I find this one of the most curious flowers from our native vine species, it is a large highly perfumed umbel of tiny wax like flowers which is almost fractal like, I could look at it for hours.

The leaves are thick and fleshy and a little like a succulent leaf and the vines stem is hard and woody, when not in flower Hoya australis can sometimes look like it is just hanging in there…. but then boom! it bursts into these delicious bloom and you remember why you grow it 😉

Hoya australis is known for being exceedingly hardy, that being said I have found it sometimes difficult to grow. It likes sharp drainage and will not withstand having too much moisture around its root zone. This makes it an excellent plant for a terracotta pot or a raised garden bed.

It also likes the dry shade and some of the most successful specimens I have seen have been growing outside under a roof or awning like this one on a front porch.

They love to climb and ramble freely and it is a good idea to offer them support wherever they decide to grow.

Hoya australis grows naturally in the rainforest of Northern QLD and Northern Territory, where it climbs trees to reach the light above the canopy. If you are looking for an interesting plant to grow in a difficult dry undercover spot and don’t mind the weird woody stems, then this is the plant for you!