Family: Rubiaceae
Origin, Description & Uses
Palicourea elata, commonly known as hooker’s lips, hot lips, or sexy lips, is a tropical flowering shrub native to Central Mexico, Central America, northern South America, and Jamaica. It is best known for its bright red, lip-shaped bracts that surround small white flowers, giving the plant its distinctive and ornamental appearance. The glossy green foliage and unusual blooms make it a popular choice for tropical gardens, botanical collections, and shaded landscape plantings. In its native habitat, the flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies, while the plant contributes to the diversity of tropical understory ecosystems.
Risks & Threats
This species is considered low risk for Hawaii. Palicourea elata is primarily cultivated as an ornamental and is not known to spread aggressively or form invasive populations in tropical environments. It generally prefers humid, shaded forest conditions and does not appear well adapted to widespread naturalization in disturbed habitats. As with many ornamental tropical plants, monitoring is still recommended to ensure it remains contained in cultivation, but at this time there is little evidence suggesting it poses a significant threat to Hawaii’s native ecosystems or biodiversity.
High Risk Traits:
- Elevation range exceeds 1000 m, demonstrating environmental versatility
- Thrives in tropical climates
- Shade-tolerant
- Reproduces by seeds
- Seeds dispersed by birds and intentionally by people
- Limited ecological information reduces accuracy or risk prediction
Low Risk Traits:
- No reports of invasiveness or naturalization, but no evidence of widespread introduction outside native range
- Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
- Ornamental
- Self-incompatible
- Pollinator limitation may limit seed set outside native range
