Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Aeschynanthus tricolor bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called tricolor lipstick plant, three-colour aeschynanthus (Aeschynanthus tricolor).

More about aeschynanthus tricolor

About Aeschynanthus tricolor

Aeschynanthus tricolor · also called tricolor lipstick plant, three-colour aeschynanthus · flowering

Aeschynanthus tricolor is a trailing Bornean lipstick plant in the gesneriad family, grown for striking tubular red flowers marked with yellow and dark maroon-black stripes. A warm-growing epiphyte, it thrives in bright indirect light, high humidity, and a fast-draining mix, cascading beautifully from a hanging basket. Crucially, the whole Aeschynanthus genus is ASPCA non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — No flowers: Too little light or over-feeding with high nitrogen. Give brighter indirect light and a balanced or bloom feed; a slightly snug pot also encourages blooming.

The reasons aeschynanthus tricolor isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming aeschynanthus tricolor traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding aeschynanthus tricolor a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get aeschynanthus tricolor to flower

Maximise sun. Give aeschynanthus tricolor the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for aeschynanthus tricolor and get the feeding right with the aeschynanthus tricolor fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Aeschynanthus tricolor flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full aeschynanthus tricolor care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Aeschynanthus tricolor blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my aeschynanthus tricolor flower?

Aeschynanthus tricolor blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make aeschynanthus tricolor bloom?

Give aeschynanthus tricolor the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does aeschynanthus tricolor normally bloom?