Hoya carnosa (sold as ‘Chelsea’)

Origin of Hoya carnosa (sold as ‘Chelsea’)

‘Chelsea’ is used for a compact Hoya carnosa with thick, rounded and often cupped leaves. Its relationship to ‘Krinkle 8’ is unresolved. Hoya carnosa is a woody epiphytic or lithophytic climber native from southern China and Laos to southern Japan and Taiwan, where it occurs in subtropical forest.

Care for waxy-leaved epiphytes

• Light: Place the plant in bright indirect light with space around the foliage. Acclimate the leaves gradually before giving any direct sun.
• Watering and roots: Let the top portion of the pot release most of its moisture before the next soak. A pot that stays heavy for many days needs more air or a smaller container.
• Temperature and airflow: Keep the plant warm, allow mild air movement around the foliage and avoid abrupt temperature changes while new growth hardens.

Common issues with Hoya carnosa (sold as ‘Chelsea’)

• Water remains in the deep leaf dimples after watering: The central depressions collect droplets that dry slowly in cool or still air. Tilt or gently shake the vine after watering, blot persistent droplets, and improve mild airflow around the foliage. Remove tissue only if it becomes soft or black.
• The latest vine section has small leaves and long internodes: The growing point is too far from the window for compact growth. Move the growing tip gradually into brighter filtered light and guide it across the lit side of the support. Keep the fertiliser dilute until the next section grows with shorter internodes.
• A compact flowering spur is cut off with a bare runner: A firm flower spur remains capable of blooming again after the cluster falls. Cut around the flower spur while keeping its base attached. The same spur can carry later flower clusters.
• New cupped leaves emerge twisted, scarred or sticky: Thrips, mites, scale or mealybugs may be feeding on the soft new growth. Isolate the plant and inspect the growing point, nodes and leaf undersides. Rinse away visible pests, patch-test insecticidal soap, and use the label instructions to decide if and when another treatment is needed.

Hoya carnosa (sold as ‘Chelsea’) is considered safe around people and pets

• This plant is not considered toxic to humans, cats or dogs.
• No toxic substance or meaningful plant-based physical hazard is documented for this plant.
• Eating a large amount of any plant material can still cause stomach upset. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms are significant or persist.

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.