When the leaves are off the low branch of the oak tree in winter, the view from my recliner lines up perfectly with my neighbors’ kitchen window. Even if I were a nosy neighbor, I couldn’t see into their kitchen if I wanted to because a houseplant called hoya completely obscures their window.
While my neighbor is an extremely skilled gardener, her green thumb isn’t necessary for growing hoya. They are legendary for flourishing on neglect.
Hoya is also called wax plant because both its leaves and flowers appear to be carved from wax. Some hoyas produce spectacular, sometimes fragrant flowers that range in size from ¼” to a whopping 4”. In general, the smaller-flowered varieties have the strongest fragrance.
Hoyas are usually climbing or trailing vines, sometimes up to 20’ in length, although some varieties grow upright.
Hoyas are pretty much indestructible, but like most plants have preferences that, if met, produce the best growth results. They like the partial sun of an eastern or western exposure. Positioning the plants too close to a true southern exposure may result in sunburn on the leaves. They prefer indoor temperatures above 60° with low humidity.
Soil in the pot should be left to dry almost completely before watering thoroughly. Watering every two weeks is a good place to start and even less frequently in winter. It’s a good idea to let the water sit in an open container for 24 hours to come to room temperature before watering the plant to avoid stressing it. If you have city water, this waiting period also allows added chlorine and fluorine that can potentially harm plants to dissipate.
Hoyas can be fertilized very lightly once a month spring through fall, but discontinue fertilizing in winter. Pruning can be done anytime to keep the plant in bounds, usually after flowering. Most hoyas bloom on new growth so hard pruning slows that down a bit. However, some varieties bloom from old flower spurs so you wouldn’t want to prune those off. If you don’t have information as to how your hoya plant flowers, experiment with pruning and not pruning a little and observe carefully where and when the flowers appear.
Flowerjng is initiated by factors that vary by variety. Day length, light intensity and night temperatures are triggers. Some respond to short day length, while others to longer days. Some need at least six feet of vining growth before they will flower.
Hoyas like tight containers and should be re-potted only when completely pot-bound. Transplant to a container just one size up from the current pot.
To share your hoya with a friend, take a cutting in early spring that is at least 4” long with 2-6 leaves. Place the cutting in water until it roots or plant it directly into soil, watering well.
When I was searching mail order nurseries for sources of hoya, one company offered 21 varieties! With that many choices, there should be a perfect fit for every gardener.
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