We are introducing another No-fuss, succulent vine with beautiful fragrant flowers. Hoya pubicalyx is an evergreen perennial climber. This is a popular indoor plant native to the Philippines. The deep-green lanceolate succulent leaves, often mottled with greyish speck patterns growing on purplish-grey stems give a pleasant look to the eyes.
Moreover, Clusters of tiny pink, star-shaped, bouquet-like Hoya Pubicalyx Flowers with maroon centre grow along the plant body in the season to enhance the beauty of the vine. This plant along with its cultivars makes beautiful hanging baskets and terrestrial pots. And all this comes easy! You don’t need to provide any extra care to this low-maintenance plant. Let us learn more about the Pubicalyx plant along with its cultivars and its care.
Hoya Pubicalyx Classification
Family: Apocynaceae.
Genus: Hoya.
Species: H. pubicalyx.
Genus Hoya
Hoya comprises about 600 to 700 evergreen perennial plant species. New species keep on getting added to the genus by discovery or by hybridization. This is a diverse genus native to Asia. Botanist R.Brown named it in tribute to his colleague T. Hoy.
The majority of the Hoyas are climbers having adventitious roots. Their growth habitat could be epiphytic or terrestrial. These plants have a characteristic feature of glossy thick succulent leaves. Moreover, all the Hoyas get beautiful clusters of thick and glossy flowers with peduncle tips. Thus, the characteristic foliage gives the common names like Wax plant, Wax Vine, and Wax Flowers Plants to the Hoyas.
Features of The Hoya Pubicalyx Plant
Height and Structure
- An average mature plant is around 8 to 10 feet (3 m) in height.
- A common leaf is about 5 to 12 cm (4 inches) long and about 6 cm (2.4 inches) wide.
- Leaves follow an alternate growth pattern on the stiff semi-woody stems.
Hoya Pubicalyx Flower
- The flowers are star-shaped, dusty pink with a light-pink central star. Each tiny flower is around 0.4 cm in size. Numerous tiny flowers form bouquet-like clusters around 2 inches in size.
- Each bouquet grows on peduncle tips and is further attached to the main stem through a tiny stem-like structure. The waxy fragrant flowers grow on tiny stalks less than an inch in length.
- The color of the flowers is variable. Each plant comes with a different color ranging from shades of pink, red, and purple.
Season
You will see these beautiful natural gifts blooming in spring.
After the plant has finished blooming, the stalks are better not be removed. This will help the plant grow new flowers. Moreover, it saves the plant’s energy from growing new stalks.
Growth Rate
Hoyas have different growth rates. Pubicalyx is among the fast-growing Hoya. However, it is lesser as compared to the Obscura, which is one of the fastest-growing Hoyas.
Toxicity
Hoyas are known as milky weeds and have a typical white substance inside. This milk-like fluid is toxic in nature. Health issues depend upon the size of the species and the number of plants ingested. However, to be on the safe side, we recommend keeping your kids and pets away from them.
Hoya pubicalyx Varieties/Cultivars
This plant has many cultivars and hybrids. The plants have resembling appearances. You can’t differentiate them unless they are in bloom unless you are an expert in growing Hoyas. Moreover, they are usually differentiated on the basis of color differences in foliage and flowers.
Popular ones are asunder;
- H. Pubicalyx Pink-Silver,
- H. pubicalyx ‘Black Dragon’.
- ‘Red Buttons’ H. pubicalyx .
- H. pubicalyx ‘Royal Hawaiian Purple’.
Let us have a little introduction about each of the above;
Hoya pubicalyx ‘Pink-Silver’
- The green leaves with silvery splashes. These leaves turn pinkish silver in sunlight, giving the name Pink-Silver to this cultivar.
- The flowers are light red in color with pink centers.
Hoya pubicalyx ‘Black Dragon’
- This name is in reference to the characteristic reddish-black flowers with red centers. Bouquets of tiny black star-shaped flowers in the springtime give an exotic appearance to this Hoya.
- The leaves are lime-green without any markings.
Hoya pubicalyx ‘Red Buttons’
- The flowers are dark purple in color with reddish centers.
- The plant has purple or reddish blotches on green leaves with the same shades of stems.
Hoya pubicalyx ‘Royal Hawaiian Purple’
- The Hoya Royal Hawaiian Purple has green leaves with mild flecking patterns of silvery-grey color.
- The plant gets clusters of tiny pinkish-red to black star-shaped flowers. Sometimes, you can even see mixed flowers on a single bunch of the Hoya pubicalyx ‘Royal Hawaiian Purple’ plant.
- When will my Hoya Royal Hawaiian plant bloom? You will see this plant bloom start blooming in spring until the middle of the summer.
Other varieties/cultivars include Bright One, Dapple Gray, Splash, Jungle Garden, Silver Sheen, White Dragon, Pink Dragon, and RHP.
Hoya Pubicalyx Care
All the varieties and cultivars of Pubicalyx have the same requirements including the popular Hoya Royal Hawaiian Purple plant. Important requirements of the low-maintenance plant are as under;
Water Requirement
The water requirement of the plant is medium. Thrice a week in summer and once a week in winter is an estimated watering frequency. Keep an eye on the soil and water when the upper 2 inches get dry. Light availability and temperature also affect the water requirement. The water requirement will increase with the increase in temperature and light exposure.
The quantity of water at one time also depends upon the soil/ substrate in use. If the plant is in heavy soil like a peaty mixture, it is better to water mildly. Howbeit, in the lighter substrate, you can water freely until the drainage holes start flowing out.
These plants don’t like wet feet. Thus, avoid over-watering or soggy soil in order to save the plant from plant issues like root rot.
Sunlight Requirement
The optimal sunlight condition is bright indirect sunlight. These plants are found growing under the trees and gaps of the forests. Thus, dappled sunlight exposure is best.
In case the plant is under direct exposure, gardeners recommend covering them with 50 to 80% shade cloth.
Avoid keeping them in the peak hours of direct sunlight. As this may burn the plant. However, the plant will love a little exposure to early sun resulting in brightly colored foliage.
Temperature Requirement
The optimum temperature range for Hoyas is 30 to 40 °F. The plant usually does well in the temperature range of 30 to 40 °F. The Waxy Vines are not frosted hardy. Thus, try shifting them to warm places, when the temperature falls below 10 °F.
Humidity Requirement
The Wax plants are generally humidity lovers. About 70% of moisture in the air is ideal for them. On drier days, consider keeping them around a humidifier.
Soil Requirement
A light, airy and well-drained soil or substrate is ideal for the Hoya pubicalyx Speckled plant. A good Hoya mixture may contain peat, orchid mix, and perlite in equal quantities.
Fertilizer Requirements
These plants are NOT heavy feeders. Howbeit, some added nutrition will always result in well-grown and good-looking foliage. In domestically available options, you can give a monthly dose of compost tea or a dilute fish emulsion. Moreover, you can use any balanced organic or diluted synthetic fertilizer easily available in the market. In the blooming season, these plants will simply love those extra nutrients.
Alternatively, just like the majority of other green plants, the Waxy vines also don’t need any fertilizer.
Pot Requirements
The Hoyas need to dry out quickly. So, a terracotta plant pot with drainage holes will be an ideal option. Moreover, these plants like to be root bound instead of ‘floating freely’ in the pot’. Thus, it is better to avoid bigger pots/containers.
Pruning Requirements
You can remove some leaves from the lower parts of the plant, preferably in spring and summer. This will enhance the growth and maintain a pleasant outlook of the plant. The white milky fluid will come out, which is nothing to be worried about. If you want to avoid the mess, consider using a pair of gloves.
Hoya Pubicalyx Propagation
The porcelain flower plants are usually easy to propagate. The popular methods include;
- Stem-Cutting.
- Leaf-Cutting.
The ideal time to propagate is when the plant is actively growing i.e. in spring and summer.
- Take a sharp knife and cut a 5 to 7-inch cutting from the growing end of the stem. Make sure you get the nodes in it. Now, remove a few leaves from the lower end, keeping at least three at the top.
- Water the substrate generously and let it sit until it becomes mildly moist.
- Now plant the plant cutting keeping the nodes under the substrate at least 4 inches deep.
- Keep the pot in a warm and humid place with indirect light. Water mildly about thrice a week.
- Root development usually starts in three weeks. You will be happy to see the shoot development for around a month.
Water-Propagation
You can also propagate the stem tip cutting or the leaf cutting in water. Just dip the cuttings in a glass container keeping the leaves above and nodes below the water surface. Change the water weekly or simply, when it looks murky.
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Summary
Hoya pubicalyx is an evergreen climber. This is a popular indoor plant with dark-green elongated succulent leaves. The tiny, pink, fragrant, star-shaped flowers grow in clusters throughout the plant. This plant has a number of cultivars.
Moreover, each of them is usually differentiated on basis of minor differences in the color and pattern of flowers and leaves. The Hoya pubicalyx Care includes a warm humid place with dappled shade.
