Help Identify This Stinking Beauty House Plant, Please!
July 6, 2009 by JH
Filed under Jill's Thoughts, Less than $75.00, Plants
This houseplant mystery has been going on for decades! At least 25 years ago my grandmother gave me this tiny pink ceramic container with a few sticks and leaves she had planted. Of course, I politely accepted the gift despite the forlorn looking specimen in the cute pink swan planter. And besides, there didn’t seem to be much of a future for these no-name sticks planted in less than 2 cups of old dirt!
Still Hanging On
To my amazement, the spindly little sticks have filled out a bit and are still alive after all these years. I wouldn’t say they have thrived but they still manage to grow (albeit at a snail’s pace!) in the same pink planter with the same original dirt! But we still don’t know what it is!
Something strange happened last summer that may provide a clue. When I walked in my house one day I noticed a bad smell that was quickly traced to the sun porch. It was terrible! I just knew something had died but couldn’t find any evidence to prove it.
The smell persisted for several days and after many, many searches, I finally traced it to this house plant – and this surprise.
Stinky Surprise
For the first time in 20+ years, the plant had bloomed! How exciting to see this beautiful, unique cluster of light pink star-shaped florets at the end of a 3′ long trailing vine. And what a HUGE disappointment to discover they were the source of this putrid smell! You just can’t imagine how bad these little flowers smell!
Every few months when that awful smell greets me as I walk in the door, I know grandma’s plant is blooming again! I must confess that a few times it’s been so bad, I just cut off the flowers and throw them in the trash outside! Beauty isn’t always enough, you know!
Today, I smelled it again and found this bloom! Does anyone know the name of this house plant? Please help! Let me know if you have the secret behind this stinking beauty.
Sharing a part of your garden is a great gift for gardeners with a very reasonable price tag. But remember to provide all the appropriate details … including the name of the plant!
Jill: I think your “stinky” plant is a Wax plant. It looks like a member of the Hoya species, which here in the coastal south are referred to as wax plants because of the thick, waxy leaves. Because of our hot/humid summers, wax plants do well outdoors on a deck or porch. However, they do need shade and definitely need to be indoors during the winter.
Hope this solves your mystery!
Lulu
Mystery solved! Thank you so much, Lulu. Because of your suggestion, I researched hoya and wax plants and found a match! After all these years, it’s good to know what kind of plant grandma gave me. Thanks again for your help.