Hoya carnosa ‘Krinkle 8’

The cultivated origin of Hoya carnosa ‘Krinkle 8’

Hoya carnosa ‘Krinkle 8’ arose as a sport of Hoya carnosa ‘Exotica’ and was established in cultivation by 1970. The species is native from southern China and Laos through southern Japan and Taiwan, where it grows on trees and rocks in subtropical forest.

Care for waxy-leaved epiphytes

• Care: Allow the vine to cascade unless a fine runner needs temporary guidance, leaving the textured foliage free from pressure. Use loose ties because a heavy clip can crush a slender stem.
• Light between the folds: Give emerging leaves abundant indirect light, especially while the textured foliage is still soft. In dim conditions, the vine produces longer bare stretches and looser folds, so move it closer to filtered window light.
• Watering: Wait for a noticeable drying interval before rewetting the whole pot. Water should drain immediately, with no runoff left beneath the inner pot.
• Airflow through the foliage: Keep conditions evenly warm while soft growth develops. Keep humidity moderate and air moving gently while the roots recover.
• Feeding: Apply a complete fertiliser at restrained concentration. Wait until the roots are warm and the pot dries normally before fertilising.

Common issues with Hoya carnosa ‘Krinkle 8’

• Deeply puckered leaves soften while the pot stays heavy: The roots occupy too little of the pot to use the retained moisture promptly. Trim mushy roots and repot the firm remainder into a snug pot with fresh airy, free-draining mix. Water once after repotting, let the pot drain fully and wait for the top layer to dry. Secure an unaffected node for propagation when the stem starts to soften.
• Fresh nodes are widely spaced and lightly coloured: Insufficient light is producing long gaps and weak leaf development. Move the plant into brighter filtered light, then water less often until growth becomes more compact. Improved light should produce shorter gaps and fuller leaves on the next section of vine.
• Scale or mealybugs hide beneath the folded leaves and along protected nodes: Pests can remain hidden in deep folds and protected nodes. Move the plant away from the rest of the collection. Open the folds gently, wipe away visible pests, and rinse the stems; inspect the nodes and both sides of the textured foliage. Test the spray on a hidden fold, then coat the compact curls and nodes according to the label, including its permitted repeat interval.
• Water remains trapped deep inside the puckered leaves: Dense folds are holding droplets against the stem and inner leaf surface. Shake or tilt the vine after watering, blot persistent moisture and improve airflow through the curls. Prune the affected section only when decay develops or the tissue loses firmness.

Hoya carnosa ‘Krinkle 8’ 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.

What does Hoya carnosa mean, and who first published it?

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.