Hoya australis 'Lisa'

Hoya australis 'Lisa' is a variegated cultivar with a vining habit, appreciated for its multicolored foliage. The oval leaves combine dark green, light green, cream, and yellow, while new growth may display pink, red, or purple tones that fade as it matures. Each leaf can develop a different pattern, so the plant’s appearance evolves with new growth. It is a decorative Hoya accessible to beginner collectors, and the stems can be trained onto a support or left to grow trailing.

Name and identification

• Accepted botanical name of the species: Hoya australis R.Br. ex J.Traill
• Cultivar: 'Lisa' is a variegated horticultural selection established in cultivar literature, not a taxonomic synonym of the species.
• Commercial name encountered: Hoya australis 'Tricolor'; “Tricolor” is used in commerce for this type of foliage and does not represent a confirmed botanical synonym.
• Natural distribution of the species: Borneo, Sulawesi, New Guinea, Fiji, Australia, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna.

'Lisa' is a cultivar obtained and maintained in cultivation, not a wild form originating throughout the species’ entire natural range. Specialized sources associate it with the group horticulturally known as Hoya australis subsp. tenuipes. The cultivar was described in 2007 as a variegated sport of unknown horticultural origin; a selection in Thailand is considered possible but has not been confirmed.

Foliage and habit

The leaves are opposite, oval, smooth, and slightly fleshy. The variegation creates complex patterns in shades of cream, yellow, and several tones of green, while new leaves often emerge pink-red or purple. The intensity, distribution, and proportion of the colors naturally vary between specimens and between leaves on the same plant. The stems are flexible and climbing, making them suitable for an arch, trellis, or hanging pot.

Flowers and fragrance

At maturity, the plant may produce umbels of waxy, star-shaped flowers that are predominantly white with a pinkish-red center. The flowers are strongly fragrant and may last for approximately one week. Flowering depends on the specimen’s maturity and growing conditions, and the peduncles may produce new buds in subsequent cycles.

Notes about specimens

Plants in the same pot may be at different stages of development. Some leaves may have minor defects or characteristic coloring, without changing the identity of the cultivar or the natural variation of its foliage.

Shipping note: this cultivar is sensitive to temperature and may react to unsuitable temperatures or shipping stress. After receiving the parcel, the plant may lose some leaves.

Substrate and care guide

Substrate: use an airy, well-draining mix suitable for epiphytic species. We recommend the professional substrate for Hoya and Anthurium - SG Mix.

For complete recommendations on light, watering, substrate, fertilizing, propagation, and flowering, read the complete Hoya care guide.