Hoya (sold as ‘Larisa’)

Origin of Hoya (sold as ‘Larisa’)

AH Hoya uses the name ‘Larisa’ for this broad-leaved climbing plant. Its parentage and original locality remain unknown.

Care for Hoya (sold as ‘Larisa’)

• Light: Give the bronze young growth plenty of daylight behind a sheer curtain or a short distance from the glass. Bronze and red tones can deepen in good light; dry bleached patches indicate excessive heat.
• Watering and roots: Water the whole root ball after the upper layer dries, then let all runoff escape. Allow a little more drying time when growth slows. Use bark and mineral particles that retain air spaces through repeated watering.
• Colour transition: Bronze young leaves mature towards green as the vein network becomes clearer. This colour change is normal when the tissue stays firm.
• Support: Shape the runner gradually and fasten only the stem. The growing point should remain in bright filtered light.
• Temperature and airflow: Allow air to circulate around the broad dark leaves without placing the vine in a cold or forceful draught. Leave space between the vine, hot radiators and cold window glass.
• Feeding: Apply a weak complete fertiliser while new leaves are expanding. Leave it out until fresh roots or a new leaf are visible after repotting or root damage.

Common issues with Hoya (sold as ‘Larisa’)

• The oldest leaves turn yellow although the container is still wetLikely cause: Poor drainage is prolonging wet conditions around damaged root tissue.What to do: Unpot it carefully and retain only firm, healthy roots. Use a close-fitting pot and an airy, free-draining mix, keeping the stem base dry and checking the root zone before adding more water.Urgent warning: Save a healthy node immediately when rot begins advancing up the vine.
• Sticky nodes sit beneath a distorted bronze young leafLikely cause: Thrips, mites, scale or mealybugs are feeding where the soft growth is still folded.What to do: Keep the vine away from the rest of the collection and unfold the tip gently enough to inspect it without tearing. Rinse the foliage, remove any visible insects and apply a patch-tested contact treatment. Check again for live pests and repeat treatment only as often as the product label permits.
• A newly opened dark leaf develops a sharp kink at its stalkLikely cause: The soft dark leaf was trapped against a clip or nearby surface during hardening.What to do: Relocate the tie below the dark foliage and give the growing point open space. Keep the blade if the crease remains dry. Remove it only when the damaged tissue becomes wet, black or unstable. A firm curved stem can remain unless the tissue tears or decays.
• A bronze young leaf develops a sharply bleached patchLikely cause: The soft juvenile blade received concentrated sun before it had hardened.What to do: Move the vine farther from hot glass and let the next leaf mature in bright filtered light. The existing mark will remain.

Hoya (sold as ‘Larisa’) and pet safety

Hoya (sold as ‘Larisa’) is treated as non-toxic to cats and dogs. Chewing leaves or stems can still cause temporary drooling, vomiting or diarrhoea. Keep the plant out of reach of pets that chew foliage, and contact a veterinarian if symptoms are severe or persistent.

The name ‘Larisa’

‘Larisa’ is the horticultural name attached to this broad-leaved climbing Hoya. The genus name commemorates Thomas Hoy of Syon House and was published by Robert Brown in 1810.