💚 Hoya kerrii: 9 secrets (romantic or not) about the heart plant that will melt yours

With its perfect heart-shaped leaf, the Hoya kerrii looks like something out of a romantic comedy. Yet this plant is much more than a gimmicky gift for star-crossed lovers. History, flowering, care, watering... Monstera reveals the secrets of the lucky heart plant.

# 1: 20 years ago, the Hoya kerrii was unknown to the general public

This is how you meet the Hoya kerrii in the wild - Photo by Luluchouette /iNaturalist

Hoyas kerrii may seem to be everywhere in garden centers and on social networks as Valentine's Day approaches, but this wasn't always the case.

It was in 1910 that Arthur Francis Georges Kerr, an Irish doctor with a passion for botany, came across the heart-shaped plant in the mountains of northern Thailand. Enchanted, he collected a specimen which ended up in the Royal Gardens of Kew, and the plant was named Hoya kerrii in his honor. And then, not much, for almost a century.

Whether by chance or marketing coup, it was in the 2010s that the Hoya kerrii emerged from anonymity,and it wasn't until 2020 that it became a must-have houseplant on social networks and gardeners' stalls..

# 2: Your Hoya kerrii may be condemned to celibacy

Will this Hoya kerriii find love? - Photo by Xigotonglo /iNaturalist

Your Hoya kerrii 's heart-shaped leaf may well remain single for the rest of its life.

Most Hoyas kerrii sold on Valentine's Day are just... Leaves without knots or petioles. Under these conditions, it's impossible for the plant to continue growing and producing more limbs. Would you like your heart plant to multiply? It's possible, if you find a petiolated leaf with roots.

While you're waiting for your Hoya kerrii to produce offspring, water it regularly. Leave the substrate to dry out by three centimetres between waterings. This will help prevent root rot (provided your plant has roots!) and ensure a cascade of fleshy leaves one day.

# 3: Hoya kerrii will forgive you your cultivation mistakes

Hoya kerrii can be grown almost like a cactus - Photo by Nordhage /flickr

The Hoya kerrii will forgive you if you forget to water it. Not because it loves you, but because it's a semi-succulent plant. Its heart-shaped leaves don't just spread love. They also enable the heart plant to store water and survive if you're away or ignore reminders from the Monstera app.

Its semi-succulent nature makes Hoya kerrii an easy plant to grow. Tolerant of forgotten watering, it doesn't need high humidity either. It tolerates even heated interiors very well, without the need for misting or a humidifier.

#4: Its flowers are even more attractive than its leaves

Hoya flowers are nicknamed porcelain flowers - Photo by Tangopaso / Wikipedia

Have you fallen in love with the heart-shaped leaves of your Hoya kerrii? Then you might just fall in love with the way it blooms.

The heart plant produces white, star-shaped flowers so delicate they remind you of porcelain or wax sculptures. Their brown hearts seem to be made of amber.

And since beauty isn't always enough to get noticed, the Hoya kerrii has found an unbeatable technique for attracting pollinators in the dark: its flowers exhale a honey-like fragrance atnight...

# 5: There are variegated Hoya kerrii varieties

In yellow and green, Hoya kerrii is just as pretty - Photo by Lienyuan Lee / Wikipedia

Like love, Hoya kerrii has many faces. In addition to the classic light-green version, there are variegated varieties with yellow or cream on the edges.

Green or variegated, Hoya kerrii has the same growing and substrate requirements. It thrives in light, well-draining soil. You can, for example, plant it in a mixture of potting soil for green plants (2/3) and potting soil for cacti and succulents (1/3).

# 6: Hoya kerrii is very slow-growing

Growth accelerates slightly after the first leaf - Photo by Tangopaso /Wikipedia

Do you love love stories that take their time, like in Korean dramas? Then Hoya kerrii is the perfect plant for you. If you've started with a single leaf, you can wait several months, even years, before seeing a second leaf appear. Expecting flowers? Not until the heart of the plant has reached the venerable age of two or five years!

You're not a slow-burner and prefer things to happen faster? Forget seeds and single leaves. Adopt a full-grown Hoya kerrii. The best garden centers even stock specimens already in flower.

This snail's pace of growth does have one advantage, however. Hoya kerrii doesn't need to be repotted often. Repotting every two or three years, in a slightly larger pierced pot, will suffice.

# 7: Hoya kerrii is the cousin of the Chain of Hearts

The Apocynaceae family includes at least two plants with heart-shaped leaves - Photo by Venkat Jadhav / Plantnet

Hoyas, like Hoya kerrii or Hoya carnosa, are close relatives of chain of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii). They are all members of the Apocynaceae family. This botanical dynasty also includes:

Frangipani (Plumeria) ;
oleander (Nerium oleander);
Madagascar jasmine (Stephanotis floribunda);
Desert rose Adenium obesum);
Dipladenia (Mandevilla).

Like its cousin the heart chain, Hoya kerrii loves light. Place it behind an east- or west-facing window, and take it outside in summer to enjoy the sunshine.

# 8: Hoya kerrii is non-toxic

There's no toxic love lost between animals and the Hoya kerrii - Photo by M108t / Wikipedia

Unlike some toxic members of its family (oleander is said to have decimated Napoleonic troops), Hoya kerrii is 100% pet-friendly. It contains no toxins harmful to the heart or nervous system. Dogs, cats, rabbits, turtles... Everyone is welcome around this hearty plant. Perfect for homes where both houseplants and furballs are loved!

# 9: Hoya kerrii is also music

Plants love music. It's said to stimulate their growth - Photo by Teresa Grau Ros /Flickr

Hoya kerrii isn't just for lovers looking for a last-minute Valentine's Day gift. The band Tiny Living Rain, who usually dedicate their songs to plants, released an EP entitled Hoya kerrii in 2022. The album features just one track... Which lasts over 20 minutes!

We also found several songs called Lucky heart (the English name for Hoya kerrii). But neither Chris Ryan's country ballad nor Vic Arnold's rockier one seems dedicated to the plant!