"Does This Color Enhance My Eyes?"

Does the day after Thanksgiving bring thoughts of doing a little holiday shopping? Shopping has definitely crossed my mind. And although I know a “mall run” could provide some post-feast physical exercise along with a good deal of exercise in patience, I think I will opt for plant shopping so that I feel my finest. And while Poinsettias, Paperwhites, and Amaryllis plants used to be among the very few living options I could get my hands on in November and December, there is now no end to the plants available for decorating my home or gifting. For gifting, I have settled on the Lipstick Plant.

The Lipstick Plant at first seemed to me to be something one would purchase more for its name than for anything else: Its fun name initially caused me to overlook its beauty. But the Lipstick Plant is indeed beautiful, with boldly colored, tropical looking blooms that can appear at almost any time of year when conditions are right. No, you don’t need to be a cosmetics lover to fall in love with this plant. No matter what, the Lipstick Plant will win you over once you see it in person.

The name Lipstick Plant makes the most sense when you see the plant beginning to bud. The buds look like tiny tubes of lipstick. Choose the lipstick color that best suits your hair color and clothing… oops, I mean, your taste and your home décor. There are many varieties, some in the most dramatic carmine or near-orange red, and others in bright and happy pink. Aeschynanthus Thai Pink is well liked for its vibrant flowers of perfect pink. True, this is not a pink that everyone can “wear”, but the plant’s deep green and shiny leaves wear it well. 

Aeschynanthus Thai Pink Lipstick Plant flowers well and holds its blooms for a surprisingly long time. Blooms come in response to sufficient bright, indirect light, so find this plant the right window—bright and not drafty. With the right care and a little time to mature, the Lipstick Plant can develop cascades of blooms that rival those of Christmas Cactus plants. And if by chance you are purchasing a Lipstick Plant as a gift for the December holidays or for ringing in the New Year, be assured that even if the particular plant you choose is not in bloom, its foliage is pretty enough to show its recipient that you have picked out something nice.

With this plant’s greatest nemesis being overwatering, you will want to be sure to tell gift recipients that they should wait until the top layer of soil dries out before watering the Lipstick Plant. By no means should they take this to mean that the plant’s container should completely dry out. With origins in warm and humid climates, this plant needs some moisture to grow… but just not too much.

I would advocate for trimming this beauty right after it flowers, but not too late in the game. I think that this method optimizes the number of blooms that emerge. Beyond that, with periodic fertilizing and a little love, this plant will do incredibly well in most indoor environments.

So if a little post-Thanksgiving retail therapy is part of your plan for the day, don’t overlook the Lipstick Plant. Sure, it will make you want to tell a few jokes as you select your variety: “Does this color enhance my eyes?” “Does this shade make me look thinner?” But once you have this out of the way, you can really sit back and enjoy (or enjoy gifting) this pretty plant with the tropical looks and easy care requirements.