Hot lips plant! -Yes, they are real.

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Flowers that Resemble Lips


 
 Picture courtesy Google image

Psychortia Elata, popularly known as.”hot lips” or “hooker’s lips.” is a very unique type of plant with its flowers resembling a beautiful set of lips. Contrary to popular beliefs, the hooker’s lips aren’t actually flowers. The “red lips” are actually bracts which form prior to the appearance of the flower blossoms. The unique shape and color of the temporary bracts are a way of attracting hummingbirds and butterflies to pollinate the flowers. 

These tropical trees rarely exceed 3 meters in height and are found in the tropical forests of Central and South America, especially in areas like Columbia, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Panama. Unfortunately, the plant is severely endangered due to habitat destruction and globalization. 

This plant is from the Psychotria genus in the family Rubiaceae, which contains about 1900 different species. It grows where the soil is rich and humid from leaf litter. Growing this in your garden requires you to recreate the natural environment for which it is suited. 




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