The curled-leaf Hoya carnosa is in flower

I happened to find this curled-leaf Hoya carnosa in flower while I was watering. As soon as I had finished, I hurried to photograph the flowers while the light was still good.

The flowers are really beautiful: a ball-shaped cluster, each flower with pink petals and a deeper rose-pink centre.

As the name suggests, "curled-leaf" describes its reflexed leaves, and many people who see it can't help asking about that unusual look.

Overall it is very easy to grow. It adapts to a wide range of conditions and tolerates a broad range of light and watering, so it is easy to keep and very rewarding. It is also easy to propagate: cut it into sections, and the cuttings soon give you new plants.

About this species

What follows is compiled from sources.

• Classification and origin: Hoya carnosa is in the genus Hoya, family Apocynaceae, and is native to Taiwan, where the national Red List assesses it as Least Concern. In the wild it usually climbs on trees in mountain forest at about 200 to 1,200 m.
• The curled-leaf cultivar: Iowa State University Extension describes a cultivar of Hoya carnosa called 'Compacta', known in English as Hindu rope, with tightly curled leaves closely spaced on trailing stems. Its care and flowering are the same as the typical species; the biggest difference is that it grows much more slowly.
• Flowers: the flowers form a ball-shaped cluster of about 30. In the wild form the corolla is white, sometimes pink in the centre. The flowers are fragrant, especially in the evening.
• Don't cut off spent flowers: hoya flowers grow from long-lasting spurs, and many species rebloom from the same spur. Let spent flowers drop on their own; cutting them off removes the site of future flowers.
• Propagation: stem cuttings are the most reliable method. Each cutting should include at least one or two nodes, and roots usually form within a few weeks.

There is a fuller introduction on the Hoya carnosa plant page.