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Last week, while sorting idly through the house plants atmy local garden ncentre, I came across Hoya 'Mathilde Splash'. I didn't know it and I was tempted to bring it home and find out something but I resisted.
I am currently flirting with Hoya in a 'passing the time of day' sort of way - nothing serious you understand. However, Hoya love heat and inspire passion
and I can manage neither so in my local garden centre it remained. I came home and discovered that it was a hybrid between Hoya carnosa and H. serpens. The former is tolerably tough in the greenhouse. Hoya serpens comes from the east and central Himalaya (and the Andaman Islands) so it might be tolerably hardy (and we will overlook the inconvenient Andaman Islands). Will some fudging of reason that falls generally under the heading of 'hybrid vigour', I concluded that I might have a bit of a chance at growing it though it would have to stay in the comservatory until spring. Whatever the rationalisation, the idea remained with me and today with a cold wind blowing and the promise of heavy rain, I abandoned the greenhouse and went and bought one. Then current (much to be applauded) house plant mania is seeing some good plants come to market and eventually some good information will follow. Sprouts of Bristol offer some of the best I have seen: "A cross between Hoya carnosa and Hoya serpens, this variety brings vibrancy to wherever you choose to keep it. Its splash of paler green variegation across bright green leaves makes it stand out and adds extra beauty; with some patience, this vining plant can be trained to grow up or left to dangle free to fit your interior aesthetic. If new leaves are losing the variegation, this is a sign it needs a brighter spot, so keep an eye out for that. In a bright spot, with care taken not to over-water, this Hoya will reward you with its beautiful, standout foliage and maybe even clusters of fragrant white or pink blooms if it's really happy!" On the subject of scientific names, they offer the delightful option of: "Hoya ‘Mathilde Splash’ (Hoya carnosa x Hoya serpens- Hoy's meaty plant crossed with Hoy's snakey plant, cultivar: Mathilde Splash)." I photographed Hoy's Meaty Plant in flower this morning in the greenhouse - let's hope that Hoy's Snakey Plant fits in as well! |
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| 20th December 2025 | ||