Hoya Types and Varieties: 18 Collector Picks from Carnosa to Pubicalyx
Explore 18 hoya types and varieties ranked by collector stage — from bulletproof beginners like carnosa and pubicalyx to rare picks like elliptica and polyneura, with a comparison table.
Most houseplant enthusiasts have kept two or three hoyas — maybe a carnosa they inherited, a kerrii from Valentine’s Day, a pubicalyx because the nursery had one. That experience barely touches the genus. Kew’s Plants of the World Online lists 569 accepted Hoya species, distributed across tropical and subtropical Asia into the Pacific. The collector rabbit hole runs very deep.
These 18 varieties represent the plants worth actually knowing: ones that reward different skill levels, bloom reliably indoors, and each bring something distinct to a collection. They’re organised into three tiers — beginner, intermediate, and rare — so you can build systematically rather than buying whatever looks good at the garden centre.
Before looking at individual varieties, two biological facts shape everything about growing hoyas.
First: hoyas are epiphytes in the wild. They grow attached to trees, not rooted in deep soil, so their roots evolved to handle air exposure and rapid dry-down between rain events. That’s why well-aerated mixes with orchid bark and perlite outperform standard potting compost, and why letting them approach dryness between waterings is never wrong.
Second: the peduncle. Hoyas produce flowers on specialised stalks called peduncles, which act as permanent flowering nodes. The RHS makes this point explicitly in their growing guide: never remove flower stalks, because the plant reblooms on the same structure season after season. Cut a peduncle and you set the plant back by a full growing cycle — it must regrow the node from scratch before it can flower again.
6 Beginner Varieties: Start Your Collection Here
Hoya carnosa — The Wax Plant
The standard from which everything else is measured. H. carnosa holds an RHS Award of Garden Merit and has been cultivated since the late 18th century. Thick, waxy oval leaves, pink or white star clusters carrying a sweet fragrance, and a near-bulletproof constitution make it the obvious first hoya. It tolerates lower light than most of the genus, recovers from underwatering without drama, and produces flowers reliably once it’s established in a slightly root-bound pot. Dozens of cultivars exist, but the plain species is the most forgiving of all of them.
Hoya carnosa ‘Compacta’ — Hindu Rope
Same species, entirely different look. ‘Compacta’ grows tightly twisted, curling leaves that cluster into rope-like cascades — hence the common name. It’s slower than the standard carnosa and takes longer to bloom, often three or more years from a rooted cutting. Once it starts, it reblooms annually on the same peduncles with sweetly scented pink-white clusters. The curled leaf structure is actually functional: less surface area is exposed to air than in flat-leafed forms, making ‘Compacta’ slightly more drought-tolerant than its parent species. It’s sought after by collectors for its cascading habit in hanging baskets.
Hoya pubicalyx
Fast-growing, Philippines native, and remarkably adaptable. H. pubicalyx produces long silvery-splashed vines that can reach several metres indoors, with clusters of up to 30 pinkish-red flowers carrying a strong, sweet fragrance. Its reliability across a range of humidity and light levels makes it a logical second plant after carnosa — it demonstrates what the genus can do without demanding perfect conditions. The ‘Splash’ cultivar has heavier silver mottling on the leaves and is the most widely available form in the hobby trade.
Hoya australis — Waxvine
Australia’s contribution to the genus is a vigorous climber with broad, glossy oval leaves that flush reddish when young and mature to deep green. Outdoors in a warm climate it can reach 10 metres; indoors it grows quickly enough to need annual trimming. The flowers carry a spicy, almost medicinal fragrance distinct from the sweeter carnosa — worth experiencing if you haven’t encountered it. It adapts readily to variable indoor light levels and is one of the most forgiving hoyas for beginners who haven’t yet dialled in their growing conditions.
Hoya kerrii — Sweetheart Hoya
The heart-shaped leaves make it the most recognised hoya in retail, especially around Valentine’s Day — and the source of the most common collector disappointment. Single-leaf cuttings sold as novelty items will never vine. A detached leaf cutting has no axillary bud, the growing point that produces stems, so while the leaf survives and may persist for years, the plant cannot develop further. Only rooted cuttings with a node attached will grow into a vining plant. If you want kerrii to develop into a mature specimen, buy the full vining form.
Hoya wayetii
Canoe-shaped, thick leaves with dark edges that deepen to maroon under bright light. That colour change is a sun-stress response: the plant produces anthocyanin pigments as a UV protection mechanism when light intensity increases, the same pigment responsible for red autumn leaves on deciduous trees. H. wayetii is a reliable bloomer with mauve-purple flowers and tolerates a range of indoor conditions well. Its distinct leaf shape makes it visually easy to identify in a growing collection, which matters when you’re tracking multiple varieties.
6 Intermediate Varieties: Your Next Additions
Hoya linearis — (RHS AGM)
The most visually unusual of the commonly available hoyas: long, narrow, soft-hairy leaves that hang in dense clusters, giving the plant a filamentous, almost grass-like silhouette. The RHS has awarded it an Award of Garden Merit, recognising its consistent garden performance. It prefers slightly higher humidity (50–70%) and cooler conditions than most hoyas, making it better suited to an east-facing window than a hot south-facing sill. White flowers with a faint citrus fragrance appear in late summer. Its preference for cooler temperatures is the main adjustment from standard hoya care — everything else is the same.
Hoya curtisii
One of the smallest-leaved hoyas in common cultivation. Tiny teardrop-shaped leaves in olive green, overlaid with silvery-grey mottling that develops a reptile-skin texture as the plant matures. New growth flushes purple-red in bright light, the same anthocyanin response as wayetii. It’s a trailer rather than a climber, making it excellent for small hanging baskets or spilling from a shelf. Cream flowers with red centres are small but appear reliably once the plant is established. Its compact size makes it manageable in limited space.
Hoya obovata — Splash Hoya
Rounded, nearly circular leaves in dark green with white or pink “splash” variegation that looks like paint flicked across the surface. It’s worth understanding how that splash works: it’s caused by microscopic air pockets between the leaf surface layers, not a conventional genetic variegation. This means the pattern can vary with growing conditions and doesn’t follow standard inheritance rules — a plant propagated from a heavily splashed specimen may produce plainer offspring. New growth often emerges plain green before the air-pocket texture develops. It’s a fast grower for its leaf size and one of the more reliable intermediate bloomers.
Hoya multiflora — Shooting Star
Unusual in the genus for its bushy, upright shrub habit rather than trailing or vining growth. The flowers — creamy white with reflexed, swept-back petals — give it the shooting star common name. Each flower cluster carries dozens of individual blooms, making a flowered specimen genuinely striking. It adapts readily to indoor conditions and can bloom multiple times per year once mature. Its shrub habit makes it versatile for placement where vining plants would be awkward, and its prolific flowering makes it one of the most rewarding intermediates for anyone who grows hoyas primarily for their blooms.
Hoya lacunosa
Small oval leaves, compact growth, and flowers with a rich cinnamon fragrance that intensifies in the evening. H. lacunosa prefers slightly cooler conditions than most hoyas, which can be challenging indoors during summer, but it compensates by blooming across spring, summer, and autumn rather than concentrating into a single flush. It’s also one of the parent species in several successful hybrids, including the popular ‘Sunrise’ (lacunosa × obscura). For small spaces or shelves where a compact, heavily scented hoya is useful, it’s one of the best choices in the genus.
Hoya carnosa ‘Krimson Queen’ — (syn. ‘Tricolor’, RHS AGM)
The most widely available variegated carnosa. Cream or white margins frame green leaf centres — the reverse of ‘Krimson Princess’, where the cream variegation sits at the centre rather than the edge. New growth emerges pink before fading to cream-white. Because the cream margins contain no chlorophyll, ‘Krimson Queen’ grows more slowly than plain carnosa and needs consistently bright indirect light to compensate for reduced photosynthetic capacity. The RHS has recognised the Tricolor name form with an AGM. Both names refer to the same cultivar; ‘Tricolor’ is the older designation.
6 Rare and Collector-Grade Hoyas
These six require either controlled growing environments, patience with slow growth, or both. Attempting them before you’ve established confidence with the intermediate tier usually leads to disappointing results — not because they’re impossible, but because the care adjustments are harder to make without a feel for how hoyas respond.
Hoya callistophylla
Large leathery leaves up to 23 cm long with dark, raised vein patterns that stand out against the mid-green surface. It’s among the more expensive hoyas in the trade due to slow propagation and consistent collector demand. Cream flowers with red-yellow corollas appear on long peduncles once the plant matures — which takes several years from a cutting. It’s not especially difficult to grow once established, but its size requires more space than most hoyas, and patience is non-negotiable before you see flowers.
Hoya elliptica — Turtle Shell Hoya
A network of pale veins divides the leaf surface into quadrants, giving it the turtle shell appearance and making it one of the most visually distinctive hoyas available. It’s also the most demanding on this list: it needs consistently high humidity above 60% and stable warmth that’s very difficult to maintain outside a greenhouse or dedicated plant cabinet. In drier air, leaves lose their distinctive texture and the plant struggles. If you have a controlled grow space with maintained humidity, it’s a spectacular addition. Without one, it’s likely to disappoint.
Hoya polyneura — Fish Tail Hoya
The pronounced lateral veining creates a fish-tail or feather pattern across the leaf that has made it one of the most searched hoya varieties among collectors in recent years. It’s not particularly difficult to grow — moderate indirect light and standard hoya care apply — but it ships poorly because the leaves bruise easily in transit, and it tends to be expensive when available. Source it from a local specialist grower rather than ordering online if you can; the plant you pick up in person is almost always in better condition than one that’s spent several days in a box.
Hoya lanceolata ssp. bella — (RHS AGM)
The most compact of the three RHS award-holders, with small arrowhead leaves and white flowers centred with purple-pink. It’s distinct from most hoyas in one critical way: it drops its peduncles after flowering. While other hoyas retain their flower stalks as permanent blooming nodes, bella discards them — meaning each new flowering requires the plant to grow a new peduncle. This makes repeat flowering slower to achieve than with carnosa-type hoyas. The RHS notes its minimum winter temperature as 16°C, higher than most species, so it needs more warmth than a cool windowsill can provide in winter.
Hoya macrophylla — Dinner Plate Hoya
When leaf size matters, macrophylla is the benchmark. Individual leaves can reach 20+ cm across with prominent raised veining that gives the surface a textured, almost sculptural quality. It needs 60% or higher humidity to perform well — in dry air, leaves develop brown edges and lose their glossy surface. The variegated form (‘Variegata’) has yellow-cream margins and grows more slowly but is visually dramatic in a mature specimen. It’s best suited to a plant cabinet or a reliably humid growing room rather than a standard living room shelf.
Hoya mindorensis
One of the most floriferous hoyas available once it reaches maturity. Clusters of small, deep-red flowers with white frilly edges appear regularly throughout the growing season, with a strong fragrance that’s distinct from the sweeter carnosa scent. The leaf itself is unremarkable — a plain elliptical green oval — but the flower show more than compensates. Native to Mindoro island in the Philippines, it prefers stable warmth and moderate-to-high humidity. Its flowering reward makes the extra care worthwhile for collectors who grow primarily for blooms.
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→ View My Garden CalendarBuilding Your Collection: A Practical Roadmap
The most common collector mistake is buying for appearance before building growing confidence. Here’s the progression that works:
- Stage 1 — Establish the fundamentals: Start with carnosa, pubicalyx, or australis. These tolerate imperfect conditions while you calibrate your light levels, watering frequency, and soil mix. Once these bloom consistently, you have the baseline skill set for the next tier.
- Stage 2 — Add texture and structure: Linearis, curtisii, obovata, multiflora. Each requires slightly more consistent care — better humidity, more stable conditions — but rewards it with distinctive foliage or unusual flower forms that plain carnosa can’t match.
- Stage 3 — Graduate to rare: Callistophylla, elliptica, macrophylla. These need controlled growing environments to thrive. Attempting them before Stage 2 is established leads to slow decline rather than the dramatic results they’re capable of.
For complete care details on light, watering, soil, and blooming triggers, see our hoya growing guide. On feeding: all hoyas benefit from a light, balanced fertiliser during the growing season. A diluted orchid feed applied every two weeks from spring through summer keeps them in active growth without pushing lush, soft foliage that’s vulnerable to pests. Reduce to monthly applications in autumn and stop over winter when growth slows. For a full schedule covering NPK ratios and timing for different growth stages, see the guide to fertilising houseplants.
High-humidity varieties like linearis, elliptica, and macrophylla also benefit from the techniques in our guide on how to increase indoor humidity, which covers pebble trays, grouping plants, and humidifiers without overcomplicating the setup.
Hoya Varieties at a Glance
| Variety | Leaf Feature | Difficulty | Flower Scent | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H. carnosa | Thick waxy ovals | Beginner | Sweet | First hoya, gift plant |
| ‘Compacta’ Hindu Rope | Twisted rope cascades | Beginner | Sweet | Hanging baskets |
| H. pubicalyx | Speckled, pointed | Beginner | Strong, sweet | Fast-growing vines |
| H. australis | Glossy ovals, red flush | Beginner | Spicy | Large spaces |
| H. kerrii | Heart-shaped fleshy | Beginner | Light | Display (full vine only) |
| H. wayetii | Canoe-shaped, dark edges | Beginner | Light | Bright windowsills |
| H. linearis (RHS AGM) | Narrow, fuzzy, grass-like | Intermediate | Citrus | East-facing windows |
| H. curtisii | Tiny, silvery-mottled | Intermediate | Faint | Small hanging baskets |
| H. obovata | Rounded, splash pattern | Intermediate | Light | Statement foliage |
| H. multiflora | Large elliptical, upright | Intermediate | Faint | Prolific flowering |
| H. lacunosa | Small ovals | Intermediate | Cinnamon | Evening fragrance |
| ‘Krimson Queen’ (RHS AGM) | Cream-margined carnosa | Intermediate | Sweet | Variegated collections |
| H. callistophylla | Large, dark vein network | Advanced | Faint | Bold architectural foliage |
| H. elliptica | Quadrant vein pattern | Advanced | Faint | Grow cabinets |
| H. polyneura | Fish-tail veining | Advanced | Faint | Sculptural display |
| H. bella (RHS AGM) | Small arrowhead, trailing | Advanced | Sweet | Compact trailing baskets |
| H. macrophylla | Very large, textured | Advanced | Faint | Statement plants |
| H. mindorensis | Plain elliptical | Advanced | Strong | Maximum flower production |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hoya varieties exist?
Kew’s Plants of the World Online lists 569 accepted Hoya species, distributed across tropical and subtropical Asia into the Pacific. New species continue to be described — several were formally named in the past decade alone. Most remain unavailable in the hobby trade; the 18 varieties covered here represent the accessible and collectible portion of the genus for indoor growers.
Are hoyas toxic to cats and dogs?
Most hoya species are not considered toxic to pets, though the waxy sap can cause mild gastrointestinal upset if ingested in quantity. The ASPCA does not list hoya among their primary toxic plants for cats or dogs. However, H. callistophylla has been flagged as potentially problematic if ingested, so keep it out of reach of pets and children regardless. When in doubt, consult your vet before adding any new plant to a home with animals.
Why won’t my hoya bloom?
Three causes cover most non-blooming hoyas: insufficient light, a pot that’s too large, and cut peduncles. Hoyas bloom more readily when slightly root-bound — a large pot discourages flowering because the plant puts energy into root growth instead. If you’ve trimmed spent flower stalks, the plant must regrow those nodes before it can flower again, a process that takes one to three growing seasons. For humidity-sensitive varieties like linearis and mindorensis, raising ambient moisture to 50–70% also helps trigger flowering when all other conditions are right.
Can I grow different hoya varieties in one pot?
Technically yes, since they share similar care requirements, but it’s rarely worthwhile. Roots from different species compete for moisture at different rates, making correct watering difficult without stressing one plant or the other. Mixed pots also make it harder to spot early signs of problems on individual plants. Keep varieties separate so each can be managed on its own schedule — the visual effect is usually better too, since each plant develops its characteristic habit without competing for space.
Sources
- Plants of the World Online — Hoya R.Br. — Kew Science
- How to Grow Hoya — Royal Horticultural Society
