Hoya carnosa 'Krimson Queen' (albomarginata)

A cream-edged form of an Asian forest climber

Hoya carnosa ‘Krimson Queen’ is a horticultural, white-margined form of Hoya carnosa. Its cream-edged pattern is maintained through vegetative propagation, so the clone has no separate natural distribution.

Hoya carnosa is native from southern China to Laos and from southern Japan to Taiwan. It climbs trees and also grows over rocks in subtropical mountain forest, commonly around 200–1,200 m. This setting combines filtered forest light with rapid drainage and occasional dry periods, reflected in the species’ thick leaves and robust twining stems.

Care for waxy-leaved epiphytes

• Light: Keep the vine in a bright position where the light is filtered. Gentle direct sun is possible after acclimation, but the cream margins burn sooner than green tissue.
• Water: Allow most of the substrate to dry. Once the container is light, drench it and let all excess water drain away before returning it to its usual place.
• Temperature: Steady indoor warmth suits active growth.
• Growth and flowers: Train the twining vines around a trellis or let them trail. Guide long searching runners before deciding to prune them.
• Propagation: Select a vine section whose growth point contains both green and cream tissue. Root the selected node in damp perlite and bark; water rooting is also possible with the node immersed, keeping the cutting warm in bright filtered light while roots develop.

When Hoya carnosa 'Krimson Queen' (albomarginata) needs attention

• Pink, white or green shoots: Pink young margins and cream-bordered mature leaves are normal. An all-green shoot is a reversion and can outgrow the variegated vine; remove it at its origin if preserving the pattern is the aim. Entirely white shoots lack enough chlorophyll for vigorous independent growth.
• Wrinkling despite damp mix: Fleshy leaves may remain firm after fine roots have dried, while root rot can also cause wrinkling. Check pot weight, moisture history and the roots. Soak a dry throughout healthy root ball; remove soft roots and renew compact wet mix when rot is present.
• Mealybugs, scale and mites: Inspect nodes, leaf undersides and trellis contact points for cottony wax, sticky honeydew, fixed brown scales, stippling or webbing. Isolate the plant, wipe or rinse away visible pests and clean the trellis. Apply a suitable labelled treatment to nodes, leaf undersides and curled sections, then inspect again as protected eggs hatch. Thrips may also scar pale young leaves and leave black specks. A black coating that wipes from sticky leaves is sooty mould growing on pest honeydew.
• Brown margins or faded patches: Cream tissue burns before green tissue. Protect it from hot unacclimated sun and heater air. Salt accumulation can also brown margins, so rinse the substrate with plain water and avoid increasing fertiliser to correct naturally pale tissue. Cold glass can cause translucent dark patches that are unrelated to loss of variegation.

Hoya carnosa ‘Krimson Queen’ (albomarginata) is non-toxic to people and pets

• This plant is non-toxic to people, cats and dogs.
• Chewing a large amount can still cause an upset stomach.
• If a large amount is eaten and symptoms continue, contact a veterinarian or medical professional.

Why is it called Hoya carnosa?

Hoya honours the English gardener Thomas Hoy. The Latin epithet carnosa means fleshy and refers to the thick leaves.

Robert Brown established the genus Hoya in 1810 in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae, page 459.

Carl Linnaeus the Younger first described it as Asclepias carnosa in 1782 in Supplementum Plantarum, page 170. Robert Brown later placed it in Hoya as Hoya carnosa in 1810 in Asclepiadeae, page 16.