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.