Temperature
65–80°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Lipstick plant
Aeschynanthus radicans
Lipstick plant wants bright indirect light and water every 6 to 11 days, once the top inch is dry. Non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Light
Bright indirect
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
An east window, or two to three feet back from a south one. It flowers on light and will stay green and bare in a dim corner.
Water
Every 6–11 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the top inch is dry, not on a schedule.
Humidity
50% and up
Wants 65%. Struggles in dry winter air.
Difficulty
Moderate
Scores 3 of 5: Scores 3 of 5: easy to keep alive, harder to flower, and it blooms best when slightly pot-bound. Repotting a happy one into a bigger pot is a common way to lose a year of flowers.
Habit
Trailing
Grows to 12–36 inches. No support needed.
Non-toxic to cats and dogs
Eating a large amount of any plant can still cause mild stomach upset.
Detail for cats → Detail for dogs →
What each authority says
- ASPCA — entry for a different species in this genus: Aeschynanthus humilis
- Non-toxic to cats and dogs
- NC State Extension
- Entry exists and records no poison data.
Light
Bright indirect light. An east window, or two to three feet back from a south one. It flowers on light and will stay green and bare in a dim corner.
Water
Every 6 to 11 days in a 6-inch pot, when the top inch is dry.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | soak and dry |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | the top inch is dry |
Soil and potting
One part orchid bark, one part peat-free potting soil, one part perlite.
Repot roughly every 2 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. Each links to a diagnosis page with the causes ranked for this species.
- No flowers monitor
- Leaf drop this week
- Leggy growth monitor
Pest and disease guidance for this species consulted at the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, checked 2026-09-12.
Pests
Recorded for this species. Each links to identification and treatment.
Propagation
Stem cutting in water or soil. Roots in 21 to 42 days.
A cutting without a node will not root. It may stay green in water for months and never produce a single root, because it has no growth point.
| Preferred method | stem cutting |
|---|---|
| Medium | water, soil |
| Time to root | 21–42 days |
| Node required | Yes |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Aeschynanthus humilis Checked 2026-09-12.
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Aeschynanthus radicans (consulted; entry exists and records no poison data.) Checked 2026-09-12.
- Wikidata entity Q4688539 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Aeschynanthus radicans Accepted name; family Gesneriaceae. Checked 2026-09-12.
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — Aeschynanthus radicans Pest and disease guidance. Checked 2026-09-12.
- Photograph: Michael Wolf, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 3.0.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02