Hot Lips (Psychotria poeppigiana)
Bright red, lip-shaped bracts are
an amazing wonder to behold growing
on this tropical shrub. Small, white,
star-shaped flowers emerge in the center
of the red bracts and the flowers are
fragrant. An understory grower, it flowers
year-round with the flowers forming
on the new growth generally as single
blooms that last a week or more. Hot
Lips plant is a fast, upright grower that prefers
lower light with some shade. Make sure
to grow it in an acid soil with modest
amounts of fertilizer.
