Nature Field Guide
Hot Lips Plant
- Spanish name
- Labios ardientes / Botón rojo
- Scientific name
- Palicourea elata
What Do Pico & Tati Think?
Pico: “Two bright red bracts surround tiny pale flowers in the forest understory.”
Tati: “Let’s notice the leaves, flowers and habitat without disturbing the plant.”
Species overview
About the Hot Lips Plant
The striking red structures of this shrub are bracts: modified leaves surrounding small pale flowers. Glossy opposite leaves provide another clue. The lip-shaped stage changes as the flower cluster develops, so the plant will not always resemble its nickname.
Older Costa Rican references call this species Psychotria elata; Kew currently accepts Palicourea elata. Another species can have similar red bracts, making flower color and leaf features important. Watch without picking the bright structures.
Identification
Key Features of the Hot Lips Plant
Two conspicuous red floral bracts
Small white or creamy flowers
Opposite glossy leaves
Habitat & range
Humid understory and forest edges on both slopes, with records from Guanacaste, Sarapiquí, Talamanca, Cartago and Osa.
Local observations
Native to Costa Rica. Local presence and abundance depend on suitable habitat and growing conditions.
When to observe
Leaves and growth form can be observed whenever the plant is accessible. Flowering and fruiting vary with location, weather and the individual plant; ask a local guide about current conditions.
Conservation & care
Explore with an adult on permitted paths. Observe and photograph without picking leaves, flowers or fruits. Do not taste plants or let pets chew them. Avoid climbing trees and disturbing roots, seedlings or visiting wildlife.
Threats & pressures
Protect suitable habitat, mature trees and natural regeneration. Avoid trampling, unauthorized clearing and collection.
Observation activity
Draw the red bracts and tiny flowers in different colors. Explain which structures are modified leaves.
Explore by location
Caribbean · Central Highlands · Guanacaste · Northern Plains · South Pacific · Alajuela · Cartago · Guanacaste · Heredia · Limón · Puntarenas · San José