This pair of red lips belongs to Psychotria elata, a tropical plant found in the rain forests of Central and South American countries like Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama and Ecuador. Affectionately called the Hot Lips Plant (for the shape of its bright red bracts that resemble two lips), it has apparently evolved into its current shape to attract pollinators including hummingbirds and butterflies. The bracts are only ‘kissable’ for a short while, before they spread open to reveal the plant’s flowers.
Hot Lips grows where the soil is rich and humid from leaf litter, moist and sheltered from the most powerful sun rays by upper story trees. Interior growers turn to plants from around the world to add exotic touches to the home. Hot Lips plant fits the bill but requires a tropical environment. For this reason, it is mostly a collector’s plant for much of the United States.
Growing Hot Lips plants requires a heated greenhouse or solarium, high humidity and shelter from harsh solar rays. Growing Hot Lips plant means mimicking the under story tropical environment for which it is suited. Most potting soil will not have both the excellent drainage and moisture retentiveness necessary to raise these plants.
Picture Credit : Google