Aeschynanthus

Family Gesneriaceae. Native to South and Southeast Asia, the islands of the Malay Archipelago. About 80 species occur in nature. They are mostly epiphytic or semi-epiphytic herbaceous plants with trailing stems.

Aeschynanthus speciosus - has long shoots with oblong sessile leaves about 10 cm long and 4 cm wide. Leaves glabrous, slightly toothed at the margin. Flowers are clustered at the ends of the shoots. The flowers themselves are not large, bilabiate, with a curved tube and a bright orange limb; the calyx is yellow-green.

Aeschynanthus obconica - has long shoots with oblong-elliptic sessile leaves about 8 cm long and 5-6 cm wide. Young leaves are slightly pubescent, later becoming glabrous. Flowers are grouped 5-6 per inflorescence. The flowers have a pubescent burgundy calyx and a pubescent, curved red corolla.

Aeschynanthus pulcher - with long shoots and oblong sessile leaves about 5-6 cm long and 3-4 cm wide. Leaves glabrous, green, reddish at the margin. Flowers are borne on inflorescences. The calyx is yellow-green at the base, reddish above, glabrous; the corolla is bright red, pink inside, very long.



Temperature: In summer about 20-25°C. Aeschynanthus is warmth-loving and does not tolerate cold drafts. Aeschynanthus has a short rest period that falls in the winter months - December - January. During this time the optimal temperature is not above 16°C, minimum 13°C. Watering is limited then.

Light: Requires bright light, with shading from direct sunlight during the hottest hours of summer.

Watering: In summer watering is abundant, in autumn more moderate, in winter depending on the temperature.

Fertilizers: Regularly from April to September feed with a solution of mineral fertilizers for flowering houseplants. Feed every 2 weeks until the end of flowering. No fertilization should be done during the rest period.

Humidity: Aeschynanthus requires very high air humidity, so the plant is misted 1-2 times a day with soft warm water.

Repotting: For growing Aeschynanthus use slightly acidic soil and hanging baskets. Repot annually in spring. Soil - a mix of leaf mold (2 parts), coniferous (1 part), chopped sphagnum moss or bark (1 part), vermiculite or perlite (1 part), with the addition of river sand.

Propagation: By terminal cuttings, which root better with bottom heat and the use of rooting hormones.