Lipstick plants that flower --- A New Concept

Aeschynanthus with many flowers and buds

Lipstick plants that flower --- A New concept.

 

            The lipstick plant is the best example of a common name put to good use.  Nobody can say or spell Aeschynanthus --- the Genus name.

 

            Everyone would buy a lipstick plant if they could see it in flower.  Thousands could be sold.  The problem is we don’t know how to make that happen.

 

            The flowering response --- what triggers flowering is elusive.  Is it the day length, the temperature or age.  If you know, tell me.

 

            Major commercial crops must perform on schedule.  Waiting for the lipsticks to flower, soon eliminates them from production.

 

            This pictured plant has flowers up and down the stems, We don’t know why?

 

            I had collected many Aeschynanthus varieties but this one just decided to flower.  Why?

 

            We will propagate it to see if flowering can be duplicated on a branched plant.

  

Another mystery of Lipstick Plants discovered

Young growth on old plant (R), Young growth on young plant(L)

We have hanging baskets of the common Lipstick Plant (Aeschynanthus lobbianus) in various stages waiting for them to flower/sell.

The group held over from their non-flowering summer are first to bud.  The group that were propagated from new growth – a pair of leaves that rooted and branched with new shoots are growing well but no buds.

The middle group are last year’s baskets, cut back short and allowed to branch with new growth.  These budded and will flower second.

So, in order to budding ---- uncut old branches, old growth cut back with new shoots, and last, new propagations.

The flowering response of Lipstick is not precise.  The only thing I know for sure is it’s a function of age.  Young shoots don’t flower.

But now I know that young shoots from old growth will flower sooner that young shoots from young growth.

So, how will this discovery help speed up production?

1.      If you have baskets that stop flowering in the summer heat, cut them back hard.  The new growth will flower by Christmas.

2.      If you’re propagating cuttings in cell packs, don’t worry about keeping them moving.  You can hold them in cell packs, which take less space, to let them get age.  The shoots will reward you with faster flowering when potted up.

If you are a homeowner with one Lipstick hanging basket, it would make sense to cut it back 1/3 at a time for three months so you would always have flowers forming.

      ---Too complicated?

Then, just know to keep your old plant and cut it back in Summer.  It will flower faster than if you start a new basket.

Old growth on old plant(R), Young growth on old plant (L)

Let's make a better Lipstick Plant

The Classic Lipstick Plant

     The classic Lipstick Plant that everybody has heard of with lipstick tube red flowers could be better.

         The goal of purposeful plant breeding is to create something new and hopefully better for the World to enjoy.

          I’ve been asked how today’s plants compare with 50-year old varieties.  That’s easy --- the plants are better.  Professional plant breeders have taken road-side weeds and selected them into flowering wonders.

       Amateur plant breeders have created exceptional improvements in the Plant World, also.  These dedicated hobbyists are amateur, but only in that they are not paid.

            All of the Aeschynanthus hybrids have been made by amateurs.

         I have a project for all to consider.  Flowering of A. lobbianus is unreliable.  What if it could be converted to a day-length sensitive plant like A. ‘Big Apple’?

         At least one of the parents of ‘Big Apple’ (micranthus X humilis) must be a long day plant.  We cross these species with lobbianus and select for large tubular red flowers and the seedling that is long-day.

            Is this feasible?  I don’t know yet.

            Perhaps others can speculate?

Why Lipstick Plants Flower? --- My Conclusions

Lipstick Plant Buds

What problem are we trying to solve here?

            Commercial horticulture demands that flowering crops can be consistently grown into a salable product in the shortest possible time.  This depends on knowing the flowering response ---- what triggers flowering?

            There is a vague understanding of what makes Lipstick (Aeschynanthus) plants flower.  Flowering is variety specific.  My conclusions are for the clone with classic red lipstick tube and flower.  This clone may be A. lobbianus.  Regardless of the name, the stock material that I have available to me, flowers in hanging basket form around Christmas.

            The goal will be to produce 4” or 6” baskets in the Fall for December flowering.  8” or 10” baskets are too heavy for indoor use.  If a 4” pot can be produced from budded shoots --- even better.

Everyone agrees that Lipsticks are seasonal, but what does that mean?

            I believe that day-length is not a trigger.  If it were, growers would already be cranking them out on a Mum schedule year around.

            The Fall flowering must be either from the total accumulation of light from Summer or a lowering of temperature.  Or Both.

            The maturity/age of the branch is mandatory.  Young growth does not flower.  After the main flush of flowers, any sporadic later flowering is probably from younger growth that has matured.

            So, in the absence of controlled experiments where we can test one piece of environment at a time, my conclusion is this:

1.      Propagate Spring and Summer.

2.     Get maturity Summer and Fall

3.     Wait for cooler Fall temperatures.

4.     Budding will occur Oct/Nov

5.     Flowering in Dec/Jan/Feb

Why Lipstick Plants Flower? -- The Working Theory!

Aeschynanthus in flower at Christmas - Why?

The question is: “Who knows why Lipstick plants flower?”

Several advanced hobbyists have given me their observations about growing Aeschynanthus to flower.  I’ve copied them here and will draw my own conclusions as GSP (Gary’s Specialty Plants)

            GSP.  First, Paul’s growing method may be essential to proving that it is not day-length.

“I had Aeschynanthus lobbianus variegated and Aeschynanthus radicand in full bloom in December.

I posted a few photos of them on G’philes at that time.

I have grown them for years, and find the following:

They must have some maturity (i.e. length of stems) to bloom well.  

They do not seem to need longer nights or days, as my lights are on 12 hours per day, all year long.

They do love the 4-tube T8s.

Repotting about once a year., shallow pots, loose soil.  ( I do not wick water anything)”

            Ruth, in Australia sends her experience:

“Gary, I found your information interesting, but as usual there is a difference because of conditions - or at least I think that is what it is. No Aeschynanthus that I have grown (and I've grown 30 or more different species and hybrids) have ever been a problem for coming into flower. A few flower in our autumn, but the rest begin to flower in mid-summer through most of the autumn. A few will flower during the winter. I am growing outdoors and yes, this is a warm climate. A. lobbianus (or what we used to call lobbianus - I believe it changed) is starting to produce buds now - mid-summer. Is this odd to you? Most growers in this area have plants in flower at the same times as I do.”

            GSP.  One obvious conclusion is that results are variety specific.  You must know what clone you are taking about to compare results.  Different species or hybrids may have different flowering responses. They all flower if we do the right thing.

            Dee offers this:

“The Aeschynanthus that bloom at the ends of the stem are often seasonal. They will bloom in the fall and only in the fall. If you cut them back after a summer outdoors, you won’t get any flowers.”

              GSP.  So, with terminal bloomers, what triggers them to flower in the Fall?  Is it the total accumulation of light from the Summer or the lower temperatures of the Fall?

   

              Irina has this to say:

“In my limited experience - maturity of the plant triggers the bloom. Some species and hybrids are more floriferous, some very shy and seasonal. It generally takes much longer to root the stems of Aeschynanthus than Nematanthus - so there is a good chance that the cutting will abort the buds that are already set. And you will wait a healthy amount of time before it buds again.

The widely spread in culture Aeschynanthus lobbianus - the Lipstick plant - is a fast growing and quite floriferous species - it is a good candidate for what Gary Hunter is trying to accomplish - get finished blooming compact plants ready for sale. It will probably take them another year or more to bloom again.

I do not think we can use this technique when we grow for show, rooted cuttings do not produce a full mature plant we all want to see. Plants for sale - are definitely more desirable when they are in bloom.”

              GSP.  This adds to my problem of how to get budded cutting to not abort the buds before rooting.  They only flower once a year.

              Ruth added this:

“For me, most Aeschynanthus flower in mid-summer to late autumn. A few will flower through some of the winter, and there are some that prefer spring. No problems with flowering.

I have one with pink flowers that was brought in from Malaysia and it didn't flower when it was a young plant, perhaps because I kept taking cuttings to make sure other people had it. Several years later, virtually everyone had plenty of flowers. One grower reported the other day that his was full of flowers - and this is mid summer.”

              GSP.  Yes, if you cut the tips of terminal flowering types you don’t get any flowers.  And when they flower must be backed up several months to when the flowering was initiated.

              Mark adds:

“It does seem to have to do with maturity in my experience, with a seasonal influence as well.  My 'Thai Pink' never bloomed until the vines were 3 feet or so long, and has a heavy bloom in winter every year.  This is followed by a lesser bloom several months later. It hasn't changed in 5 or 6 years of growing.”

              GSP.  This is the maturity(Age) idea.  And that the trigger is consistent which is what we want.  What does seasonal mean?  If we eliminate day-length, then is must be temperature or accumulated light.

              There is a lot to consider with these comments.  Thank you to the growers for thinking about this problem and taking time to help me.   I will give my conclusions in the next post.

Who Knows Why Lipstick Plants Flower?

Lipstick Plant Flowering at Maturity

Who knows why Lipstick plants flower?

            The flowering response; that is, what triggers flowering of Lipstick plants (Aeschynanthus), remains a mystery.

            With this admission of defeat, I hope that all of you Gesneriad growers out there jump up and say; “What do you mean?  My Lipstick flowers regularly every Winter.  It must be day-length or the cooler night temperatures.  Or maybe it’s the cooler day temps.  Of course, I have had it for years, so maybe it’s maturity (old age).  And now that you mention it, sometimes it doesn’t flower at all.”

            It may seem naïve to believe that no one knows the flowering response to the common Lipstick plant.  My only proof is that no commercial grower is producing 4” – 6” pots of Lipstick in flower.  Green foliage --- sure, but no flowers.  If they could be produced, plants would be sold by the thousands. It’s not happening.

            Many years ago, I concluded that flowering is so uncertain that Lipstick plants should be abandoned as a commercial flowering crop.

            The most successful flowering seems to be when the plant is propagated and grown out as a hanging basket.  This allows for the shoots to get length and maturity for flowering on the terminals.

            I want to have flowers on small pots.  If we only knew how to do that?

            My method for Nematanthus ‘Cheerio’ could be adapted to Aeschynanthus.  Grow stock baskets until buds and flowers are set, take tip cuttings, root in small pots.  When the cuttings are rooted, the flowering will be there, --- sell.

            This will be attempted with Lipsticks.  What we don’t know yet, is if the buds will stay on until rooting occurs.  The budded cuttings are coarse and take a long time to callus and root.

            My friend Bob believes that flowering is due to short days (Winter) and that tip cuttings will have small buds set.  Thus, less likely to fall off before rooting.

            This basket shown is flowering now.  Can we create a 4” pot with delightful red flowers on command next year?

Lipstick in flower in small pot

An Easy Common Name

Lipstick plant buds

          If this was the first time you ever saw this flowering plant, you might think, " This looks like a tube of lipstick."


          The Lipstick Plant is the most recognizable common name for the genus Aeschynanthus.

Lipstick Plants for Christmas

Lipstick Plant with many Flowers and Buds

Lipstick Plants (Aeschynanthus) are notorious for random flowering.  This has made them difficult to be commercially produced in flower on a predictable schedule.  This unidentified variety is spectacular right now.

This one will be worth propagating to see if this success can be duplicated?