Hoya 'Rebecca'

Hoya 'Rebecca'

Hoya 'Rebecca'

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Difficulty — Intermediate

If ever a Hoya were bred to win hearts, it is the Rebecca — a cross of lacunosa and obscura whose pointed leaves flush copper and bronze in good light, and whose flowers are the stuff of admiration: full clusters in a sunset wash of peach, pink, and lavender, each tiny star centred with gold. She blooms freely and fragrantly, and is among the most beloved hybrids in cultivation, with good reason.

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Notes on Cultivation

☀Light

Bright, indirect light is the key to both her leaf colour and her generous bloom. Well lit, her foliage turns to copper; in shade she stays green and flowers little. Some gentle sun brings out her best.

❦Water

Let her dry most of the way between waterings. Her semi-succulent leaves forgive the occasional missed drink far more readily than a sodden pot, so lean toward dry.

☁Humidity

She enjoys moderate to higher humidity, around 50 to 60 percent, which keeps her growing and blooming well. A pebble tray or nearby humidifier pleases her.

✵Temperature

A range of 60 to 85 Fahrenheit suits her. As ever, protect her from cold below 55, for she is tropical through and through.

❧Soil

A free-draining epiphytic mix of bark and perlite is ideal. Sharp drainage keeps her roots sweet and guards against the rot that dense soil invites.

❀Fertilizing

Feed lightly and regularly through the growing season; a bloom-supporting feed as buds appear rewards you with those remarkable sunset clusters in full.

✿Propagation

She roots readily from a stem cutting with a node or two, set in a clear cup of moist Fluval Stratum, our signature method — and being vigorous, she establishes without much coaxing. A deservedly popular Hoya to share. Read the full field method.

Field Observations

Light is everything with this one: the copper leaves and the famous sunset flowers both depend on it, so give her the brightest indirect spot you can spare.

She is among the more free-blooming hybrids; once settled and well lit, she flowers with a generosity that explains her popularity at a glance.

— faithfully recorded by Mr. Phileas Plant

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