Close-up of Hoya carnosa 'Tricolor' leaves.

Hoya carnosa 'Tricolor' baby plant in a nursery pot.

Hoya carnosa 'Tricolor' small plant in a nursery pot.

Hoya carnosa 'Tricolor' medium plant in a nursery pot.

Apocynaceae

Hoya carnosa 'Tricolor'

Wax Plant

Pet Friendly

Pale-edged green leaves on Hoya carnosa ‘Tricolor’ can retain red and pink tones briefly after opening. The plant can produce purplish-pink flowers with purplish-red undersides.

Read full guide to Hoya carnosa 'Tricolor'

€9,75

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Baby · XS Pot Ø 6 cm · approx. 10 cm long Sold outS Pot Ø 9 cm · approx. 10 cm long Sold outM Pot Ø 12 cm · approx. 25 cm long Sold out

Variant

Sizes are approximate. Height is measured from the bottom of the pot to the top of the plant; diameter at the widest point.

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Care at a glance

Hoya carnosa 'Tricolor'

Light

Bright indirect • approx. 10,000–20,000 lux

Watering

Water when ~60–80% dry

Substrate

Airy + fast-draining • Light moisture buffer • Bark-based • Medium-chunky

Temperature

Ideal: 16–24 °C • Avoid below: 10 °C

Humidity

Elevated 50–60%

Growth habit

Climbing epiphytic or lithophytic perennial vine.

Support

recommended

Growth speed

High

Cultivated size guide

Trail length: 200 cm • Spread: 60 cm

Toxicity & safety

Non-toxic

Origin & habitat

Hoya carnosa cultivar developed by B. L. Cobia in Winter Garden, Florida, from a sport in a variegated H. carnosa line

Outdoor growing

Outside from 15 °C · sheltered from wind and rain

How to read these values

These care values give practical guidance for growing the plant. Adjust care for pot size, substrate, temperature and how quickly the substrate dries.

For more detail, read the full product description or visit our Plant Care Guides.

Light: level and approximate lux at leaf level.
Watering: “% dry” shows how far the substrate should dry before watering again.
Substrate: structure, drainage, moisture retention, base material and particle size.
Temperature: “Ideal” shows the preferred range; “Avoid below” marks the cold-stress threshold.
Humidity: target range; steady conditions usually matter more than exact numbers.

Growth habit: how the plant grows, such as upright, climbing, trailing, clumping or rosette-forming.
Support: whether a stake, pole or trellis is needed, optional or unnecessary.
Growth speed: expected pace under suitable growing conditions; use as a guide, not a promise.

Cultivated size guide: approximate dimensions for an established plant in the stated growing context. Height is measured upwards from the growing surface; foliage height excludes flower stems. Trailing length follows a stem, while foliage drop is the vertical distance from the crown to the lowest leaf tips. Spread is the width of the leafy plant or crown, not an individual leaf. Flowering height includes the flower stems. A container guide applies to pot-grown plants; an in-ground guide applies to plants rooted in the ground. Size also depends on age, conditions, pot space and training.

These figures do not describe the size supplied and are not fixed upper limits.

Toxicity & safety: irritation, toxicity or physical hazards such as spines or bristles.
Origin & habitat: native range, hybrid background or typical habitat where relevant.
Outdoor growing: when a potted indoor plant can be placed outside and what outdoor protection it needs.

Hoya carnosa 'Tricolor'

Thick green leaves with pale margins line the climbing stems of Hoya carnosa ‘Tricolor’. Red and pink tones can stay in the margins as the leaves grow and for a time after they mature. The plant can produce purplish-pink flowers with purplish-red undersides.

Key features of Hoya carnosa 'Tricolor'

Green leaves with pale marginal variegation.
Red and pink tones while leaves grow and for a time after they mature.
Thick, fleshy leaf blades.
Climbing growth.
Purplish-pink flowers with purplish-red undersides.

Origin & background

Selection history of Hoya carnosa 'Tricolor'

B. L. Cobia, Inc. developed ‘Tricolor’ through a series of selections descended from Hoya carnosa ‘Variegata’. It arose as a sport on an unnamed plant in that line. United States Plant Patent 2,950 described it in 1969; Patent 3,105 established the cultivar name in 1972. ‘Tri-Color’ is a later synonym. KRIMSON QUEEN was its trade designation; that trademark expired in 2002.

Plant care

How to care for Hoya carnosa 'Tricolor'

Growth habit: Let ‘Tricolor’ trail from its pot or wind the stems around a hoop.
Light and climate: Use bright indirect light with protection from hot direct sun. Maintain 16–24 °C, avoid prolonged temperatures below 10 °C and aim for 50–60% humidity with gentle airflow.
Root-zone moisture: Grow it in a chunky, freely draining mix. Rewater when the pot feels light and the mix is nearly dry through most of its depth, then soak the root ball and drain it completely. Drying slows when light or growth decreases.
Feeding: Feed modestly with a balanced orchid fertiliser during active growth. If there is evidence of fertiliser-salt accumulation and the pot drains freely, reduce feeding and rinse only when watering is next due. Discard all runoff; avoid unnecessary flushing of damp mix.
Repotting: Move up one pot size when the roots genuinely need more space; deteriorated mix can be replaced in the existing pot when the root ball still fits.
Propagation: Use a clean blade to take a healthy one- or two-node cutting. Root the lower node in lightly moist, airy mix, keeping the remaining leaves above the medium and the cutting warm in bright indirect light.

Issues & solutions

Pink new leaves, wet roots and pests in Hoya carnosa ‘Tricolor’

Wilting with persistently wet mix: If the plant wilts while the pot remains heavy and damp, stop watering and check whether water drains freely. Persistent decline warrants a root check. Retain firm roots and use a clean, disinfected tool to remove only soft, rotten sections. Discard dead material and old waterlogged mix, then repot in fresh airy substrate in a clean pot with drainage holes that fits the healthy roots. If extensive rot has removed the roots, start again only from firm, healthy stem cuttings with nodes. Dispose of the plant if all nodes have become soft and disinfect your tools.
New bleached or crisp patches facing the light: Firm young leaves may emerge pink or red without being damaged. Trouble is more likely when cream or pink areas turn dry and pale after direct sun or a hot window. Give the vine bright, filtered light and introduce greater exposure in steps. The bleached patches will remain, but the next leaves should develop without similar damage.
New speckling (stippling) with fine webbing: New fine stippling and webbing on the undersides suggest spider mites. Check with a hand lens; tapping a leaf over white paper can help reveal moving mites. Keep a confirmed infestation separate and rinse sturdy leaves gently on both sides, allowing the pot to drain. Reinspect frequently and repeat rinsing while mites remain. Use a mite product only if its label permits use on indoor ornamental plants, and follow the label's intervals.
Cottony insects on stems and leaf undersides: Cottony clusters on stems or below leaves can conceal mealybugs, particularly in the shaded joints of a variegated vine. Confirm the insects, isolate the plant and lift off visible ones with a damp swab or tweezers. Search sheltered joints, the support and the pot weekly, including apparently clean new growth. For a persistent infestation, choose a product labelled for home use against mealybugs on indoor ornamentals in your country. Follow all label directions on dose, treated sites, repetition and safety.

Safety

Hoya carnosa ‘Tricolor’ is generally regarded as non-toxic to cats and dogs

Sap from cut or damaged stems may irritate skin or eyes. Avoid direct contact and rinse off any sap.
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.

Names & etymology

How the name Hoya carnosa came about

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.

Plant names, growth habits, natural habitats and indoor care guidance are checked against trusted botanical, habitat and horticultural references before publication.View our plant care resources and references.