Hoya pubicalyx 'Speckled'

Origin and selection history of Hoya pubicalyx 'Speckled'

‘Speckled’ was selected from the naturally variable silver-marked foliage of Hoya pubicalyx.

Hoya pubicalyx comes from Luzon in the Philippines and climbs through wet tropical vegetation.

Caring for Hoya pubicalyx ‘Speckled’

Place Hoya pubicalyx ‘Speckled’ in bright filtered light. Give its long stems a hoop or trellis and leave firm, healthy bare runners in place, as they often produce leaves later.

Maintain about 16–24 °C around Hoya pubicalyx 'Speckled', with no prolonged exposure below 10 °C. Conditions around 50–60% humidity suit routine growth. Avoid stagnant air by maintaining light movement around the foliage.

Once the coarse mix has almost dried and the container feels light, water thoroughly and let all excess drain.

When stem growth slows in cooler or dimmer conditions, allow the mix to dry a little further between waterings and feed less.

Feed lightly while active shoots are extending.

Once roots occupy the pot, step up only slightly in size. If the mix breaks down earlier, replace it in a suitably sized container.

Preserve old flower spurs, and cut above a node only where shaping is needed. Node cuttings from representative speckled growth maintain the selection, though the amount of marking can vary from leaf to leaf.

Normal speckling and feeding damage in Hoya ‘Speckled’

Scattered silver flecks inside firm tissue are normal. Silver streaks with black specks and distorted new leaves indicate thrips; fine all-over stippling with webbing indicates mites.

Removable cottony material indicates mealybugs. Treat confirmed insects at nodes, leaf bases and flower spurs.

A leaf with few flecks falls within normal variation. Dry brown marks can be scorch, while wilt above dry healthy roots needs water and wilt above wet failing roots needs aeration and root repair.

Hoya pubicalyx ‘Speckled’ 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.

The meaning and history of Hoya pubicalyx

Hoya honours the English gardener Thomas Hoy. The epithet pubicalyx combines Latin pubes, meaning soft hair, with calyx, referring to the hairy flower cup.

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

Elmer Drew Merrill first described Hoya pubicalyx in 1918 in Philippine Journal of Science, Section C, volume 13, page 331.