Hoya benguetensis Schlechter

This hoya comes from the Philippines and it was described in 1906.

Deifinitively a hoya that is best grown on a support. It doesn't twine by itself so it needs some help to stay on its support, but this is not a big problem since it doesn't grow very fast (just like bordenii). The leaves are something spectacular and well worth waiting for! They are narrow, about 6-17 cm long and 3-5 cm wide. The leaves turn beautifully red when grown in sunshine. The prominent veins on these red leaves make the foliage even prettier!

The flowers are flat at first, then somewhat reflexed, about 2 cm, orange with darker coronas and you'll find about 10-20 flowers in an umbel. The flowers only last a few days, but when this hoya has started blooming it happens quite often... The flowers have a sour smell / fragrance, but it's very hard to describe...