Scientific Name
Psychotria loniceroides Sieber ex DC.
Common Name(s)
Hairy Psychotria
Synonym(s)
Myrstiphyllum loniceroides, Uragoga loniceroides
Scientific Classification
Family: Rubiaceae
Subfamily: Rubioideae
Tribe: Psychotrieae
Genus: Psychotria
Flower
Color: White
Bloom Time: December to March
Description
Psychotria loniceroides is a shrub or a small tree that grows up to 16.4 feet (5 m) tall. The trunk is crooked with various bumps. Leaves are opposite, egg-shaped, softly hairy, mid to light green above, paler green below, up to 4 inches (10 cm) long, and up to 2 inches (5 cm) wide. Clusters of white flowers appear on a loose branching head from December to March. Fruits mature from February to September, being a yellow or creamy drupe.
Hardiness
USDA Hardiness Zone 10a to 13b: from 30 °F (−1.1 °C) to 70 °F (21.1 °C).
How to Grow and Care
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 tropical understory environment for which it is suited. Most potting soil will not have both the excellent drainage and moisture retentiveness necessary to raise these plants. Add a bit of vermiculite and peat moss before potting up the plant. Place it in an area with temperatures of at least 70ºF (21ºC), a humidity of at least 60%, and bright indirect lighting.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Hot Lips Plant.
Origin
This species is native to forest areas of eastern Australia.
Links
- Back to genus Psychotria
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
Photo Gallery
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