Watering schedule

How often to water Lipstick Plant (Aeschynanthus radicans) — the schedule

Also called Lipstick plant, Lipstick vine, Basket vine.

More about lipstick plant

Watering at a glance

Base rhythm	When the top 2-3 cm is dry, roughly every 7-10 days in growth
Spring / summer	Spring and summer: soak or dunk the roots/mount thoroughly about once a week, then let them dry almost completely before the next soak.
Autumn	Autumn: lengthen the gap between soaks as light and growth taper off.
Winter	Winter: soak far less often — roughly every 2-3 weeks — and always let the roots dry fully in between.
Light	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)

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.

Ideal humidity: 50-70%

Watch for — Leaf drop: Triggered by cold draughts, temperatures dipping below about 15°C, sudden temperature swings, or watering extremes. Keep it warm and steady and water only when the top few centimetres have dried.

The watering schedule, season by season

Lipstick Plant grows on bark, not in soil — it wants its roots soaked then fully dried and exposed to air, never kept damp like a potted plant. The base rhythm for lipstick plant is when the top 2-3 cm is dry, roughly every 7-10 days in growth, but the real interval moves with the season, the light and the pot — so treat the figures below as a starting point and always confirm with the plant itself.

Spring & summer (active growth): Spring and summer: soak or dunk the roots/mount thoroughly about once a week, then let them dry almost completely before the next soak.
Autumn (slowing down): Autumn: lengthen the gap between soaks as light and growth taper off.
Winter (rest / dormancy): Winter: soak far less often — roughly every 2-3 weeks — and always let the roots dry fully in between.

Water thoroughly until it drains from the base, then let the top few centimetres dry before watering again; never let the rootball sit in water. Both overwatering and complete drought trigger leaf drop, so ease right off in winter when growth slows and the plant is kept cool.

Want this turned into a live reminder that adjusts to your home and the weather? The Growli watering calculator takes your pot size, light and season and returns a starting interval for lipstick plant in seconds.

How to tell lipstick plant needs water

A calendar is the worst way to water lipstick plant. Check the plant and the soil instead — for this species, look for these signals in order:

Roots turn silvery-grey or chalky instead of green/plump.
The mount or bark medium is bone dry and light.
Leaves or pseudobulbs look slightly wrinkled or less rigid.

The most reliable single check is the first one on that list. When two signals agree, water; when they disagree, wait a day and look again — under-watering lipstick plant for a day is almost always safer than over-watering it.

Overwatering vs underwatering lipstick plant

The two failure modes can look alike at a glance, so check the soil weight and wetness before you decide. For lipstick plant specifically:

Signs you are overwatering

Mushy, brown, hollow roots that have stayed wet too long.
Yellowing, soft leaves at the base.
A persistently wet, never-drying medium.

Signs you are underwatering

Leaves go limp, leathery or accordion-pleated; roots stay grey for long stretches.
Shrivelling pseudobulbs or curling leaves.

Treating lipstick plant like a normal houseplant — watering little and often into bark or moss that never dries — suffocates and rots the roots. Soak hard, then let it dry out.

Water quality notes

Rainwater or filtered water is best for lipstick plant; many epiphytes are sensitive to softened water and tap-water minerals.

Seasonal and environmental adjusters

Every figure above shifts with the conditions in your home. For lipstick plant, the levers that matter most are:

Air movement matters as much as water — roots must dry between soaks to avoid rot.
A bark or mounted medium dries far faster than moss, so the wetter the medium, the longer you wait.
In high humidity you can soak less often; in dry heated rooms, more often but still let it dry.

Pot choice is part of this too — work out the right size with the pot size calculator, since a pot that is too big stays wet long enough to rot the roots of lipstick plant.

Lipstick Plant watering — frequently asked questions

How often should I water lipstick plant?

Water lipstick plant when the top 2-3 cm is dry, roughly every 7-10 days in growth. Spring and summer: soak or dunk the roots/mount thoroughly about once a week, then let them dry almost completely before the next soak. Winter: soak far less often — roughly every 2-3 weeks — and always let the roots dry fully in between.

How do I know when lipstick plant needs water?

Roots turn silvery-grey or chalky instead of green/plump. The mount or bark medium is bone dry and light. Leaves or pseudobulbs look slightly wrinkled or less rigid. The single most reliable test for lipstick plant is the first signal on that list — checking the soil or the plant directly always beats watering by the calendar.

What does an overwatered lipstick plant look like?

Mushy, brown, hollow roots that have stayed wet too long. Yellowing, soft leaves at the base. A persistently wet, never-drying medium. Treating lipstick plant like a normal houseplant — watering little and often into bark or moss that never dries — suffocates and rots the roots. Soak hard, then let it dry out.

What are the signs of an underwatered lipstick plant?

Leaves go limp, leathery or accordion-pleated; roots stay grey for long stretches. Shrivelling pseudobulbs or curling leaves.

Can I use tap water on lipstick plant?