The Unique Houseplant That Boasts Rich Red Flowers That Look Like Lipstick

To grow gorgeous flowers inside your home, look no further than the lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus radicans). These are tropical plants you can grow indoors since they thrive in the shade. The best part about them is that they can produce a pop of red color throughout the year, looking straight out of a makeup bag. If you're hoping to make your home decor more glamorous, one of the 160 species of the lipstick vine should fit nicely into your space. They have few growing issues, making them an easy plant to care for.

Lipstick plants work well indoors since they don't require much sunlight. You can keep them by a window or provide them with a grow light, allowing them to go almost anywhere in your home. They'll look beautiful on a plant stand where their vines can cascade down, or in a hanging basket so they can fill in an empty corner. However, the plant is said to have a bit of a bad odor, so you may want to keep it on the opposite side of a room's seating area. With this setup, you'll get to see the plant often without being bothered by an unpleasant scent.

When caring for a lipstick plant, it's important to remember that the leaves should never stay wet. Wet leaves can lead to many problems, like leaf drop and fungal diseases. The plants do like plenty of moisture, however, so it's crucial that you find the balance between watering the roots often enough while keeping the plants dry. Water the plant when the top inch or two of soil is dry. The Aeschynanthus genus are epiphytic, meaning that in their native habitat, they hang out on other plants rather than grow in soil, so they don't like to hang out in water. The Missouri Botanical Garden recommends using African violet soil mix with crushed charcoal so excess water can drain well. Mixing sphagnum moss and potting soil works well, too. You can also opt for a soilless option for good drainage that includes peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite.

Too much sunlight will stress out lipstick plants, so you only need to expose them to bright, indirect light. A sunny spot in a north-facing window should do the trick, but keep them out of the light on south or west-facing windows since the afternoon sunlight will likely burn them. The plants do well in artificial light, so sticking them in a dark corner with a grow light should be sufficient. Keep them away from drafty doorways and air vents to ensure they stay in a consistent temperature.