Lychnis ‘Lipstick’

Lychnis sieboldii 'Lipstick'

Almanac Planting Co Lipstick Lychnis (Lychnis sieboldii 'Lipstick'). A close up image of one reddish orange bloom with three other blooms in the background. The background also includes the burgundy stem and a bunch of blurry green.

Overview

Uses: Outdoor herbaceous flowering perennial 

Benefits: Large, brilliant clusters of reddish orange flowers! Attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and pollinators. Great for floral arrangements. Deer, rabbit, and drought tolerant! 

Zones: 3 - 8

Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade

Life Cycle: Perennial 

Mature Height: 36" - 48"

Mature Width: 24" - 36" 

Bloom Season: Late Summer to Mid Fall

Summary

Lychnis sieboldii 'Lipstick'—commonly referred to as Catchfly, Maltese Cross, and Scarlet Lightning—is a brilliantly striking flowering perennial that's best known for its prolific blooms of reddish orange, often described as the color of red corals, or lipstick (where it gets its name).

Foliage is also bold and attractive, often changing color throughout the season from shades of bronzed green to glossy burgundy. 

The seedpods of this plant often garner interest in the fall. 

An absolutely excellent flower for fresh cut arrangements! 

Is known to tolerate deer, rabbits, and drought. 

Care

Lychnis Care

Lychnis sieboldii 'Lipstick' is known to be very low maintenance and requires minimum care.

Prune to control growth as necessary. It's best to do any heavy pruning and trimming during periods of dormancy, such as late fall (after flowering) or early spring. 

Fertilizations will accelerate growth and keep your plant well fed. We suggest using our slow release fertilizer, or something similar. 

Lychnis sieboldii 'Lipstick' prefers full sun, but it also does well in areas of partial shade. 

Water regularly after planting until established, or in periods of drought. Although this plant is drought tolerant and is known to survive dry soil conditions, the ideal soil conditions are moist, rich, well-draining, and slightly acidic.  

Propagate via division in the spring if desired.

Lychnis 'Lipstick' will self sow. Remove fresh seed pods from the plant as they appear if this is not desired. 

Is known to tolerate a variety of poor soil conditions.

Removing spent flowers after blooming is finished will keep your plant looking well-maintained and will also promote additional blooms. 

Size

Size of Lychnis for Sale Online

The Lychnis sieboldii 'Lipstick' that we sell online will ship in a greenhouse grade grow pot. Each plant will be appropriately sized for its pot. Please contact us with any specific questions.

Size of Lychnis When Fully Grown

Lychnis sieboldii 'Lipstick'' typically grows in a mature size of around 36" to 48" tall and 24" to 36" wide. 

Additional Information

Common Names of Lychnis sieboldii 'Lipstick'

  • Lipstick Lychnis 

  • Maltese Cross

  • Scarlet Lightning

  • Catchfly

Toxicity and Risks of Lychnis

We are unable to find much information regarding the toxicity of Lychnis sieboldii 'Lipstick'.

As such, we suggest treating it with a degree of caution, such as: do not ingest, and wash after handling.

Almanac Planting Co Lipstick Lychnis (Lychnis sieboldii 'Lipstick'). A close up image two coral red blooms with white accents. The background includes the burgundy stem, foliage, and a bunch of blurry green.

*This plant is a part of our Archived Plant Collection. Although no longer for sale on our online store, we keep pages like this on our site for the informational benefit of others. Please contact us if you're interested in purchasing large quantities of this plant, as we may be able to specially source and deliver plants for you.