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.

How to grow Hoya ‘Krimson Queen’

• 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. Light changes the pink overlay on young leaves; it does not create new variegation.
• 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. The fleshy leaves buffer short dry periods, but they can stay firm after the fine roots have become too dry, so do not wait for severe wrinkling.
• Temperature and humidity: Normal indoor warmth suits active growth. An established Hoya carnosa can tolerate winter temperatures down to roughly 10 °C if its root zone is kept on the drier side. Frost and cold wet roots remain dangerous. Average indoor humidity is workable with good airflow.
• Substrate, feeding and repotting: Build the mix around coarse orchid bark, adding pumice and a smaller portion of coir so it drains quickly but does not become dust-dry overnight. The pot must have drainage holes. Feed at low strength while new leaves are forming; extra fertiliser does not compensate for pale tissue, and occasional plain watering helps prevent salt build-up. Repot when the mix deteriorates or begins drying much faster or more slowly than before, not simply because a year has passed.
• Growth and flowers: Train the twining vines around a trellis or let them trail. Guide long searching runners before deciding to prune them. Allow a well-lit vine to mature before expecting regular flower clusters; the plant does not need to be tightly root-bound. Keep watering and position steady around developing buds, and retain the short flowering spurs after the flowers fade for future clusters.
• 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. Remove persistently all-green reversions if preserving the variegated plant is the goal; fully white shoots cannot sustain vigorous growth alone.

Keeping ‘Krimson Queen’ free from common problems

• 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 genuinely dry healthy root ball; remove soft roots and renew compact wet mix when rot is present.
• 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.
• 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.
• Mosaic, rings or spreading lesions: Mosaic colour that spreads, rings, black lines or growing dead spots can come from infection, pests or damaged roots. Keep the plant apart from others and its leaves dry. Clean tools after contact and take no cuttings. If the pattern continues, a test is needed to confirm whether a virus is present.
• Root mealybugs: White cottony material within the root ball reveals a below-ground infestation. Remove the old mix, clean the pot and treat the roots with a product labelled for root mealybugs.

Is Hoya ‘Krimson Queen’ safe for pets?

• Cats and dogs: Hoya carnosa ‘Krimson Queen’ is non-toxic to cats and dogs. Even a non-toxic plant can cause mild drooling, vomiting or diarrhoea when enough fibrous material is chewed.
• Sap sensitivity: Cut vines release sap. Wash after pruning and keep it out of the eyes. Rare allergic skin reactions have been reported after repeated contact with variegated Hoya carnosa.
• Trailing cuttings: Collect green, cream or pink trimmings and keep long vines away from habitual chewers. Seek veterinary advice if a pet eats a large amount or remains unwell.

What carnosa, albomarginata and ‘Krimson Queen’ mean

• ‘Krimson Queen’: The stylised English trade name spells “crimson” with a K.
• Albomarginata: Albo- means “white” and marginata means “margined.” The term describes the pale or white outer edge of the leaves.
• Carnosa and Hoya: Carnosa is Latin for “fleshy” and refers to the species’ thick, succulent leaves. Hoya commemorates the English gardener Thomas Hoy.