Hoya Blashernaezii 4”

Hoya blashernaezii

Native to the Philippines, this is an accepted species that grows as a climbing vine in wet tropical forest. Its foliage is long, narrow and substantial, creating a very different look from the rounder and thicker-leaved Hoyas commonly grown indoors. Mature plants are especially prized for their clusters of reflexed, star-shaped flowers. Several naturally occurring subspecies are recognized, so foliage and flower color can vary somewhat within the species.

This is a true climber with extending vines that naturally use surrounding vegetation for support. Indoors, it can trail, but a trellis gives the vines somewhere to travel and creates a fuller display as the plant matures. Like other flowering Hoyas, it can develop persistent peduncles that remain after flowering and can bloom again.

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 800–1,500 foot-candles at the leaves. Foot-candles simply tell you how much light is actually reaching your plant. Window size, trees, overhangs, screens and seasonal changes can all change how much usable light reaches the foliage.

Under grow lights, use a 5000–6500K full-spectrum light positioned approximately 8–12 inches above the canopy as a starting point, aiming for approximately 800–1,500 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 the extending vines within the useful footprint of the fixture and move or adjust the light as the plant grows.

Coming from a wet tropical environment, this is not one I would treat like an extremely drought-tolerant, thick-leaved Hoya. Water when your plant needs watered. Allow the root zone to use a good portion of its available moisture before watering thoroughly again, but avoid repeatedly pushing it through severe dry periods. An airy, fast-draining mix provides moisture while keeping oxygen available around the roots.

Watch the newest growth, leaf firmness and spacing along the vines. Increasingly long spaces between leaves, smaller new foliage or vines repeatedly stretching toward the light can indicate that the plant is receiving less usable light than it needs. At the same time, a root zone that remains wet for unusually long periods is a reason to look at the relationship between light, pot size, potting mix and water use.

A plant moving in the right direction will produce steadily extending vines, firm foliage and increasingly established climbing growth. As it matures, peduncles and flower clusters can follow. Strong new growth, reasonable spacing between leaves and a root zone that moves through moisture consistently are better measures of success than expecting every leaf or vine to look exactly the same.