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Sunday 9 November 2014

Hoya carnosa in the home garden;


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.

9 comments:

  1. What a sight, Trudi! The most beautiful blooms scrambling up a tree. After seeing hoyas here and on a few other blogs, I'll be looking out for them now.:)

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  2. Kanak they would grow well in your climate garden, probably also the very fancy ones from Malaysia. This one grows native in the rainforests around this area that why it does so well. Tt is covered in buds and flowers. Thank you so much for your visit.

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  3. Lovely to see the Hoya, Trudi. I had one long ago.

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  4. Jan, thank you for your visit. I had a few fancy ones, but only three are left now, the native Hoya does best in my garden.

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  5. Hi Titania, so lovely to see your comment over at Today's Flowers. Always good to hear from a friend. I hope you'll join us again some time. Wishing you a great weekend :)

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  6. Liebe Trudi, ich wünsche dir und deinen Lieben auf diesem Weg von Herzen frohe, friedliche und auch etwas geruhsame Festtage und dann einen sanften Rutsch in ein rundum gutes, glückliches und vorallem gesundes neues Jahr.Ich hoffe, du bist gesund und munter. Werde mich in Zukunft wieder vermehrt melden. Mit vielen lieben Weihnachtsgrüssen, Barbara

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  7. This Hoya looks very natural and attractive. I often see it confined to pots and it is not as inspiring as yours. Even though it is a long way from home, it is obviously very happy in your garden.

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  8. Thank you for the lovely comments; DENISE, BARBARA, SUE.

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  9. Looks great. How is the hoya planted? in a pot, in the ground or in a tree fork?

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