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Hoya carnosa
Also called Honeyplant, Waxflower, Common Wax Plant, Waxplant
Hoya carnosa is a trailing or climbing epiphyte with waxy, fleshy leaves and scented star-shaped flowers, grown widely as a houseplant. It needs bright indirect light, well-draining, airy growing medium, and to be allowed to dry between waterings.
Hoya carnosa, the porcelain flower or wax plant, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae, native to East Asia. It is a common house plant grown for its attractive waxy foliage, and sweetly scented flowers. It is grown well in pots and hanging baskets.
Hoya carnosa has been in cultivation for more than 200 years and has given rise to many cultivars that vary in foliage form or flower color. In cultivation in the UK it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Hoya carnosa prefers indirect bright light, but will tolerate much less. Though it will tolerate low temperatures (but not freezing), the optimal temperature is 60–85 °F (16–29 °C). It can be propagated by air layering or by stem cuttings. It benefits from an open potting medium that allows some air to get to the roots. Typical mixes include large-grade drainage material such as perlite, pumice, or ceramic balls. The plants should be fed regularly with a fertilizer suitable for epiphytic plants.
There is a persistent piece of belief that hoyas prefer to be pot-bound (kept in a small pot). It is said that this will hasten flowering.
Hoya carnosa is native to southern China (including Hainan), Taiwan, Laos and Japan (including the Ryukyu Islands).
Christmas Island Waxvine · Hoya anulata · Samoan Waxplant · Miniature Wax Plant · Hoya bilobata · Hoya calycina · Hoya deykeae · Hoya gracilis · Hoya imperialis · Hoya kanyakumariana · Red Hoya · Hoya meliflua
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Hoya carnosa by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
