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Hoyas come in all shapes and sizes, with no two looking the same. Also known as Wax Plants, they have gorgeous thick succulent leaves and boast stunning porcelain-like scented flowers. They can grow to enormous lengths and seem to live forever. It’s no wonder that they’ve been a favourite houseplant for many years, and they’re not slowing down any time soon.
Whilst some proclaim Hoya plant care to be super easy, from our experience, Hoyas can have their challenges. Read through our guide on the best Hoya plant care tips so you can become a true Hoya sensei. Delve a little deeper to discover our favourite Hoya varieties, and dig up some hacks for stimulating plant growth and finding the best position in your humble abode!
The top Hoya plant care tips to get your plants to flourish
Increasing your room humidity:
Whilst some Hoyas varieties like cooler temperatures and tolerate drier air, some like it warm and humid. The typical UK home isn’t usually well equipped for humid-loving plants, but there are certainly ways to mimic and increase humid environments.
To increase humidity, you can use a misting space, humidifier or place a pebble tray under your hanging Hoya pot. You can also group your plants. If you want something ultra-low maintenance, use a terrarium. This creates and regulates your plants' microhabitat.
The soil you should use:
Most Hoya varieties prefer well-draining soil as they’re prone to root rot. Use a soil mix that has at least a 1:1 ratio of peat-free soil to perlite, or use pre-mixed cacti and succulent soil mixture. They love plenty of air around their roots, so using a well-drained soil mix will provide all the air movement they need to thrive.
Avoiding black spots:
Black spots, known as edema, are caused by irregular watering. Hoyas are quite prone to this, so try to maintain a regular watering pattern as much as you can. For the best Hoya plant care, water roughly once a month or once the soil has become almost completely dry.
Don’t cut off them tendrils!
You may find that the longer you have all your Hoya varieties, the more windy and long the tendrils grow. As tempting as it might be to cut them off, this is a big no-no in Hoya plant care world. Clipping them off may stunt their growth and also reduce the likelihood of them developing flowers. If they’re bothersome, give them a frame to cling themselves onto!
Where to place your Hoya plant:
For the right Hoya plant care, they must have the right amount of light. Hoyas love indirect bright light, so try placing them near south or west-facing windows. That way, they will get the right amount of light and won’t get scorched by direct sunlight. If you only have a sunny spot, you can always make your own shade.
Hoya varieties and how to care for them
Hanging Tricolor Hoya
One of our personal faves at Bloombox Club, this Hoya steals the limelight with her gorgeous, soft variegated foliage. She boasts a blend of creamy white, light pink and green leaves. These almond-shaped leaves grow on long vines, and occasionally these Hoya varieties produce bright pink stems and pop out completely white or green leaves. She’s a knockout!
Do: Place in indirect very bright light and water once a month. Wait until the leaves begin to slightly shrivel and you’ll know she needs a little drink. She also loves heat and high humidity.
Don't: Overwater or underwater. She certainly doesn’t like direct sun, artificial light or dark corners.
Where she looks her best: This beauty looks absolutely fabulous sitting on a floating shelf, trailing down a bookcase or majestically swinging from a curtain rail. If you’re keeping her close to a window, make sure you place her in a west-facing window or away from direct sunlight.
Hoya Australis 'Lisa'
Mona Lisa? Nope, but close - it’s the Hoya Lisa! Showing off a plethora of pastel, light and green leaves, this Hoya variety looks like she’s been painted with watercolours. If you give her the right amount of light, she’ll grace you with slightly pinky foliage. This hot number is a climber and can grow up to 1.2 metres.
Do: Allow the soil to completely dry out halfway in between waterings. Approximately once every two weeks is best. Place her in a spot with bright, indirect light. She likes regular humidity with the odd mist here and there.
Don’t: Place her in direct sunlight. Her precious leaves will get scorched, so keep her protected! Don’t repot too often, as this one likes to be kept as snug as possible.
Where she looks her best: These Hoya varieties look the best climbing up a trellis with a plain wall backdrop. If you have a pale or white wall, nothing will look better than adorning it with the Hoya Australis ‘Lisa’.
Hoya 'Silver Splash'
If the name doesn’t give it away, this striking Hoya has gorgeous deep green leaves with flicks and splashes of silver. She has slightly more plump succulent-like foliage, adapted to help restore water for longer. She’s amongst one of the easiest Hoya varieties to look after, so if you’re a plant-newbie - this one’s for you!
Do: Keep in bright indirect light or filtered light - next to a frosted window is great. Allow the soil to completely dry out in between waterings.
Don’t: Overwater. Soggy soil makes the Hoya Silver Splash vulnerable to diseases.
Where she looks her best: Her striking plump leaves look fabulous trailing up a bookshelf, a trellis, or even a staircase. Just give her plenty of indirect light and she’s good to go!
Hoya Retusa
The Hoya Retusa is one unique plant. Take one look and you’ll know exactly why! This rare gem is hard to come by and will certainly stand out against your plant collection. She has delicate thin, wispy flat leaves that look like seagrass and grow in clusters climbing up a frame or down a shelf.
Do: Place in bright, indirect light and well-draining soil. Although she may look complicated, this Hoya variety is one of the easiest plants to care for. She’ll thrive in regular home conditions and loves the occasional mist here and there.
Don’t: Leave in direct sunlight or anywhere subject to extreme fluctuations in temperature. Avoid soggy soil and infrequent watering.
Where she looks her best: This special lady looks perfect trailing down shelves or cascading from a hanging basket. Her long spindly leaves look excellent contrasted against plain white walls and help her show off her fragile beauty. Although she starts off small, she can soon get very bushy and up to 0.5 metres long!
Shingle Plant
The Shingle Plant isn’t your regular Hoya variety. In fact, this beauty queen is a cousin of the Hoya and is relatively unfamiliar within the plant community. Nonetheless, her unique ravelling leaves deserve the spotlight. She has beautiful trailing leaves that curl as they mature and wrap themselves around whatever she’s growing on!
Do: Allow her to dry out in between watering. Water once or twice a month and leave her in a spot with bright indirect light and high humidity. She appreciates the odd dappled sunlight here and there and loves well-draining soil.
Don’t: Overwater or keep in low humidity environments with dark corners and extreme temperature fluctuations.
Where she looks her best: The Shingle Plant deserves her own spot on the shelf. When left hanging with no frame, her unique leaves coil up into a rounded cylindrical shape and form lengths of cascading trails. You can also train her to grow up a frame where she’ll soon transform your wall into a living wall curtain!
How to stimulate flower growth?
Finally, you’ve come to the best part! All Hoya varieties start to produce flowers when they reach maturity. This all depends on their growing conditions.
Whilst there’s no particular method to stimulate Hoyas gorgeous porcelain-like flowers, following the right Hoyas plant care guide and our special tips should get you on the fast lane to flower growth.
- Whilst upgrading your plants to a new, larger and fancier pot often helps them grow, most Hoya varieties prefer to have snug roots. Don’t be afraid to leave your Hoyas in a pot for a few years at a time.
- Leave the tendrils to do their thing. The leaves and flowers grow from the tendrils and cutting them off can reduce your chances of seeing them.
To wrap things up
Don’t forget, to become a successful Hoya plant parent, you may have to overcome some obstacles. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you accidentally kill one of your plant babies, as it’s all part of the process of becoming a true plant master.
That being said, if you follow these top Hoya plant care tips, you’ll be much further ahead to refining your skills. So just keep trying and never quit!
