Hoya yuennanensis

Unrooted cutting of Hoya yuennanensis.
Two to three nodes.

Hoya yuennanensis is an unusual Hoya species native to northwestern Yunnan, China, where it has been documented growing along the upper Mekong River.

The species develops firm, fleshy foliage that can vary from elliptic to more elongated or oblanceolate in shape. Its natural habitat is particularly interesting: botanical collections have been made from rocky locations at elevations above 2,000 meters. Because it occurs near the northern limit of the natural range of Hoya, it has been described in taxonomic literature as one of the more cold-tolerant species in the genus.

Mature plants produce umbels of white to pale pink flowers approximately 17–19 mm across. The flowers have softly hairy corollas and an ivory-white central corona.

Hoya yuennanensis also has a complicated taxonomic history. It was formally published in 1936, later treated as the same species as Hoya lyi, and subsequently reinstated as a distinct species after a detailed examination of herbarium specimens. Hoya mekongensis, described separately in 1995, is now treated as a synonym of Hoya yuennanensis.

Botanical name: Hoya yuennanensis Hand.-Mazz.
Native range: Northwestern Yunnan, China
First published: 1936
Synonym: Hoya mekongensis
Notable features: Fleshy foliage, pale flowers, and an unusually cool high-elevation natural habitat for a Hoya

Please note that leaf size and shape can vary as the plant matures and under different growing conditions.

A note about this plant: Species-level botanical and historical information above is based on published taxonomic records and publicly available online sources. We do not have original collection or provenance documentation for this particular plant and cannot independently confirm or deny that our cultivated material corresponds to the documented wild collections.