Hoya Pubicalyx
Hoya Pubicalyx
Hoya pubicalyx
❦ ❧ ❦
Difficulty — BeginnerA vigorous and obliging Hoya, the Pubicalyx grows faster than most of her tribe and flowers more readily for it. Her blooms are a marvel — dusky star-clusters in shades from pink to near-black, often flecked as though dusted with soot. For the grower who finds the Carnosa too leisurely, here is a Hoya with a livelier step.
Notes on Cultivation
☀Light
Bright, indirect light keeps her growing strongly and flowering well; some gentle morning sun is welcomed. Too little light and she trails on greenly but withholds her remarkable blooms.
❦Water
Let her dry between waterings, as befits a semi-succulent vine. Her thick leaves forgive forgetfulness far more readily than they forgive a heavy hand with the watering can.
☁Humidity
Average humidity serves her well, though she grows a touch faster with more. She is among the more adaptable Hoyas and rarely complains of dry air.
✵Temperature
A range of 60 to 85 Fahrenheit keeps her content. Protect her from cold below 55, for she is tropical by temperament.
❧Soil
A free-draining epiphytic mix of bark and perlite is ideal. As with all Hoyas, sharp drainage guards against the root rot that dense soil invites.
❀Fertilizing
Feed regularly but lightly through the growing season; a bloom-boosting fertiliser as buds appear rewards you with fuller flower clusters.
✿Propagation
She roots with great ease from stem cuttings in water or moist sphagnum, and being vigorous, she establishes faster than many of her relations.
Field Observations
She is among the easiest Hoyas to bring into bloom, which makes her my standing recommendation for anyone eager to see those waxen flower-stars without a years-long wait.
As with all Hoyas, leave the bare flowering peduncles intact — she reblooms from them season after season, and to snip them is to rob your future self.
— faithfully recorded by Mr. Phileas Plant
