Hoya Nicholsoniae 4”

Hoya nicholsoniae

Native to Australia and parts of the southwest Pacific, this is a substantial vining species with thick, leathery foliage that can vary from elongated oval to broader pointed leaves. One of its most interesting traits is how dramatically the foliage can respond to stronger light, developing bronze, reddish or deep burgundy tones rather than remaining uniformly green. Mature plants can also produce rounded clusters of small star-shaped flowers.

This is a climbing vine with long stems that naturally search for something to wrap around. It can trail from a hanging basket, but a trellis gives those vines somewhere to climb and helps keep a mature plant manageable. New exploratory vines may travel well beyond the existing foliage before producing additional leaves. Peduncles can remain on the vine and flower repeatedly.

For natural light, an east-facing window within about 1–2 feet or a west-facing window within about 1–3 feet is a good starting point. Aim for approximately 1,000–2,000 foot-candles at the leaves. Foot-candles simply tell you how much light is actually reaching your plant. Stronger usable light can bring out more bronze and red coloration, although color can also vary between individual leaves.

Under grow lights, use a 5000–6500K full-spectrum light approximately 8–12 inches above the canopy as a starting point, aiming for 1,000–2,000 foot-candles at the leaves. Kelvin describes the color of the light, while foot-candles tell you how much light is actually reaching the plant. Keep extending vines within the useful footprint of the fixture as the plant grows.

The substantial foliage can store water, so allow a good portion of the root zone to dry before watering thoroughly again. Water when your plant needs watered. An airy, fast-draining mix allows the roots access to moisture without remaining saturated. Let the root system determine when the plant needs a larger container rather than using vine length as the deciding factor.

Watch leaf firmness, new growth and the spacing between leaves. Longer internodes, increasingly small foliage or vines repeatedly reaching toward the strongest light are reasons to check the actual light reaching the plant. Bronze or reddish foliage can be a normal response to stronger light and should not automatically be interpreted as a problem.

A plant moving in the right direction will produce sturdy vines, firm substantial foliage and steady new growth. Strong light may deepen the foliage coloration, while maturity can eventually bring peduncles and flower clusters. The combination of heavy leaves and changing coloration makes this species especially interesting even when it is not flowering.