A plant that is easy to care for, with dangling stems with large leaves is the Hoya macrophylla plant or also known as the wax plant/honey plant. This species belongs to the Apocynaceae family that has the genus of Hoya. The Hoya macrophylla is a rare or very unique plant because of its beautiful flowers and fascinating trailing foliage.
This plant is usually found in several Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Polynesia, New Guinea. Some Hoya macrophylla plants can be found in some varieties in Australia as well.
A fun fact about this plant is that it is an epiphyte. Basically, it likes to grow on the surface or other plants’ surfaces. They do so because they like to collect nutrients from rain, fog, air, and mist.
Hoya Macrophylla ‘Variegata’ Plant Care Basics
Best Potting Mix
The Hoya macrophylla plant grows on limestone areas so it’s recommended to have a potting mix that’s alkaline. You might want to avoid peat since it’s acidic, so add some crushed eggshells or oyster shells since it gives calcium to the plant. It’s also a cheaper way to give the plant something healthy.
Before adding the Alkaline soil, the base should be a combination of organic cactus mix/regular soil mix, one part perlite, and lastly organic orchid mix that is rich in charcoal.
Lighting Needs
The lighting requirement for the Hoya macrophylla is to avoid direct sunlight. If you want to make this indoor plant happy, just place it in an area where it can get enough light. But if you decide on placing the plant in hanging pots make sure that it’s at least a few feet away from the window so it doesn’t get too hot and burn the tips of the plant’s leaves.
Watering Needs
The key to watering Hoya macrophylla plant is to dry it out completely at first before soaking it with water again. This is to mimic its natural habitat where it usually receives the very hot weather but then, later on, gets damped with rain.
Inspect the plant first before watering again to know if the soil has dried out and to avoid root rot. You can use your fingers to check. Another way to check is to check the bottom drainage holes of the pot. If it’s completely dry then it’s good to go for another watering.
Temperature & Humidity Requirement
The temperature requirement for the plant is the same as that of a hot area or tropical temperature, balanced weather where there is rain at times. But if the place you’re living at has hot temperatures year-round, then you can treat them as an outdoor plant . Place them outside, as long as direct sunlight is avoided.
But, if you live somewhere that is a temperate region then you should keep track of the temperature because if it goes below 12-15oC (53.6 – 62.6oF) then your plant might go into dormancy.
The humidity requirement for this plant is up to 90% humidity, basically very high. But, it can manage a minimum level of 40% humidity. You just have to compensate for the lack of moisture by regular misting. If you plan to put your hoya plants close together it is not recommended too since the plant is prone to getting molds and other kinds of fungi.
Fertilizer Requirement
It is recommended to fertilize the hoya at least once a month during its growing season. Spraying orchid fertilizer to the plant helps the plant grow better showing good results but make sure to not place the plant near direct sunlight for it might burn the plant’s leaves.
Propagation
The recommended propagation of the Hoya plant is to propagate it by stem cutting or the long-fibre sphagnum moss because this part will be able to adapt to the soil easier. Here are some steps below to follow:
- Cut the healthy stem or the long-fibre sphagnum making sure that you’re not cutting the budding tendril.
- Cut only one or two nodes also leaving one leaf or couple.
- Place it on the water so that it will keep moist at most times.
- Warmth and moisture are needed so place a plastic bag around the plant to maximize the moisture level.
- Now before it is ready to be potted, you must wait around 2-3 weeks or more depending on if there are already a couple of inches growing of the roots.
Growth Zone
The hoya macrophylla plant doesn’t grow fast but it has a vine-like pattern of growth so it can just be left hanging or let grow on a trellis. It’s suitable in areas under USDA Growing Zones 9 to 11.
Potting and Pruning
When it comes to potting, make sure that the soil is a mix of one-third orchid bark. You will use this fresh potting mix to replace the depleted soil in its old container. It will take about 2 to 3 years before your Hoya will need the repotting.
For the pruning, only prune the ones that are dead which are the brown stems. But if you have the desired length you can also cut it as well but make sure not to remove one-third of the plant’s foliage, do it only once in a while.
Hoya macrophylla ‘Variegata’ Varieties and Similar Plants
There’s one type of variant that is similar to the Hoya macrophylla ‘Variegata’. That is Hoya macrophylla ‘Albomarginata’. This kind of indoor plant shows various kinds of shades and these are white, green, and pink. This color usually appears on the middle part of the leaf’s surface.
Hoya macrophylla ‘Variegata’ Plant Diseases & Pests
There are different reasons for the plant getting diseases, maybe it’s because of the presence of molds or fungus. To prevent this from happening it requires proper care, doing sanitation can help remove the infected part of the plant but make sure to avoid watering while sanitizing. But when it’s time to water the plant, water the base of the plant when the soil begins drying.
As for pests, the common pest found in the Hoya macrophylla plant is mealybugs, a way to get rid of it is by spraying the leaves of the plant with neem oil because this will suffocate the insects.
