This plant came as an extra piece of root in a Hoya I ordered online. Once it started growing leaves I realized it wasn't just part of the Hoya. I've been taking care of it for a while in hopes of figuring out what it is.
Seek App usually says it's a rubber plant or citrus, but the leaves are pretty thin and floppy, not stiff or shiny.
To make it more interesting, I recently trimmed off some of the oldest leaves and it has white sap that smells like coconut or cocoa butter.
by VoidQueer
3 Comments
Definitely looks like a Ficus, especially considering the sap that you mentioned.
It’s not a rubber plant, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a ficus. They make latex. Check out the ficus lists and see if any look similar. Cocoa doesn’t make latex, but it does look like that otherwise. It would be a strange one to get as a stowaway though.
It is a Hoya, but it looks unusual because it’s one of the less common terrestrial species, possibly H. multiflora.
Anecdotally, they require more frequent watering than epiphytic species, and they might benefit from somewhat finer media, since their roots aren’t designed to be exposed to heavy airflow. This is more important when the plant starts to bloom, as they will drop their unopened buds if there isn’t enough moisture at the roots.