There are interesting plants found all around the world. One such plant, the Hoya, is native to Southeast Asia and Australia.

 

The Name

British Botanist, Robert Brown, named the plant genus, Hoya, in honor of his friend and fellow Botanist, the Duke of Northumberland’s gardener, Thomas Hoy (1750-1822). Hoy, the Duke’s gardener for forty years, first brought attention to the plant, often referred to as Wax Plant, Wax Vine, Wax Flower, or Porcelain Flower due to its shiny, waxy-looking leaves and too-good-to-be-real perfect star-shaped flowers.

DYK the sweet fragrance the Hoya carnosa flower produces is only released at night? Controlled by an internal circadian rhythm, the scent’s discharge is timed to attract night-active pollinators.

 

The Plant

The genus Hoya contains over 2,000 plants. But you don’t have to live in the tropics to grow one. While the flowering Hoya vines grow outside only in very warm climates, they are excellent indoor plants. The most common for growing in the home is Hoya carnosa.

DYK Hoya carnosa is in the Milkweed family? That’s the family of plants Monarch butterflies love.

 

The Gift

Years ago, my aunt gave me a wax vine. I knew nothing about it, so I listened carefully to her long list of instructions for its care. I’ve always thought myself good with plants—although I normally prefer vegetables to flowers—but no matter how much I babied it, I killed that sucker in short order. Several years later, a distant cousin called and offered me the wax plant my aunt had given her. It had gotten too large for her to handle.

I gladly accepted and asked how she’d cared for it. She surprised me when she said my aunt had given her the same instructions she’d given me. The difference? My cousin ignored them. She not only ignored the instructions, but the plant, too. She’d put it in the garage in the winter but set it outside the rest of the year. She watered it when she remembered, but otherwise, didn’t bother it, and the plant thrived!

DYK because Hoya plants are easily propagated by cuttings, they can be gifted to friends and family, and even passed down from generation to generation? I still have the one my cousin gave me almost fifteen years ago. From that one plant I now have two large plants and have shared cuttings with many family members and friends.

 

The Truth

If you want a real plant in your home, but don’t have a green thumb, try growing a Hoya carnosa, i.e., a wax plant. People have been growing them inside their homes for more than 200 years. They need little care, just lots of bright but indirect light and high humidity. Even better they prefer cramped growing conditions, so you’re not constantly repotting them. Whether the pot contains something for them to climb up or they’re in a hanging basket with vines draping over the sides, the Hoya is a beautiful addition to any room.

 

My Wax Plant

Resources

If you’re interested in learning more about Hoya carnosa, check out the following websites.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/care-hoya-wax-vines-64138.html

https://www.guide-to-houseplants.com/wax-plant.html