Hoya Pubicalyx
The fastest and most forgiving of the popular hoyas: long, dark leaves flecked with silver on vines that trail or climb several feet, and clusters of deep pink to nearly black flowers that smell of chocolate at night. Pet-safe and happy in dry air.
If you want a hoya that actually does something in the first year, this is it. Hoya pubicalyx grows quickly for a hoya, sending out long searching vines that will climb a trellis or trail three or four feet from a hanging pot. The leaves are narrow, dark and glossy, usually splashed with silver.
It is also the easiest of the group to flower. Given bright light and a snug pot, a two-year-old plant will produce umbels of thirty or more small star-shaped flowers, dusty pink through to near black depending on the form, with a sweet chocolate scent that comes out after dark.
Light
Bright, indirect light, with some direct morning or late-afternoon sun welcome. It handles a south or west window a few feet back better than most hoyas. Medium light keeps it alive but the silver fades and it will not bloom. Strong midday sun through glass can scorch.
Water
Let the soil dry most of the way through, then water thoroughly. Every ten days in summer, every two to three weeks in winter. The leaves go slightly soft when thirsty and firm up within a day of watering. It stores water in the leaves and stems and is far more likely to die from too much than too little.
Soil and potting
An airy mix of potting soil, orchid bark and perlite in roughly equal parts, in a pot with drainage. Keep it snug; hoyas flower when root-bound. Repot every two to three years, one size up. A trellis or hoop in the pot lets the vines climb and the plant flowers sooner.
Feeding
Half-strength balanced feed every six weeks in spring and summer, or a bloom feed once buds form. It grows fast enough to use it.
Propagation
Very easy. Cuttings with two nodes root in water in three to four weeks, or in damp sphagnum. The long vines give plenty of material.
In a hot, dry home
Ideal for a hot, dry home. It wants dry air between waterings, enjoys warmth, and the waxy leaves do not crisp. Give it the bright window a calathea would hate. Water a little sooner in high summer when a hanging pot dries in days, and keep it out of the direct blast of the AC.
Hoya Pubicalyx varieties
Same care, different look. These are the named forms you will see for sale.
- Silver Pink
The common form: dark green leaves heavily splashed with silver, pink flowers.
- Royal Hawaiian Purple
Less silver on the leaves, flowers a deep purple-black.
Problems and fixes
Long bare vines with no leaves
Likely cause: Normal; hoyas send out searching vines first
Fix: Leave them. Leaves fill in once the vine finds something to hold.
Yellow leaves, soft stems
Likely cause: Overwatering
Fix: Dry it out fully and check the roots.
Silver flecks fading
Likely cause: Not enough light
Fix: Brighter, filtered spot.
Buds forming then dropping
Likely cause: Moved, or watering changed while budding
Fix: Leave it where it is and keep the watering steady once buds appear.
Hoya Pubicalyx questions
Is Hoya pubicalyx pet safe?
Yes. Non-toxic to cats and dogs.
How fast does it grow?
Fast for a hoya: several feet a year in bright light and warmth. It is the hoya to buy if you are impatient.
What do the flowers smell like?
Chocolate or cocoa, strongest at night. Clusters last about a week and reappear from the same spurs.
Plants with a similar rhythm
Hoya Rope Plant
- Light
- Medium to bright indirect
- Water
- Every 2 weeks
- Pets
- Safe
Hoya Obovata
- Light
- Medium to bright indirect
- Water
- Every 2 weeks
- Pets
- Safe
Hoya Kerrii
- Light
- Bright indirect to direct sun
- Water
- Every 2 weeks
- Pets
- Safe
