Hoya Macgillivrayi

Hoya MacGillivray, a vigorous succulent climber indigenous to the Iron Range – McIlwraith Range region of Cape York Peninsula, is one of the most beautiful plants in the Australian flora. It climbs to reach the light in the canopy above and flourishes in the intense light of the treetops or along open streams in its natural environment.

Hoya MacGillivray is a root climber and twiner that multiplies. It has thick, oval, pointed leaves that are light green and placed opposite one another on twining stems. The flowers are up to 6 cm in diameter and borne in umbels of six to ten blossoms radiating from a central axis on long stalks. They have five sepals and five waxy petals and are a rich burgundy colour. The stamens are surrounded by a fleshy appendage known as a corona. When ripe, the fruit develops into a pair of pendulous follicles up to 25 cm long, which break open to release the flattish wind-distributed seeds.

This ornamental plant may be cultivated in a protected, semi-shaded location in warm, humid climates and trained against a wall or structure. It may be grown as a glasshouse plant or as a container plant for the patio or indoors in colder regions. It is beneficial to use a cylindrical wire frame around which the vine may be twined.

This plant will not tolerate stagnant soil conditions. Therefore it requires a loose, friable, peaty soil combination with adequate drainage. The plant should be kept dry during the winter. Container plants can be planted on a mixture of peat and sand or sandy loam that has been amended with a slow-release fertilizer and a little lime. Plants should not be overfed for optimal blooming. A delayed release fertilizer applied at nine-month intervals is sufficient.

Plants in containers perform better when they are root-bound and should not be repotted in an overly big pot. The use of terracotta pots allows for a straightforward technique of repotting. For example, the pot may be shattered all over with a hammer, and the plant can be repotted in a bigger pot coated with fresh soil mix. This helps the roots to enter the fresh mix while the cracked pot holds the root system securely connected.

Seeds take a long time to germinate; however, cuttings are easily propagated. Cuttings can be taken at any time of year and must have at least three nodes. Before planting, the leaves should be clipped to half their length and the cutting base immersed in a root hormone solution. It takes three to four weeks for cuttings to establish roots.

Note: Please check with us first if you wish to order a blooming as plant might not be in bloom.