Scientific Name
Hoya macgillivrayi F. M. Bailey
Scientific Classification
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
Tribe: Marsdenieae
Genus: Hoya
Flower
Color: Dark burgundy
Bloom Time: Mid-spring to early summer
Description
Hoya macgillivrayi is a fast-growing climber and twiner with light green, thick, oval, and pointed leaves set opposite each other on the twining stems.
The flowers are up to 2.4 inches (6 cm) wide and appear on long stalks arranged in umbels of 6 to 10 flowers, each connected at a central axis. They are dark burgundy with five sepals and five petals. The stamen are enclosed in the corona. The fruits are two pairs of follicles that are up to 10 inches (25 cm) long and contain seeds distributed by the wind.
How to Grow and Care
Hoya plants don't ask for much beyond the well-draining soil and the warm, humid conditions that many tropical flowers crave. They don't like wet feet or heavy soil, and as many grow as epiphytes in nature (similar to bromeliads and orchids). Give them at least a half-day of sunshine, and bring them indoors when temperatures drop below 50 degrees F (10 degrees C).
When your Hoyas finishes blooming, leave the flower stalk, as it may produce new flowers. Removing the stalk forces the plant to produce a new stalk, which delays blooming and wastes the plant's energy. They are light feeders, and a monthly drink of compost tea or dilute fish emulsion provides all the nutrition these tropicals need. Hoyas like the security of a snug pot, and plants that are a bit root-bound will flower more prolifically than those that are swimming around in a giant pot.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Hoya.
Origin
Hoya macgillivrayi is native to northeastern Australia.
Links
- Back to genus Hoya
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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