Family
Gesnariaceae
Botanical Name
Aeschynanthus 'Hot Flash'
Plant Common Name
Basket Vine, Hot Flash Lipstick Plant, Lipstick Plant
General Description
One of the prettiest and easiest to grow of the lipstick plants, 'Hot Flash' is a compact plant with large orange-red blooms with light color striations. The flowers are held upright in clusters at the ends of the branches. This vigorous, floriferous hybrid is a cross between Aeschynanthus evrardii and Aeschynanthus hildebrandii and a favorite plant for containers or hanging baskets. It was hybridized by B. Schwarz in 1984.
This tropical is a semi-trailing evergreen perennial with fleshy, narrowly elliptical, leaves held opposite of each other in pairs. Its brilliant flowers are the star of the show. The curved, orangish red, striated flowers and held in clusters near the branch tips. The two-lipped flowers extend like lipstick from a tube. The heaviest blooming occurs from winter through summer, though intermittent blooms will appear throughout the year. The fruits are long, linear capsules filled with seeds topped with long hairs that are carried by wind.
Aeschynanthus ‘Hot Flash’ is frost tender and best grown in warm greenhouses, conservatories and sun rooms where not hardy. It prefers bright filtered light and fertile, well-drained potting medium. Low light conditions inhibit blooming. Allow this tropical to dry between watering and keep it on the dry side after its put forth its main flush of flowers and fruits. Lipstick plant can be grown as a shade-loving in-ground or container specimen in frost-free zones.
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
Red, Orange Red
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Flower Color Modifier
Striped
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Fruit Color
Green, Brown
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green, Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Green, Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Green, Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Winter)
Green, Dark Green
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Fragrant Flowers
No
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
Yes
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Showy Fruit
No
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
No
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Foliage Texture
Medium
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Foliage Sheen
Matte
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Evergreen
Yes
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Showy Bark
No
