Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Lipstick Plant bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Lipstick plant, Lipstick vine, Basket vine (Aeschynanthus radicans).

More about lipstick plant

About Lipstick Plant

Aeschynanthus radicans · also called Lipstick plant, Lipstick vine · flowering

The lipstick plant is a trailing tropical epiphyte from Gesneriaceae, grown for cascading stems tipped with tubular scarlet flowers that emerge from dark "lipstick-tube" buds. Its one defining need is a cool winter rest near 15°C with reduced water, which sets the buds that drive its showy summer bloom indoors.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — No flowers: Almost always caused by too little light or by skipping the cool, drier winter rest near 15°C that sets the flower buds. Give brighter indirect light and a genuine dormancy period to trigger summer bloom.

The reasons lipstick plant isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming lipstick plant 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 lipstick plant 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 lipstick plant to flower

Maximise sun. Give lipstick plant 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 lipstick plant and get the feeding right with the lipstick plant 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

Lipstick Plant 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 lipstick plant care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Lipstick Plant blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my lipstick plant flower?

Lipstick Plant 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 lipstick plant bloom?

Give lipstick plant 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 lipstick plant normally bloom?