Count Your Blessings!

With love and passion, everyone can have a nice garden...Elaine Yim

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Count The Garden By The Flowers, Never By The Leaves That Fall.
Count Your Life With Smiles And Not The Tears That Roll.
..... Author unknown.

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Malaysian Flora USDA Zone 11
Welcome to our exotic world of everlasting summers and tropical rainforests!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Aeschynanthus parvifolius - The Lipstick Plant


With a fanciful botanical name that is a mouthful to pronounce, I just love its common name, the 'Lipstick Plant'. I'm sure you'd understand too. As you can see here, the bright red flower buds protrude out from dark maroon calyses like lipsticks emerging from their cases.

Quite often, lipstick colours are named after plants e.g cherry red, strawberry pink, etc. but this plant is named after the lipstick!

Aeschynanthes parvifolius - The Lipstick Plant”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on June 12th, 2011.



Scientific name: Aeschynanthes parvifolius*
Synonym: A. lobbianus, A. radicans

Common name: Lipstick Plant
Chinese name: 口紅花 (kou hong hua)
Malay name: Bunga Gincu

Family: Gesneriaceae (African Violet family)
Origin: Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan

Category: Evergreen perennial vine
Photographs taken at: The Rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama

The genus name 'Aeschynanthes' is derived from the Greek words 'aischuno' meaning 'to be ashamed' and 'anthos' for 'flower'.

* Ref: "1001 Garden Plants in Singapore" book, 2nd edition, a NPark's Publication.

Do you think I can dance the ballet or contemporary?

The flowers emerge in clusters from the tips of the branches.
There are other varieties with yellow, orange, red and purple flowers.*

Can you see the heart, my love?
The 'hairy' flowers are bright red with a yellow throat.
The leaves are thick, shiny and succulent. They are pointed at the tips.
There are some cultivars with curly leaves and some with variegated foliage.


In its native habitat in the jungles of Malaysia, this evergreen plant is an epiphyte, growing perched on rainforest trees, their beautiful long vines sprawled among moss covered branches. Their trailing stems can extend to more than 3m (9ft) long.

* Extract from the Forest Department Sarawak website on all Aeschynanthus species in Sarawak, Malaysia:
Habitat: Occasional in lowland mixed dipterocarp forest, peat swamp forest, limestone forest, sub-montane forest from sea level to 2,200m above sea level.

Distribution: Throughout Sarawak.
Note: These species are threatened due to their high potential as hanging-basket plants



Grow in partial shade to full sun (USDA Zone 11 or higher). In temperate climates, you may need a greenhouse or winter protection. The soil mixture should be moist but well-drained. Water thoroughly but let the soil get fairly dry before the next watering. This plant likes a humid environment. Fertilize fortnightly. The trailing stems can extend very long, hence it is necessary to prune after flowering. Propagate by stem tips, leaf buds and cuttings but they may be slow to take root.

This is the ideal choice for an indoor houseplant.
Are you growing this plant?
Have you grown this plant before?

Sources:
1. Wikipedia, here.
2. * Forest Department of Sarawark website (http://www.forestry.sarawak.gov.my/), the direct link is here
3. Plantcare information from PlantCare.com here.

This is my entry for Today's Flowers, the link is here.

31 comments:

  1. Your photos of the lipstick plants are beautiful especially that last one. I know they do well in Cameron Highlands. Good to see this plant doing well in 1-Utama too.

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  2. such an interesting plant...it really does look like tubes of lipstick when the blossoms are closed.

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  3. These are really cool looking plants and I can see how they got their name.
    Cher

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  4. I've seen those but I never knew they were called lipstick plant. :)

    My entry.

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  5. Hello Autumn Belle, every time i see your glorious exotic plants, I am wishful they can thrive here in our area. I love gardening too and am always happy to see your plants -truly beautiful! I would love to covet those lovely hanging plants. They look so healthy! :)

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  6. What a beauty and one I'd love to grow. Maybe I will one of these days.

    Happy Gardening and thank you for sharing pictures and info of all the lovely blooms that grow in your area.

    FlowerLady

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  7. Thank you for introducing me to this gorgeous flower as I have never seen one like it before. Just gorgeous!

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  8. As long as its not *lipstick on your collar* but on plants the person is safe haha. They are lovely with the heart shape and dancing pose. Nope sorry not blessed with green fingers and also space constrain. tQ.

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  9. Oh
    I have never seen one like that....great
    What an exotic flower
    Congrats

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  10. What a stunning plant! I love how it cascades in the last photograph! Beautiful!

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  11. wow, this a beautiful and exotic flowering vine. i have never seen this flower before.

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  12. Nice! I've never seen this plant before either. What fun! Thanks for posting about all these fascinating plants that grow so well in your wonderful Malaysia!

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  13. Perfectly named. I have never seen that before. Very intriguing plant!!!

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  14. Hi Autumn Belle, I tried posting three times but each time got an error message from Blogger so I am going to try again. I just love this plant. I have tried growing it in the past but they all died. Just recently I bought another one and I do hope it survives.

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  15. Oh how I wish I lived in a climate where I could grow these in my garden...(sigh). Lovely.

    mand

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  16. What a sticking plant, with a well-deserved fun name. I wish I could grow this plant in my garden!

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  17. What an unusual and exotic vine. I love it! it's intriguing learning about the plants in your part of the world.

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  18. Congrats! Your caption has been selected! I have put a link to your blog.

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  19. Lipstick Plant is easier to remember than “Aeschynanthes Lobbianus" (though it sounds better). This is the first time that I have seen or heard about it. Nice shots!

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  20. That last photo is stunning, Autumn Belle! I've purchased these at flower shows in past years, they are cool! And also LOVE the double hibiscus in your header! Nice to visit you, finally! Hugs, Lynn ;D

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  21. How aptly named -- lipstick flower -- Lovely set of shots!

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  22. Those plants are very well-cared for, i like it by my style of gardening will not be good for that! Why are you not planting it in your own garden? BTW, One commented in my last post that you are sentimental, and i said me too! I actually miss our private messages, i know you are too busy these days.

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  23. Wow! That seriously does look like a lipstick...and then when the flower comes out a little more, it kind of looks like some kind of cartoon character singing, like so much that you can see that thing hanging down in the back of their throat. Lol...if that makes sense.

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  24. Hi everyone, thank you very much for dropping by. Your comments were like beautiful rays of sunshine in my garden. Like Bananaz said, this lipstick is safe to bring home because you guys don't have to worry about getting it on your collar! The gals will like the lovely flowers.

    Andrea, yeah, I am busy with many projects at the same time, but if you send me a private message, I'll give you a private reply ;-)
    In case you don't know, whenever I miss you, I'll take a peek at your FB, haha!

    Helen, good luck with your latest Lipstick!

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  25. Oh yeah, to answer Andrea's question - This plant is on my 'wanted list'. I'll definitely buy it if I see it at the nursery.

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  26. NIce post. I loved the shadow on the pavement from the trellis. By the way, I am now sowmejuat a micro/short film legent. Check me out n youtube. Search under: Primera obra del cineasta Antigonum Cajan. Four or five will make me something like written on granite...Horticulturally wise...
    Until then..

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  27. Autumn Belle, Now I must admit I am not into lipstick like the ladies, but I do say that Lipstick Plant is beautiful indeed. Very dramatic color. You have such a lush area of the World. Always nice to see your postings. Jack

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  28. Hello, Autumn Belle!
    Very interesting plant! Have not seen anything like this before. Thank you for sharing this with us!

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  29. Hello, Autumn Belle..

    I really interested of this LIPSTICK plant..In Malaysia, where you find this plant had been planted in big quantity? I saw this plants once at Sungai Buloh. The plant's leave similar like LKY but it has broader shape of leaf and have a tubular lipstick flower.

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  30. WOW! Great plants..Do you have any idea where the plants can be find in big quantity.?I've seen this plant at Sungai Buloh once but without the red flower. Is anyone is using this plant by big quantity?

    Thanks.LOL

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    Replies
    1. have seen this plant for sale at Sg Buloh nurseries eg Lot 61 - if I'm not mistaken, a smiliar one with yellow flowers too. You can ask the sellers there. The link is here:

      http://mygardendirectory.blogspot.com/p/selangor-green-lane.html

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