Hoya ‘Mathilde’

Cultivated origin of Hoya ‘Mathilde’

Emilio Begine raised ‘Mathilde’ in Belgium from a seed pod produced after uncontrolled outdoor pollination in 1994. Hoya carnosa was the seed parent, while Hoya serpens is the inferred pollen parent. ‘Chouke’ was the other surviving seedling.

The cultivar name ‘Mathilde’ was first published in Fraterna in 2003.

Growing Hoya ‘Mathilde’

A hanging pot suits the fine stems; a small hoop also gives them somewhere to climb. Keep old, living flower stalks for repeat flowering. Provide bright filtered light and protection from hot direct sun. Aim for 50–60% humidity with gentle airflow, away from cold draughts. Keep temperatures around 16–24 °C and protect the plant from prolonged conditions below 10 °C.

Use equal volumes of bark, peat-free compost and coarse perlite, or another airy mix in a pot with drainage holes. Check the pot’s weight and moisture deeper inside. During growth, water when it feels lighter and the mix is lightly moist, then drain fully. With slower growth, wait until it is fairly dry, without drying the entire root ball.

Use balanced orchid fertiliser about every two weeks while new growth develops, at a modest dose. Pause fertiliser while growth is inactive.

When roots fill the pot, repot into one only a few centimetres wider.

Pin a healthy stem node into lightly moist propagation mix while it remains attached to the parent plant. Remove leaves touching the mix. Once the node has developed a healthy root system, separate it with a clean blade.

Understanding common problems with Hoya ‘Mathilde’

• Wilting or collapse in persistently wet mix: Persistent wetness can damage roots. Drain trapped water and inspect the roots and stem base immediately. If the stem base is firm and only a few roots are rotten, use a clean, disinfected tool to cut the soft roots back to firm, healthy tissue. Throw away the rotten roots and old mix. Repot in fresh, airy mix, using a clean pot just large enough for the roots that remain. The pot must have drainage holes. If the stem base is decaying or root rot is widespread, wear gloves and take healthy stem cuttings above any decay with a clean, disinfected tool. Keep only cuttings whose cut ends are firm and free of discolouration. Each needs at least one healthy node. Remove leaves that would touch the compost, then place a node from each cutting in fresh, lightly moist cuttings compost in a clean pot with drainage holes. Keep the remaining leaves above the compost. Choose a warm spot with indirect light and keep the compost lightly moist. Discard any rotten tissue and the old mix. Discard the plant if no healthy stems remain, and disinfect your tools afterwards.
• White wax in the small leaf joints: Confirm mealybugs beneath the wax and isolate the plant. Remove visible insects with a damp swab or tweezers. Inspect sheltered leaf joints, stems, the pot and any support weekly, removing any mealybugs you find until none remain. If mealybugs persist, use a product approved for home use against mealybugs on indoor ornamental plants in your country. Follow the label for how much to use, where to apply it, when to repeat treatment and all safety precautions.
• New fine speckling (stippling) with webbing: Silver flecks are part of the normal leaf pattern. Inspect damaged leaf undersides with magnification; tapping a leaf over white paper can help locate mites. Confirm spider mites before treatment. Isolate the plant, gently rinse both leaf surfaces and let water drain. Recheck every few days and repeat rinsing while live mites remain.
• Fixed shell-like bumps on leaves or stems: Check that the bumps are scale insects, then isolate the plant and gently remove accessible adults. Inspect the plant weekly, including new growth, and remove any accessible adult scale insects you find. If you still find young, mobile scale insects (crawlers), choose an insecticidal soap labelled for scale on indoor ornamental plants. Test a small area first where the label allows. Follow the label for how much to use, which areas to treat, when to repeat treatment and all safety precautions.

Hoya ‘Mathilde’ 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 mean, and who first published it?

Hoya honours the English gardener Thomas Hoy.

Robert Brown established the genus Hoya in 1810 in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae, page 459.