Here is a photo I quickly snapped this morning of the flowers on Hoya sp. Sarawak. I thought it was unusual that the peduncle of flowers was shaped like a rectangle.

I’m kind of surprised that I still have this one around, honestly, as it has been such a poor grower over the years. I apologize for less than stellar photo, but the plant is actually doing pretty well right now. I will try to get a photo up of the entire plant as soon as I can disentangle it from inside the tent.

I don’t really have that much to say about this species other than it is nice to have a pink flowered Hoya latifolia, and I wish it was as vigorous as Hoya polystachya. If you can get it to grow well for you, it is capable of becoming a striking specimen. It might be worth checking out if you are in the market for a large leaved Hoya that offers a bit of a challenge.

Here are comparison photos of the flowers of the former Hoya polystachya, now H. latifolia, and Hoya sp. Sarawak ‘Pink’ also latifolia. Hoya polystachya (latifolia) on top.

Finally got this one to put on peduncles, bud up and flower after spraying a couple of times with a product called PureCrop 1. Much more about this miracle insecticide in the future on this site.

For some reason I had a very difficult time getting this plant to take off and grow well. I had to start it over a number of times and came very close to discarding it. I had issues with root rot, leaves that would become disfigured, and pest issues. I finally got it to begin to pick up and do much better in the summer of 2023.

Unlike my Hoya polystachya, which has also been moved under the latifolia umbrella, Hoya sp. Sarawak ‘Pink’ has been a far more difficult Hoya for me to cultivate. I received a cutting of the plant in the summer of 2020 from a local collector, who I now believe has left the hobby.

Hoya sp. Sarawak ‘Pink’ is one of a number of Hoyas that have been lumped together into Hoya latifolia. It is easy to see why; the plants all have the same growth habits and large leaves. One of those growth habits is the plants sprout stiff peduncles out all over the plant. No matter how many times they are cut off, more will always sprout.

I failed with this plant so many times, and I finally know why; the soil was too heavy for it. The secret lies in using coconut husk chips, which allows the roots to breathe freely while also holding enough moisture . Water when dry by soaking the root ball quickly, let dry and repeat. The plant even does well with nighttime temps falling into the upper 50’s when handled in this manner. Lighting should be somewhat shaded or the leaves will quickly turn red.

In all of my years of keeping this species, it has never looked this good or gotten to this size. Tomorrow I give away my cultivation secrets.