I've always known this plant as Hindu Rope Hoya (Hoya carnosa 'Compacta') and our database shows it Also sold as:

I'm just curious if there should be separate listings for the two names or should they be combined under one name?

Hindu Rope is a common name, not a cultivar name. I'll merge this entry with the Compacta entry. What about Krinkle Kurl, Lin? Do you think that's the same as Hoya carnosa 'Compacta'?

Zuzu, I often wish that we still had a knowledgeable Hoya grower as an active member but AlohaHoya (Carol) hasn't been on this site in a long while, nor has SRQHoya's (Joni). Carol lives in Hawaii and I believe she retired awhile back and doesn't grow or sell plants anymore. I think I recall that Joni moved from Florida to Pennsylvania a few years ago and ended up closing her business. Both of those ladies grew many different species of Hoya and were quite knowledgeable about the genus.

Over the years, the Hoya carnosa species and cultivars that I've seen, all have had smooth leaves, whereas the Hoya plants labeled with the cultivar name Compacta (now species compacta?) all have had very compact and twisted leaves. Fifteen years ago, I'd see the "Hindu Rope" plants (both the solid green and those with variegated foliage, all with the compact/twisted leaves) and the following names attached:

Hoya carnosa 'Compacta' (a/k/a "Hindu Rope")
Hoya carnosa 'Compacta variegata' (a/k/a "Variegated Hindu Rope")
Hoya carnosa 'Compacta Mauna Loa' (a/k/a "Reverse variegated Hindu Rope")
Hoya carnosa 'Compacta Krinkle 8'
Hoya carnosa 'Compacta Krinkle Kurl'

Back then, I was told that 'Compacta' was one of the hundreds of carnosa cultivars but I read recently that Hoya compacta was published by a lady named Christine Burton as a species and checking the CoL now, I see that it is indeed a listed species. I'm thinking that the cultivars 'Compacta', 'Mauna Loa', 'Krinkle Kurl', 'Krinkle 8', as well as the one we have listed as H. carnosa 'Compacta Regalis' may all be cultivars of species compacta. It is confusing but that being said, I wonder if a little editing might be needed for a few of the entries in our Hoya database?:

~ Wax Plant (Hoya carnosa 'Mauna Loa') shows, Also Sold As: H. compacta 'Mauna Loa'. Since Hoya 'Mauna Loa' has the compacted, twisted leaves, I wonder if the database name should be reversed and shown as H. compacta 'Mauna Loa', Also Sold As H. carnosa?

~ Wax Plant (Hoya carnosa 'Variegata') has conflicting member photos. A few photos show the smooth leaves of the carnosa clan (photos by Critterologist, Crofton09, indoorplants) while a few show the compact and twisted leaves of the species compacta. A couple of member photos are captioned with the names of "Hoya compacta Regalis and Hoya compacta 'variegata' aka-regalis. That listing for H. carnosa 'Variegata' shows an Also Sold As H. Compacta 'Variegata'. I think it's the same plant as Wax Plant (Hoya carnosa 'Compacta Regalis') but I think the correct reading should be Hoya compacta 'Regalis'.

~ Hindu Rope Hoya (Hoya carnosa 'Compacta') should this one be merged into the species entry of Wax Plant (Hoya compacta) ?

LOL, I got sidetracked ... back to your original question ... ~ I believe Wax Plant (Hoya carnosa 'Krinkle Kurl') and Wax Plant (Hoya carnosa 'Krinkle 8') are likely one and the same plant. I once had separate plants, one tagged 'Krinkle 8', the other tagged 'Krinkle Kurl'. I was told they were a Hoya carnosa cross and both of my plants looked exactly alike with just slightly twisted leaves, nowhere near as compact and twisted as the species compacta. I just don't know which "Krinkle" name is the correct cultivar name.

My brain is confused from reading about and looking at many different Hoya photos and I didn't proofread this post so, if it's a jumbled mess, I do apologize.

Knowing virtually nothing about hoyas, I don't know what to tell you about this. Hoya compacta, the species, was first described by Burton in 1990. That was almost 30 years ago and it has no apparent connection to H. carnosa. I wish, as you do, that we still had a Hoya expert active on the site. I'm reluctant to edit any more of the cultivar entries without some input from an expert.

zuzu said:I wish, as you do, that we still had a Hoya expert active on the site. I'm reluctant to edit any more of the cultivar entries without some input from an expert.

I agree, I'd hate to see the Hoya database scrambled and more confusing than it already is. Hopefully at some point in time, someone with knowledge about Hoyas will be able to help out.