Stats

Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Small
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Tropical rainforest
Range: Southeast Asia
Movement: Climbing
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Rare

About

A vining succulent from the rainforests of Southeast Asia, beloved for its thick, waxy heart-shaped leaves that make it a staple Valentine's Day gift. Single-leaf cuttings sold as novelties almost never grow into full plants — only stem cuttings with a node can produce new vines.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Hoya
Species: Hoya kerrii