Aeschynanthus longicaulis is a trailing plant from the Gesneriaceae family, they are epiphytes that would ordinarily grow on host trees in tropical forests of Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. Leaves and stem are semi-succulent and the stem will become woodier with age. The lanceolate leaves have a mottled green pattern on top and a purple striped underside. A.longicaulis flowers between late spring and early autumn, blooms are greenish-yellow in colour.
Aeschynanthus comes from the Greek words ‘aischune’ meaning shame and ‘anthos’ meaning flower referring to the red flowers. The Latin specific epithet longicaulis means ‘long-stemmed.’
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 or vermiculite, 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.