Kiss Flower: Things To Know About Unique Flower

Kiss Flower, with its lip-like structure, alluring color, and unique appearance, never fails to fill your living space with tropical and romantic vibes.

Kiss Flower (Palicourea elata) is also known as Girlfriend’s Kiss or Hot Lips due to the intricate structure of the colorful, red bracts.

So, go through this article to know every detail about the Kiss flower, its propagations, and failproof tips to care for this alluring plant.

Is Kiss Flower Real?

Kiss Flower is a real tropical flower native to Central and South America. The flower grows on the shrub that can reach about 4-5 m tall.

This beautiful ornamental plant prefers warm and humid conditions to thrive. You can see this plant growing in botanical gardens and greenhouses.

Interestingly, the red lips-like parts, which are the main attraction of the flowers, are not the real flowers. These red parts are bracts that protect the actual flowers.

In fact, the flowers of the Kiss Flower plant are white in color and very small, about 0.5 cm in diameter. 

Furthermore, the attractive bracts mimic just a female Hummingbird, and that appearance attracts male hummingbirds toward them.

How To Grow Kiss Flower?

There are multiple methods of propagating and growing Kiss Flower, such as seeds and cuttings. 

1. Propagation Via Seeds 

To propagate Kiss Flower by seeds, first collect the viable seeds from the mature plant in the fall. 

However, it’s quite difficult to propagate this plant by seeds as they are very small and difficult to handle.

• Prepare a potting mix with well-draining soil and organic compost.
• Place the soil on the Petri dish and sow the seeds 1 inch deep.
• Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged.
• Cover the soil with a plastic cover to maintain warm and humid conditions.
• Seeds may take 2-4 weeks to germinate. Wait until the seedlings become large enough to handle.
• Transplant each seedling into individual pots and place the pots in the bright indirect sunlight.

2. Propagations Via Cuttings

Propagation of Kiss Flower by cuttings is one of the easiest and most successful growing methods.

However, use the sterilized cutters to cut the stems to avoid the risks of infections by fungal or bacterial pathogens.

• Make a 45° cut from the healthy plant on a branch with no flower.
• The cuttings must be 4-6 inches long with at least 3 nodes in it.
• Remove the lower leaves of the Kiss Flower plant and dip the plant cutting in a rooting hormone.
• Prepare a well-draining potting mix and plant the cutting.
• Keep the soil moist and wait for 3-4 weeks, as the cutting may take several weeks to root.
• After the cutting establishes itself, you can transplant it outdoors or on the bigger pot.

Tips To Care Kiss Flower

It’s better to use sheer curtains if you place the Kiss Flower in a window that receives direct sunlight.

However, provide the plant with 10-12 hours of artificial light if it’s not receiving enough light. Proper light conditions are vital to get the red bracts that resemble lips.

• Ensure not to make soil waterlogged, as waterlogged conditions often invite root rot.
• Use a moisture meter to water the plant properly and mist it daily to provide humid conditions.
• Prune the Kiss Flower plant to remove any dead or diseased leaves to make it healthy.
• Deadhead the spent flowers and bracts to encourage more flowering and bract development.
• Use pesticides, fungicides, or neem oil to protect them from disease invasion.
• During the excessive cold conditions, use frost blankets and shift the plant indoors.
• Never place the plant near cold drafts and heating vents, as it results in dry and colorless bracts.