Hoya Thomsonii
Hoya Thomsonii
Hoya thomsonii
❦ ❧ ❦
Difficulty — IntermediateA Hoya of the cooler Himalayan foothills, and quite unlike her waxen-leaved cousins — her foliage is soft, slender, and clothed in fine silvery hairs that catch the light like frost. Her flowers are a particular delight: fuzzy, nodding stars of cream and white with deep red coronas, carrying a fragrance many liken to roses at evening. She asks a little more understanding than the common Hoyas, and repays it with uncommon beauty.
Notes on Cultivation
☀Light
Bright, indirect light keeps her hairy leaves full and primes her to flower, and she will take a little soft morning sun. Spare her the harsh midday rays, which can scorch her thinner foliage.
❦Water
Her hairy, non-succulent leaves dry faster than those of the fleshier Hoyas, so she likes a touch more moisture than her tribe. Keep her lightly and evenly damp in growth, easing back as the soil nears dryness, and never letting her sit wet.
☁Humidity
Coming from the misty hills, she prefers humidity on the higher side, 50 to 60 percent or more. A pebble tray or nearby humidifier keeps her hairy leaves from crisping.
✵Temperature
Here is her great peculiarity: she relishes a cool spell. Ordinary room warmth of 60 to 80 Fahrenheit suits the growing season, but a cooler winter rest near 50 to 55 Fahrenheit is what truly encourages her to bloom.
❧Soil
A light, airy mix of orchid bark, perlite, and a little sphagnum holds the gentle moisture she likes without ever turning to mud. Her roots want air as much as water.
❀Fertilizing
Feed lightly through spring and summer with a diluted balanced fertiliser, leaning to a bloom feed as buds appear. A restrained hand suits her delicate constitution.
✿Propagation
Take stem cuttings with a node or two and root them in a clear cup of moist Fluval Stratum, our signature method, kept warm and humid — for she is slower and more demanding than the easy Hoyas while she establishes. Patience here is everything. Read the full field method.
Field Observations
Of all my Hoyas she is the one most cheered by a cool winter; many growers despair of her bloom simply because they keep her too warm and too dry the year round.
Resist the urge to remove her old peduncles — like every Hoya she reflowers from those same spurs, and they are next year's blossoms in waiting.
— faithfully recorded by Mr. Phileas Plant
