wax plant
Hoya carnosa
The flowers are covered in tiny, velvet-like hairs and produce so much sugary nectar that it visibly drips from the star-shaped blooms.
- Scientific name
- Hoya carnosa
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Gentianales › Apocynaceae › Hoya
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Subtropical and tropical rainforests, growing epiphytically on trees or scrambling over rocky terrain.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis, drawing moisture and organic nutrients from air and bark crevices).
- Range
- Southern China, Taiwan, Japan (Ryukyu Islands), Vietnam, Queensland, Australia
- Size
- Vines can grow 2 to 6 meters in length.
- Lifespan
- 30+ years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Local habitat loss and unsustainable wild harvesting for the horticultural trade.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to touch, but handle with care. The milky latex sap inside the stems can cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals and is toxic if ingested. If sap contacts skin, wash thoroughly with soap and water.
Hoya carnosa , the porcelainflower or wax plant , is an Asclepiad species in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae). It is one of the many species of Hoya that are native to Eastern Asia and Australia. It is a common house plant grown for its attractive waxy foliage, and sweetly scented flowers.
Photo: 葉子, CC0, via iNaturalist
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