Hoya, commonly known by the names Wax Plant, Wax Vine, Waxflower, or simply Hoya, is a genus of tropical plants in the Apocynaceae family, covering about 200-300 species. Their name was given by botanist Robert Brown, honoring Thomas Hoy, botanist, and his friend.
These plants are mostly evergreen perennial creepers that grow on trees, but they can also be found on the ground or in areas with rocky tendencies. Their leaves are typically succulent, varying in size, color, texture, and venation.
Most of these species have Asian origins, enjoying great popularity in countries like China, Thailand, India, and others. Due to their epiphytically way of growing (on other plants) Hoya plants are not the easiest ones to collect. However, they can be accessed and taken by botanists and collectors from fallen trees.
About Hoya Plants
- They are also known as Porcelain Flowers due to their ability to create beautiful and fragrant flowers with a waxy, porcelain-like appearance.
- You can grow Hoya plants both outdoors and as houseplants. They are usually used as hanging plants or can be placed on objects like windowsills, desks, buffets, tables, etc.
- These plants are sensitive to excess water, so they need soil that absorbs it quickly and pots with good drainage systems.
- Hoyas thrive in bright, indirect, and natural light. You should consider rotating them every couple of months, if you grow them indoors, to provide light all the way around.
- The best time for repotting a Hoya plant is spring or summer. If they are fine with their current pot, do not rush the process because they will feel better in a slightly crammed environment and bloom correspondingly (like orchids).
- Propagating Hoyas can be made in two simple ways: by rooting stem cuttings in water or a mix, and by layering.
- Hoya plants are preferred by most people as houseplants, especially in temperate areas, and the most popular species are Hoya Carnosa, Hoya Obovata, Hoya Australis, Hoya Keysii, and Hoya Kerrii.
- Although Hoya plants are non-toxic houseplants, you should consider putting them in places that are out of reach for pets and children. The leaves and stems could affect their health.
Hoya Plants Features: An Overview
- These tropical succulent plants are native to several parts of Asia, but a great diversity of species can also be found in Australia, New Guinea, Phillippines, and Polynesia.
- With suitable support in trees, larger species of the Hoya genus grow about 3-59 feet (1-18 m) tall, or more. Species with higher stature, like Hoya Linearis, can be challenging to grow, so elevation comes into play when growing them indoors.
- Their leaves may exhibit a large array of forms with hairy, smooth, or felted texture, and waxy in some cases. Hoya plants produce opposing leaves in general, but the Hoya Imbricata species has only one leaf per node.
- Hoyas have a varied color palette regarding their flowers. It is also possible for one plant to grow flowers of different colors. One of the most cultivated varieties of Hoya plants featuring these characteristics is Hoya Pubicalyx.
- The blooms of these plants have fragrant and mesmerizing features. Some Hoyas will make star-shaped waxy flowers every year, while others can appear occasionally.
- One of the most common Hoya species, Hoya Carnosa, it is known to be an excellent friend in the indoor environment due to his ability to remove pollutants.
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Growing and Caring for Hoyas
It is known that most Hoya species grow in the forests, where they are more than pleased to get diffuse light. Most of these plants can not withstand intense and direct light, which can lead to leaf burning, so it is recommended that you recreate their native habitat if you want your Hoya to grow healthy. They are doing well in sunlight only if they are put in the shade during the heat of the day.
As a tropical succulent-like plant, it can have a great time indoors, where the entire climate tends to be warm. The ideal temperature will be different, depending on the Hoya species, but the average values supported by most of them are somewhere between 50 °F and 95 °F (10-35 °C).
They do well in moderate to high humidity levels so you won’t have any issues growing these plants in conditions found in regular households. To maintain your Hoya plant healthy, keep it away from everything that may dry it out (such as heaters). Given the fact that it may be damaged by dry air, you might have to use an electric humidifier or spray the plant every couple of days using a water mist to increase the humidity around your Hoya.
In case you wish your Hoya plant to always look young and fresh, you can remove any leaves that might be damaged or dead. However, pruning it too often or accidentally removing vital parts could have unpleasant side effects on your plant.
Leaving these plants in their pot until they become root-bound will encourage blooming, so you should consider repotting them only if they outgrow the pot. The best time to repot your Hoya plant is during the spring by choosing a pot that is not much bigger than the current one. Using a pot that is just one or two inches wider and deeper should keep you away from any growth problems like overwhelming the roots with too much moisture and prevent flowering.
Throughout their growing season in the spring and summer, feed your Hoya plants a nitrogen-based fertilizer. This will increase your chances of growing a vibrant and opulent plant. Once the flowering period comes to attention, these plants will benefit from fertilizers with a high level of phosphorus if they are fed a month before blooming.
Although Hoyas are pretty resistant to pests, you should always check if they have any mealybugs on the leaves. First, you can use water sprays to scary the bugs and then pamper the plant with neem spray or horticultural oil.
Watering Hoyas
Hoya plants thrive in a well-draining soil mix, such as cacti and succulent soil mix, which allows thorough watering. The substrate will hold too much water if the soil mix chosen by you is heavier than it should be.
As a houseplant, you can expect yours to need watering based on the intensity and quality of light they experience. Those that are closer to northeast-facing windows or in conditions of artificial light will need less water than the ones that receive plenty of natural light.
During the growing season, it should be enough if you water Hoyas once a week. However, in the fall and winter, when their time for growth has passed, try watering them only once every two weeks to once a month.
Due to their tendency to rot, it is always better to underwater Hoya plants than overwater them. These plants do not enjoy sitting in wet soil, so you should water them once it dried out. Also, Hoyas can survive short periods of drought because of their succulent-like attributes.
Propagating Hoyas
As succulent-like plants, Hoyas are pretty easy to propagate if you want them to grow as big and as beautiful as possible. The most effective methods to propagate your Hoya plant are by stem cuttings or by layering.
Propagating your plant through stem cuttings will be successful only if you take the cuttings from softwood stems. The cutting should between 4 and 12 inches (10-30 cm) long. Take the cutting at an angle using a clean and sharp tool. After you remove the leaves (except for the top ones) and place the cutting in water or a moist propagation mix, the rooting process should last for about 4 weeks.
If you choose to propagate in water, leave the top half of the cutting outside of it. Place it in bright, indirect light and provide it with plenty of warmth. You should change the water regularly when it starts to become cloudy. Once the roots grow, the cutting is ready to be potted in a well-draining soil mix, giving it the same care as for a Hoya plant.
To propagate your Hoya with layering, you can take a long softwood stem from the plant. Pin it into a new pot filled with damp light mix while it is still attached to the mother plant. Usually, you will notice little roots showing up on the stems after a longer period than with propagating using cuttings. Once the roots have formed, you can make it an independent plant, cutting and allowing it to grow on its own.
Conclusion
Many species of Hoya are popular houseplants due to their large variety and their beautiful and scented bloomings. Growing and caring for these plants should be extremely easy if you provide them with a well-draining soil mix and enough space to keep them healthy.
This genus of plants does not mind dry soil, but it prefers an environment with a moderate level of humidity, like the ones found in regular households. So if you are an amateur of shelves full of charming flowers that can take care of themselves, then Hoyas are a great choice.
