Hoya carnosa, the wax plant, is an Asclepiad species in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae). It is one of the many species of Hoya that are native to Australia. Here it grows in my garden, doing what it is doing best scrambling up a tree.
The flowers are light pink, but may be from near-white to dark pink; they are star-shaped, and are borne in clusters that look like tiny wax miniatures.
The surface of the flowers are covered in tiny hairs giving a fuzzy sheen to them. They are scented and produce nectar that drips from the flowers.
Hoyas flower from specialized perennial structures referred to as spurs, from the axils of the leaves and stem. Each season new flowers are produced on these same spurs, so they should not be removed.
H. 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.
Studies have shown, Hoya carnosa works as an excellent remover of pollutants in an indoor environment.
©Photos Lavender & Vanilla Ts./My garden.
