Hoya kerry - a symbol of love on your windowsill

What is hoya kerry? A leaf of this plant, like a heart, was given to me by a friend. She said it would have long branches. It would be interesting to know what this variety is called. The leaf looks like a marble, all in a white dot.

Many flower growers dream of getting themselves a hoya for the sake of its charming and long-lasting flowering. But hoya kerry will be able to fully satisfy all requests, because she has gorgeous not only flowers, but also leaves. For their original heart-shaped shape, the plant is called a symbol of love. The liana will also please with its varied colors, because it has many variations of variegated varieties.

The salient features of hoya kerry

In terms of the structure of the bush, the kerry is no different from its relatives. It is also a vine with flexible and tenacious shoots. In their homeland, in the wooded tropics of Asia, hoya grows near trees and braids them, climbing to the sun. At home, she settles well on a support. The branches are strong and rather thick, covered with a smooth skin. Their length can be up to 3 m, which allows you to decorate an entire wall with hoya. Over time, air roots form on the branches.

Along the entire length of the shoots, there are leaves that look like plastic hearts. Like most epiphytes, which include the hoya, they are thick and fleshy. In the leaves, the plant makes reserves of life-giving moisture. The length of the leaf plate can reach 15 cm, the main color is represented by bright green, but there are also many variegated varieties.

From the beginning of summer to the very middle of autumn, the liana blooms, dissolving small white flowers, in the center of which are crimson stars. They are collected in racemose inflorescences and secrete a fragrant nectar that attracts insects. Each flower lives from 2 to 3 weeks.

Hoya flowers are like a chameleon, they change color. If at the beginning of flowering the buds are white, then towards the end they darken, acquiring a red tint. This happens in nature, but at home, a color change can be provoked by moving the pot to another place.

Hoya kerry - popular varieties

In addition to the traditional green-leaved hoya, the liana has very decorative variegated varieties. Among the most attractive are the following varieties:

• Spot Margin with green leaves surrounded by an uneven and narrow snow-white border;
• Spot Center with variegated, white-green foliage, with pure green edges;
• Albomarginate with a green leaf plate in the center and with a wide white border around the edges;
• Variegata with a yellow border on green leaves;
• Spotted Lives with green leaves covered with light specks.

Liana grows slowly and loves rare watering, warmth and good lighting. Since hoya lays flower buds on last year's growth, it does not need special and cardinal pruning. With proper care, the bush can live for about 15 years.

Video - an overview of hoya kerry varieties