Aeschynanthus is part of the Gesneriaceae family, the native range of this genus is S. China to Tropical Asia. I’ve found it hard to get information about the parentage/origin of this variety. It's often called ‘Lipstick Plant’ due to the shape of the flowers; they are red and tubular in shape and surrounded by a tubular calyx (an outer covering of the petals) and grow in clusters at the ends of the stems. Aeschynanthus are epiphytic, growing on the sides of host trees in tropical forests of Thailand, Singapore, Sumatra and other parts of Southeast Asia. Leaves are fleshy, elliptic and with smooth margins,, they are arranged in pairs along a trailing stem.
Aeschynanthus comes from the Greek words ‘aischune’ meaning shame and ‘anthos’ meaning flower referring to the red flowers.
Light: Bright indirect light, meaning the plant sees the sun for 0-4 hours per day - this could be through trees or a translucent curtain, it’s important for the plant to see the sky in order to thrive.
Water: Allow the first 2-3 inches of mix to dry out. Before watering, ensure the substrate isn’t compacted, if it is, aerate it with a few pokes of a skewer or blunt stick, pour water slowly over the top and allow the water to pass through the drainage holes.
Potting mix: A well draining mix composed of coco coir, perlite, orchid bark, sphagnum moss, worm castings and horticultural charcoal.
Fertilising: Feed your plant every other watering during the growing season or when you observe active growth. You can dilute fertiliser to half the recommended amount but never add more.
Temperature: Ideally 21-26°C, no cooler than 10°C.
Humidity: Aeschynanthus do better in higher humidity but do well to adapt to average home humidity. You can increase humidity by placing the plant on a watered pebble tray or using a humidifier.
Aeschynanthus are non-toxic.