Much about this plant is beautiful. The meter-long tendrils, for example, or the green, heart-shaped leaves. But we want to dedicate the words in this text to their flowers. The tropical plant, which comes from Southeast Asia, has also achieved a miracle here.
What does the Hoya Kerrii flower look like?
The flower of the Hoya Kerrii, also known as the heart plant, appears in the form of small white stars with a reddish center and downy, hairy surfaces. The star-shaped flowers are arranged in groups of up to 25 and are approximately 4-5 cm in diameter. The flowering period extends from March to July.
Long flowering period
If you take good care of it, the Hoya kerrii will sweeten us all spring and most of the summer with its flowers. The long flowering period extends from March to July and lasts an incredible five months.
But the lifespan of the individual flowers is shorter. Only two weeks pass from the beginning of bud opening to the beginning of flowering.
Appearance of the flowers
At first glance, the flowers of this plant look like a collection of small stars. Hoya kerrii is also called heart plant, heart leaf plant, little darling and, in the past, often called wax flower. Wax also appears to be the material the flowers are made of. Of course that's not really the case.
- Flowers have star shape
- are white with a reddish center
- The five petals each have a length of approx. 2.5 mm
- their surface is downy and hairy
- it feels velvety
- up to 25 flowers are grouped together
- on umbels with a diameter of 4-5 cm each
Scent and nectar
The flowers are fragrant, but only slightly, sometimes not at all. But they produce a lot of nectar. This is colored reddish brown.
Although so much delicious nectar is produced, the flowers of this climbing plant are rarely fertilized in this country. This means that there are no germinable seeds to harvest. If you want to propagate the Hoya kerrii at home, you have to use cuttings (€11.00 on Amazon).
Cleaning up faded flowers
Flowers that are past their best should be separated from the plant. Pluck them off as soon as possible. This not only removes wilted leaves that cause visual disturbance. This will trigger a new wave of blossoms.
Stimulating stand
So that it willingly shows off its flowers, Hoya kerrii must be pampered even when abroad. If it gets sun in the morning and evening, it will bloom happily. Constant twilight, on the other hand, can cause the flower to fail completely.
Reticence when pruning
The heart plant tolerates cuts, which are occasionally necessary. However, when removing the shoots, be aware that you will minimize the number of flowers. Since the Hoya kerrii grows slowly, it takes a long time to make up for the loss.
