find it. Wants a slightly larger basket and slightly more humidity than the standard Lipstick Plant.

'Krakatau' and 'Curly Q'

Two newer cultivars with twisted leaves like 'Rasta' but slightly different leaf-curl patterns and growth habits. 'Krakatau' has a tighter-twisted, almost corkscrew leaf and pure red flowers. 'Curly Q' carries softer curls and slightly more orange-toned flowers.

Lipstick Plant vs. Goldfish Plant

The most useful comparison for a beginner. Both are tropical Gesneriads, both have tubular flowers, and both work as hanging-basket plants. The Goldfish Plant (Nematanthus gregarius) carries pouchy fish-shaped flowers that look like tiny goldfish swimming among glossy green leaves. The Lipstick Plant carries longer, slimmer trumpet flowers that emerge from dark calyces, with a more dramatic color contrast. Goldfish Plant flowers are usually orange. Lipstick Plant flowers are usually scarlet red. Care is broadly similar (both want bright indirect light, humidity, and an epiphyte mix), but the Lipstick Plant is slightly tougher on humidity and slightly more forgiving of missed waterings.

Lipstick Plant vs. Hoya

Both are tropical epiphytes that hang beautifully and bloom in summer, but they look entirely different. The classic Hoya Carnosa has thick succulent waxy leaves and produces tight star-clustered umbels of tiny waxy flowers. The Lipstick Plant has thinner glossy leaves and produces larger, individually striking tubular flowers in clusters at the stem tip. Hoyas are more drought-tolerant and slower-growing. Lipstick Plants are faster-growing, slightly thirstier, and bloom more reliably in their first year or two.

Lipstick Plant vs. African Violet

Both are Gesneriads and both want similar feeding and soil. The African Violet is a tabletop rosette plant with fuzzy round leaves and small flowers held just above the foliage. The Lipstick Plant is a long trailing vine for hanging baskets with smooth waxy leaves and dramatic tubular flowers at the stem tips. They share family-level care preferences but look completely different in the home.

When buying, look for a plant with a full crown of dark glossy leaves, several long stems trailing evenly around the rim, and ideally a few fat unopened maroon calyces already forming at the stem tips. Avoid plants with limp drooping stems, soft brown patches at the soil line, or yellowing lower leaves all around the rim of the pot.

When to Repot

Look for these clear signals that the plant actually wants more space:

• Roots circling the bottom of the pot when you slide the plant out, forming a tight network
• Roots growing visibly out of the drainage holes
• Water running straight through the pot in seconds with almost no absorption
• A noticeable slowdown in growth and bloom production despite good light and feeding
• Soil that has visibly broken down into a dense, sour-smelling sludge
• The plant pushing itself up out of the pot under root pressure

Avoid repotting in mid-summer when the plant is in heavy bloom. The disturbance often pauses flowering and shocks the plant during its most productive time. Late winter to early spring is the cleanest repot window, just as the plant is waking back up after the autumn cool-down.

Choose the Right Pot

A Lipstick Plant is happiest in a pot only one to two inches wider than its current root ball. Drainage holes are mandatory. Hanging baskets with built-in drainage and a removable saucer are ideal, since they show off the trailing stems while letting water drain away from the roots.

• Plastic hanging baskets are the most common choice. Lightweight, hold moisture longer, and easy to swap.
• Coco-fibre lined wire baskets drain extremely well and look great, but dry out quickly and need more frequent watering.
• Glazed ceramic with a hanging hook suits the bathroom or kitchen and buffers moisture better than plastic.
• Self-watering hanging baskets can work, since the plant likes consistent moisture without sogginess. Use cautiously and never let the reservoir overflow into the soil.

How to Repot, Step by Step

1. Water the plant lightly the day before so the root ball holds together when you slide it out of the basket.
2. Choose a new pot or basket only one to two inches wider than the current one.
3. Add an inch of fresh epiphyte-style mix to the bottom.
4. Slide the plant out and gently tease apart any tightly circling roots at the bottom.
5. Trim away any roots that are mushy, brown, or hollow. Healthy Lipstick Plant roots are firm and pale tan.
6. Set the plant in the new pot at the same depth it was sitting before. Do not bury the lowest stems or leaves.
7. Backfill around the roots with fresh mix, tapping the pot gently to settle it. Do not pack hard.
8. Water lightly and place the plant back in its usual bright indirect spot.

A general overview of repotting houseplants covers the broader basics. For Lipstick Plants specifically, the rule that matters most is: do not bury the crown, and do not move up into a giant pot in one jump. A pot that is much too large holds excess soil and stays wet too long, which is the single fastest way to rot this plant.

Prune After Each Bloom Flush

The most important pruning rhythm. Right after each bloom flush ends in late summer or early autumn, trim each spent flowering stem back by about a third with clean sharp snips. The plant responds by branching from the cut point, doubling the number of stem tips that can carry next year's flowers. Skip this step and the plant blooms less and less each year.

Trim Back Leggy Stems

Through the growing season, look out for stems that have stretched into long bare lengths with leaves only at the tip. Trim these back by half to encourage branching from the cut point. The cuttings can be saved for propagation (see the next section). A Lipstick Plant in heavy bloom does not look leggy, but a stretched winter plant in low light often does, and a hard prune in early spring resets the whole plant for the new season.

Pinch the Tips of New Growth

For an extra-full plant, pinch the very tip out of each new growing stem during spring. This forces the stem to branch from the next leaf node down, and a single pinch can turn one stem into two or three. Do this only on non-flowering stems, since the flowers form at the tips and pinching them removes the flowers.

Remove Diseased or Damaged Tissue

Any leaf that has gone soft, mushy, or dark-spotted should be snipped off at the stem with clean snips. Same for any stem that has rotted at the base or shrivelled to brown. Cut back into clean firm tissue, and clean your snips with rubbing alcohol between cuts so you do not spread fungal issues across the plant.

Cleaning the Leaves

Lipstick Plant leaves are smooth and waxy and naturally repel dust better than fuzzy-leaved Gesneriads. Once a couple of months, wipe the leaves down gently with a soft damp cloth to remove accumulated grime. Clean leaves photosynthesise better and look noticeably fresher between flower flushes.

Method 1: Water Propagation (The Easiest)

This is the method I use for most cuttings, since it lets me watch the roots develop and time the move into soil exactly right.

1. Choose a healthy, non-flowering stem tip with at least four pairs of leaves.
2. Cut a four to six inch piece of stem with clean, sharp scissors, just below a leaf node. The leaf node is where new roots will form.
3. Strip the leaves from the bottom two pairs so the lower stem is bare. Leave the top leaves intact.
4. Drop the cutting into a clean glass jar of room-temperature water. Make sure no leaves are submerged, since submerged leaves rot quickly and foul the water.
5. Place the jar in bright indirect light, never direct sun. Direct sun on a glass jar of water cooks the developing roots.
6. Change the water every three to five days to keep it fresh and oxygenated.
7. New roots usually appear from the leaf nodes within two to three weeks. Wait until the roots are at least an inch long before potting up.
8. Pot the rooted cutting into a small pot of damp Lipstick Plant mix. Water lightly and place back in bright indirect light.
9. Keep humidity slightly higher than usual for the first couple of weeks while the plant adjusts to soil. A clear plastic bag loosely tented over the pot helps.

The general water propagation guide covers the broader technique.

Method 2: Soil Propagation (Skip the Water Step)

Slightly faster overall once the cutting takes hold, since you skip the move from water to soil.

1. Take a four to six inch stem-tip cutting as described above.
2. Strip the lower leaves and let the cut end air-dry for half an hour to callus over slightly.
3. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone (optional but speeds things up).
4. Insert the cutting cut-end-down into a small pot filled with damp epiphyte-style mix. Bury the bottom inch of the stem.
5. Cover the pot loosely with a clear plastic bag or propagation lid to hold humidity at around 70 percent.
6. Place in bright indirect light. Keep the soil consistently damp but never soggy.
7. After three to four weeks, give the cutting a gentle tug. Resistance means roots have formed.
8. Once the cutting shows new top growth, gradually wean it off the humidity dome by opening it a little more each day.

The soil propagation guide covers the broader technique.

Method 3: Air Layering

A more involved option, useful if a stem is already very long and you want to root a section without cutting it from the parent. Wrap a node halfway down a long stem in damp sphagnum moss, cover the moss with cling film, and tie at both ends. Roots form into the moss within a few weeks, at which point you cut the stem below the rooted section and pot up. This method works well on older woody stems that root slowly from a standard cutting.

What Does Not Work

• Single-leaf cuttings: Lipstick Plants do not produce plantlets from individual leaves, unlike a Cape Primrose or African Violet. You need a stem section with at least one leaf node.
• Cuttings of flowering stems: stems carrying flowers root poorly because the plant is investing energy in the flower instead of new roots. Wait until the bloom finishes, or take the cutting from a non-flowering stem.
• Cuttings without a node: a stem section with no leaf node along its length cannot root. Always cut just below a node and leave at least two nodes on the cutting.

Pot and Color Pairings

• Cream or ivory ceramic frames the dark glossy foliage cleanly without competing with the red flowers.
• Soft sage and warm terracotta read garden-cottage and pair well with the scarlet bloom.
• Charcoal or matte black makes the red flowers pop dramatically and reads modern and minimal.
• Brass or copper hangers add a warm metal accent that picks up the red of the flowers without trying to match it.
• Avoid loud floral or red-themed pots, since the bright tubular flowers themselves carry all the visual weight the plant needs.

Spaces That Work Well

• A bright bathroom corner near a curtained window, where the bonus humidity from showers feeds the plant beautifully.
• A macrame hanger in front of an east- or west-facing kitchen window, where the trailing stems frame the view.
• A tall plant stand in a sunny living room corner, with the trailing stems cascading down past the side of a sofa.
• A covered north patio in summer, where the plant gets gentle bright shade and natural airflow.
• A bark-mounted display on a humid sunroom wall, treating the plant as the epiphyte it actually is. Wrap the roots in damp sphagnum, fix to a slab of cork bark, and hang.

Companion Planting

The Lipstick Plant pairs beautifully with other tropical epiphytes that want similar conditions. Hang a Hoya Carnosa or a String of Hearts on the same window for a coordinated trailing-plant display. A Sweetheart Hoya on a nearby shelf adds a single-leaf novelty that contrasts the long trailing stems of the Lipstick. Place a quieter foliage plant like a Peperomia Emerald Ripple on the bookshelf below to give the eye a calm green backdrop, and the red flowers above read even brighter. Avoid pairing with sun-hungry desert plants like a Jade Plant on the same window, since the conditions clash.

Mass Display

Three Lipstick Plants in matching hanging baskets along a sunny bathroom or kitchen window create a flowering curtain effect through the back end of summer. Stagger the heights at slightly different drop lengths and the trailing stems weave together into a coordinated display. This works especially well in a bright bathroom, where the plants love the steamy air, and the visual reward through July and August is genuinely spectacular.

Scale It Up

Indoors, a single Lipstick Plant is a friendly trailing flowering plant. Three of them grouped along a bright bathroom window become a feature wall. Five of them spread across a sunroom turn into a quietly spectacular tropical-cottage display that blooms through the warmest months. The plant scales up beautifully if you have the bright indirect light and warm humid air to support it.