I have no problem growing them, but I want blooms. This trailing habit makes the plants good candidates for baskets or tall pots, and a common name for A. lobbianus is lipstick vine. These plants are members of the gesneriad family, as are African violets. The lipstick plant prefers an evenly moist soil, plenty of humidity and bright light. It will drop its foliage and buds if it's too dry too long.
Good light extends blooms.
Minimum temperature is about 60 degrees. An African violet soil mix is suitable, and frequent, diluted applications of a flowering-houseplant fertilizer are beneficial. Ask your nurseryman about availability. This tree will grow easily here. It produces upright, pyramidal clusters of flowers 8 to 12 inches long that appear before the catalpalike leaves expand.