WAXEN BLOOMS
Hoya These evergreen climbing plants, with thick, leathery leaves, grow in the wild in Australia and Asia and are also known as the wax flower, or porcelain flower, because of the clusters of white and pink, waxy-textured, sweetly-scented flowers they produce. It is a wide group of plants, with some requiring quite specific growing conditions. However, H. carnosa, including the variety ‘Tricolor’, with its green, creamy white and pink foliage, are the easiest to grow as a houseplant. The toxic sap contains latex, which can be a skin irritant, and the flowers can produce drops of sticky nectar, so surfaces and furnishings should be protected. Trails to 13ft (4m); spread 39in (1m).
Conditions: The majority of hoya thrive between 16-35°C, and need bright, but diffused, light, so an east-facing windowsill makes a good choice. They also require moderate humidity, although some need higher humidity, and these can be trickier to grow in a home environment.
Watering: The soil should be allowed to dry out between each watering, particularly in spring, when a period of 4-5 weeks without water can help to promote flowering.
Feeding: A liquid plant fertiliser can be applied once a month, from spring to late summer. The plant should be repotted every two years, in spring, using a mix of houseplant compost, perlite and orchid bark.
Propagation: Using the ‘root in water’ method, cuttings should be taken of approximately 4in (10cm) in length and any leaves from the base of the cutting removed, so that they do not sit under the water. The stems are placed in small jars filled with water and positioned somewhere bright, but out of direct sun. It should take approximately 2 weeks for roots to develop, when the new plants should be potted up into a mix of houseplant compost, perlite and orchid bark.