If you remember a vine creeping around your grandmother’s kitchen, chances are it was a Hoya plant. This tropical indoor plant, often called a "Wax plant" due to its thick, waxy leaves, is a classic for good reason: it lives forever, grows to be enormous, and creates beautiful, porcelain-like fragrant flower clusters. It’s also often called "Porcelain flower" for this reason. Though many swear Hoya plant care is among the easiest of all indoor plants, each has its specific likes and dislikes. This comprehensive guide will explore the ins and outs of Hoya plant care, covering various cultivars, essential care tips, and troubleshooting advice.
Hoya plants are native to Southeast Asia, Japan, and Taiwan. They are broadleaf evergreen, epiphytic, vining, herbaceous perennials in the dogbane family (Asclepiadaceae). Hoyas are found throughout Eastern Asia, where they grow in warm, humid rain forests and jungles, cascading and clambering through the canopies and undergrowth. They are often called Wax Plants due to their foliage and flowers having a wax-like feel to them. The Hoya climbing vine is easy to care for in most home situations provided they get plenty of indirect light and high humidity. These are long-lived plants that prefer cramped growing conditions.
Here are some of the most popular Hoya cultivars:
Hoya carnosa: This is the classic wax plant. Dark green, large, almond-shaped leaves grow on long vines, which will eventually put out creamy flower clusters. Hoya carnosa has historically been the most widely cultivated Hoya in the Western world. The plant has been hybridized with other species and cultivated for genetic mutations of the leaves and blooms to give us new plants with new names.
Hoya carnosa ‘Krimson Queen’: Everything you love about the classic carnosa, but with leaves lined in white and pink. Sometimes called 'Tricolor,' this Hoya sometimes has stems of bright pink and solid white leaves. It prefers very bright, but indirect light, to thrive. Also enjoys heat and high humidity. Follow watering procedure for normal carnosa. Low-medium light and cold drafty windows are unfavorable conditions, and it is particularly sensitive to over-watering.
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Hoya carnosa ‘Krimson Princess’: This Hoya carnosa cultivar has variegated foliage that includes cream, yellow, and pink, in addition to bright green. The center variegation looks like watercolor paint strokes! Like its variegated cousin 'Krimson Queen,' this Hoya needs a bright spot where it won’t receive direct sun. Water like a carnosa. Low-medium light and cold drafty windows are unfavorable conditions.
Hoya obovata: This Hoya has incredible dark green, round, lightly speckled leaves. Compared to many Hoyas, this one is relatively fast to grow and sets flower earlier than most. And the blooms smell like chocolate! This is one of the hardier Hoyas. Over-watering is unfavorable because those big leaves hold a lot of water. Wait until it puckers before watering.
Hoya australis: Those leaves! Spade-shaped and soft to touch, this Hoya also shoots out vines that grow in a more upright habit than the carnosas. This one has thinner leaves than other Hoyas, so you it's not as easy to tell when these plants need water.
Most Hoyas prefer bright, indirect light year-round. A little direct soft sun can be fine, as long as you protect it from harsh midday to mid-afternoon summer sun, which can scorch the plant. Make sure to find a location with bright indirect light.
Water thoroughly spring through autumn, allow the potting mix to dry out between watering. Don’t let the plant sit in soggy soil. Reduce watering in winter. Hoyas prefer more regular water in the spring and summer, during active periods of growth. Many Hoyas are succulent because they have adapted to seasonal droughts, like Hoya carnosa. Water when the substrate is dry, as soon as you see the leaves start to "pucker."
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As this plant is an epiphyte in nature, use a loose, fast-draining potting mix high in organic matter and a container with good drainage. Allow the soil to dry out between watering. Too wet or too dry soil can cause the leaves to drop. Hoyas can be grown in an airy, well-draining mix and need water more frequently, or they can be potted with a more traditional houseplant or succulent soil blend with less frequent waterings. Although chunkier mixes require more attentive care, plants grow faster and stronger with airy soil blends. All Hoyas need to be potted in planters with drainage. These plants are very sensitive to too much water.
Keep your Hoya warm all year round. The Hoya plant prefers relative humidity. You can mist the plants to clean them and raise humidity BUT do not mist when the plant is in bloom. Wax plant loves high humidity, and the waxy, leathery leaves appreciate misting. If indoors, cooler temps are fine during the winter but make sure they don’t drop below 50. The optimum temperatures for wax plant care in the growing season are 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 C.) at night and 80 F. (27 C.) during the day.
Feed the Hoya monthly during spring through Summer with a balanced fertilizer diluted by half. In Autumn you can feed with a high-potassium feed until winter, to encourage blooms to develop in Spring. During the growing season, we like to fertilize weakly and often. Apply a balanced fertilizer only during active growing season, i.e. Fertilizing is not part of wax plant care in winter.
Hoyas don’t mind being root bound. Keep in the same pot for years, but remember to fertilize throughout spring and summer. Many Hoyas don’t mind being root-bound so you can keep them in the same pot for years just as long as you don’t forget to fertilize during the warmer months. As Hoyas don’t mind being root-bound you may only need to re-pot your plant every 2-3 years or when it really outgrows its pot. When you choose to repot, be extra kind to the plant: Repot in spring, wait to repot 2-3 days after your last watering, and be very gentle with the roots. When you do re-pot, do so in early spring and choose a new pot that is a little bit larger. Keep in mind that the Hoya blooms best when it is pot bound. The new pot should not be more than 2 inches larger than the existing container.
The vine-like Hoyas can be pruned back if you want to keep your plant compact. Should pruning be necessary, it is best done in the early spring before its most rapid growth begins. Resist pruning the peduncle (“spur”) where flowers have been produced, as this will repeatedly produce flowers over several years. Cutting off these stems is cutting off future flowers. The best time to prune is early spring, before Hoyas start their most vigorous growth period. There is no need to prune a Hoya; in fact, the tendrils at the ends are where new foliage will grow and flowers develop.
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Propagate wax plant by stem cutting. Propagate Hoya plants from stem cuttings or by air layering. Be sure to include a couple healthy leaves! Take 7cm stem tip cuttings in spring. The cuttings should include at least one pair of leaves. Hoya plants are easily propagated by cuttings. Cuttings root easily in plain water (use rainwater for best results) or with the cut end inserted into African violet soil mixed by half with perlite. In about two years, the cutting will result in a mature plant capable of blooming. The ease of propagation makes growing Hoya vines to give to family and friends almost effortless and enables you to pass along this amazing plant. Hoyas are most commonly propagated by cuttings.
It’s hard to predict when these plants will flower, as it occurs when the plants reach maturity. When are they mature? Depends on the growing conditions! Most plants will not produce flowers until they reach the age of 2- or 3 years old. When given enough bright filtered light, the Hoya plant will produce lovely delicate flowers that are enchantingly fragrant. In fact, it is often known as Porcelain Flower due to these very blooms!
When a plant is very stressed, it tries its hardest to procreate before it no longer has the opportunity. Give your Hoya bright, indirect light (some direct is okay) and withhold watering for 4-5 weeks.
Across the Hoya genus, each umbellate flower cluster emerges from a single spur - that is, a peduncle that grows from the axil of the leaves and stem. The spurs bear repeat blooms, and should not be removed. Again, do not remove spurs after the blooms have faded. That’s where the next round of flowers will blossom. A spent spur. A flower will grow again out of this same spur next season.
This can be due to the plant being too cold or overwatered. Keep your plant out of cold areas or drafts. If you have recently moved your plant to a new environment, it may be that it is simply adjusting.
Some species of Hoya do not bloom, so keep that in mind. However, for the fully mature flowering types (5-7 years old), the biggest cause is conditional. It may need more light, less or more water or a bloom boosting fertilizer. You will need to assess its situation and adjust accordingly.
Dropped flower buds are often caused by soil that is too dry or too wet. Otherwise, it may be caused by sudden temperature fluctuations.
There is nothing wrong with your plant, Hoya tend to grow their tendrils long and vining before they develop their leaves. If you find that leaves tend to grow far apart, this is often a sign of insufficient light.
Aphids enjoy the sweet juices of the Hoya plant, but most common house plant insecticide sprays, Neem Oil or Insecticidal soap will easily keep them under control should you find them on your plant. Deal with any Mealybugs in the same manner. Spider mites may also be a problem, but if you mist your plant regularly you should be free from a spider mite invasion. Overall, keep your Wax Plant in its optimal conditions, and few pest infestations should occur. Mealybugs are an issue as well as fungus gnats that are attracted to potting mixes that are too wet. Occasionally, spider mites can be an issue. They can appear when the air is too dry. Misting the plant to provide moisture/humidity can reduce this issue.
Given its climbing habit and rapid growth, wax plant is a great choice for hanging baskets. Most Hoya plants are vine-like, making them great for hanging displays. In time, these can be looped around a wire hoop or small trellis and secured loosely with a florist’s wire. Hoyas are climbers.
A recent plant trend is "sun-stressing" Hoyas. When Hoyas receive more light than they want, they can change color to protect their leaves, similar to how humans tan. If you want to try this out, make sure you go slow.
Like many houseplants, it can spend the summer outdoors on a patio in partial shade. We placed our hoya outside beneath an eave, our Zone 10B outdoor home for a houseplant. Here’s the thing about our houseplants: We mostly keep them outside. We don’t have a lot of room indoors, so we’ll hang tropical plants from the north-facing eave outside our one-story home. One of these plants is our Hoya carnosa: commonly known as hoya, porcelain flower or wax plant. Hardiness varies by species. If growing outdoors, some varieties of hoya are hardy in USDA Zones 8 through 11; others (like our H.
In general, don’t helicopter-garden this baby. It favors a bit of benign neglect. Keep the plant root-bound for years, eventually stepping up pot size by 1 to 2 inches.
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