Aeschynanthus buxifolius YuGu 359

One of our favorite species first introduced by our friend Steve Hootman and we have since pursued collecting this whenever possible to have comparative examples across its range of southern Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, and northern Vietnam.  An evergreen small shrub in the Lipstick Vine family, Gesneriaceae, this has curved tubular red to red-orange flowers in fall along with glossy evergreen boxwood-like leaves.  Good drainage is key as this usually epiphytic or lithophytic, growing on rocks.  This has proved hardy outside in those enviably mild Puget Sound gardens of which ours is not.  Cue temper tantrum from a 4 year-old.