Hoya carnosa

English names: Porcelain flower/Wax plant

Latin name: Hoya carnosa

Family: Dogbane - Apocynaceae

Origin: China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan

The porcelain flower is a strongly growing vine. Its stem, which gradually grows woody over time, reaches several metres in length. The leaves are scaly and smooth, with a lanceolate shape, up to 12 cm. long. and feature a feather-like vein pattern. They are dark green on top, sometimes covered with small white spots; on the underside they are lighter but not mottled. The umbled (umbrella-shaped) inflorescence grows from short flowering stems. The flower is fleshy, pink and star-shaped, with a characteristic red spot in the centre. They secrete a sticky sweet nectar that attracts insects. The porcelain flower blooms on the same flowering shoots, thus abundantly with age. In climates like Poland’s, this species is grown as a potted plant.