Hoya burmanica (Variegaed)

Unrooted cutting of Hoya burmanica (Variegated).
Two to three nodes..

Hoya burmanica (Variegated) is a rare variegated form of Hoya burmanica, an accepted species native from northeastern India through Myanmar, Thailand, Bangladesh, and Vietnam.

The variegated form is especially distinctive for its elongated, pointed foliage with irregular green-on-yellow to cream coloration. Leaves commonly develop a pale yellow, lime, or creamy center surrounded by darker green areas toward the margins. The exact pattern can change considerably from leaf to leaf, with some leaves remaining greener while others develop broad golden centers.

Robert Allen Rolfe formally described the species in 1920 from a plant that flowered in cultivation after arriving from the Chin Hills of Myanmar with imported orchids. For decades afterward, the species remained poorly understood and was frequently confused with related Hoyas, particularly Hoya pandurata.

Living material was collected again in Myanmar in the 2000s, allowing botanists to re-examine the species in detail. A 2012 taxonomic study clarified its identity and documented its unusual small, shrubby form, elongated foliage, and cup-shaped yellow to yellow-green flowers with a pinkish center.

Unlike many strongly twining Hoyas, Hoya burmanica naturally develops a more compact, sparsely branching, arching form.

The exact origin of the variegated mutation currently circulating in cultivation does not appear to be formally documented.

Botanical name: Hoya burmanica Rolfe
Form: Variegated / inner variegated
Native range of species: Northeastern India to northern Indochina
First published: 1920
Notable features: Elongated pointed foliage with variable golden-yellow to cream inner variegation and darker green margins

Please note that the amount, placement, and color of the variegation can vary considerably from leaf to leaf. Future growth may be greener or more strongly variegated, and its exact appearance cannot be guaranteed. This Hoya is for experienced growers.

A note about this plant: Species-level botanical and historical information above is based on published taxonomic records. Information concerning the variegated form and its horticultural characteristics was gathered from publicly available online sources. We have not found original mutation, breeder, or provenance documentation establishing where or by whom this variegated selection originated and cannot independently confirm or deny those details.