Hoya Plant Care – Introduction

Looking for a stylish, long-living houseplant? Hoya or wax plant have become one of the hottest houseplants in recent years, but they’ve been a favorite among plant lovers for a long time. Hoyas have thick, waxy leaves that overflow from a pot in beautiful trailing vines. They bloom in clusters of sweetly smelling flowers like those of their distant cousin, the milkweed. The flowers themselves are dense and waxy, like finely sculpted porcelain, often appearing in pink or white. Native to tropical Asia and Australia, they live a long time and will quickly become some of your favorite houseplants!

Hoya care is easy, and it’s one of the reasons why this plant has been a houseplant staple for so long! Between the gorgeous, thick leaves and the ease of propagation, the hoya will make an excellent addition to your plant collection.

Hoya Plant Care – Soil & Drainage

Potting soil with good air circulation is very important for Hoyas. To create a perfect blend mix equal parts of Cactus Mix, Orchid Mix, and Perlite. Hoya Plants like to be pot-bound or crowded in their pots. They will only need to be repotted every two or three years./p>

Hoya Plant Care – Lighting and Position

Most hoya plants prefer medium to bright, indirect light. Some do well with about two hours of direct sunlight in the morning or evening, but too much sun exposure may burn their leaves or turn them yellow. They can tolerate low light, but in those conditions, they may focus their energy on growing more leaves rather than producing blossoms. That’s not necessarily a problem, as the thick leaves themselves are beautiful gifts. However, proper light will give them enough energy to bloom.

Hoya Plant Care – Watering

Like other succulents, hoya plants like their soil to dry out completely in between watering. Some people even wait until their leaves start to wrinkle or pucker slightly before giving them a drink. Give them a thorough soaking when watering just make sure it all drains and remove excess water from the saucer. During their dormant phase in winter, they’ll need even less frequent watering.

Hoya Plant Care – Humidity

Hoya Plants are tropical plants that thrive in humid conditions. Use a humidifier to bring the humidity levels up, especially in winter when indoor air tends to be dry. A saucer with gravel and water also provides humidity as the water evaporates. Misting with room-temperature water also helps but avoid spraying the flowers.

Hoya Plant Care – Fertilizer

Liquid fertilizer is perfect for Hoya. Feed once a month from spring through to autumn. We recommend using our Plant food available here.

Hoya Plant Care – Propagation

Since hoya care is so easy and the plant is so gorgeous, you’re going to want to make a few more plants by propagating it. Either to keep for yourself or to give to friends! Propagating a hoya is easy.

To propagate a hoya, take a clipping from a stem. Make sure the cutting has a few leaves. Dip the end in a propagating hormone powder to help encourage rooting. Plant these in potting soil and keep them moist to encourage rooting. You can also root a stem cutting in water, watch the roots develop, and then plant it. The best time to propagate a hoya cutting is in the spring or summer.

Hoya Plant Care – Toxicity for Pets

Hoya plants are non-toxic to people and animals so yippee!

Hoya Plant Care – Pests and Diseases

Look for the typical houseplant pests: mealybugs, fungus gnats, aphids, and fungus gnats, for example. To prevent spider mite infestations, to begin with, mist your plant regularly with water. Spider mites hate cool, wet conditions and thrive in hot, dry conditions. That’s why they love houseplants, especially over winter! For more information on how to manage common plant pests head to our blog here.

How do I get my Hoya plant to bloom?

Hoya plants begin to bloom when the plant reaches maturity. At that stage, there are a few ways to encourage it to bloom.

1. Ensure it’s receiving the correct light and water requirements, as mentioned above. Try experimenting with more light, if necessary, to find the right conditions it needs. Once the flower buds form, keep the plant in one place, as moving it may cause the flowers to fall off.

2. It’s also essential to keep the roots pot-bound and not move it to a larger pot too soon.

3. Give it a 4-5 week period of drought during the winter as a way to encourage it to bloom the following spring.

4. And finally, when it does bloom, remember not to deadhead the flower stems. Leave them on as this is where your hoya plant will bloom next time around.

Hoya Plant Care – Pro tip

Hoyas grow well in any plastic, terra cotta, or ceramic pot. A hanging basket is often a beautiful way to enjoy their trailing branches. As they like to be pot-bound, only repot them once the roots have replaced nearly all of the soil, and only select a new pot that is 1-2 inches larger than the previous one. To show off its thickly-leafed vines, and to give them a denser appearance, loop them around a wire hoop or small trellis and tie loosely with florists’ wire.