If you remember a vine creeping around your grandmother’s kitchen, chances are it was a Hoya plant. The thick waxy leaves of this tropical indoor plant make it often called a “Wax plant.” It’s a classic because it lives forever, gets very big, and makes beautiful, fragrant flower clusters that look like porcelain (hence the name “Porcelain flower”). This article is all about Hoyas, growing them as houseplants, and getting them to bloom.
Many people say that taking care of a Hoya plant is one of the easiest indoor plants to do. However, we’ve learned over the years that each one has its own specific needs. Here are 5 of our favorite Hoya cultivars and their care requirements. That way, you can learn everything you need to know about how to take care of a Hoya plant. Plus, we’ll share a tip to induce blooms!.
These Hoyas are forgiving, relatively fast-growing, and some are reliable bloomers given proper care. Luckily, the following plants are some of the easiest Hoyas to find!.
Hoya carnosa showing off its “splash,” or silver flecking. This is caused by tiny air pockets between the main leaf tissue and the leafs cuticle. This is the same reason why Scindapsus pictus has silver spots!.
When it comes to houseplants, hoyas are one of the most coveted varieties. Their waxy leaves and porcelain-like blooms have made them extremely popular over the last few years. However, many new hoya owners wonder – how much sun does a hoya plant need to thrive?
Lighting is crucial when it comes to hoya care. These tropical epiphytes need the right amount of sunlight to photosynthesize, produce blooms and maintain their vibrant foliage. Too much or too little light can cause issues.
In this article, we’ll provide a comprehensive guide to hoya lighting needs We’ll cover everything from the ideal amount of sun to troubleshooting lighting problems. Read on to learn expert tips and tricks for providing your hoya with the perfect amount of light!
The Importance of Light for Hoya Plants
Before diving into specifics, let’s discuss why lighting is so critical for hoyas. As a tropical climbing plant, hoyas require bright, filtered light similar to what they’d receive in the dappled rainforest canopy. This light powers photosynthesis and facilitates other plant processes.
With the right amount of sun, hoya plants will:
- Produce lush, vibrant foliage
- Maintain a compact, full shape
- Bloom repeatedly
Without adequate sun, hoyas can become leggy and sparse. Their leaf color may fade or develop a yellowish tint. Flower production will stall. It’s clear that lighting directly impacts a hoya’s health and appearance.
Too much light can also spell trouble. Direct sun is harsh on hoya’s thick leaves, often resulting in scorching or yellow spots. Their foliage can also take on a dull, washed-out appearance from too much light intensity.
By optimizing your hoya’s sun exposure, you ensure it has the fuel to grow vigorously. Next, let’s explore exactly how much light these plants need.
The Ideal Amount of Sun for Hoyas
Hoyas thrive best in bright, indirect sunlight. This means they want ample ambient sunlight but no direct sun beams shining on their leaves. Here are a few key lighting guidelines for hoya plants:
- Avoid direct sun – Direct sun will burn hoya leaves. Provide shade with a sheer curtain if needed.
- East or west windows are ideal – These provide gentler morning/evening sun without intense midday rays.
- 4-6 hours of bright, indirect sun per day is optimal. More can cause fading or burning.
- Light intensity matters – Sheer curtains can filter intense light near a southern window.
- Supplement with grow lights if natural light is inadequate. LED growing lights work well.
- Low light causes legginess – Leaves may drop or take on a pale color.
Outdoors, hoyas grow under tree canopies receiving dappled light and shade. Recreate this indoors by keeping your plant near an unobstructed window filtered by a sheer curtain. East or west placement prevents harsh afternoon sun.
Rotate plants weekly to ensure even sun exposure. Monitor for any leaf yellowing or burn, adjusting the light levels as needed. Supplemental LED growing lights can boost ambient brightness on gloomy days.
Signs Your Hoya Needs More Sun
It’s not always obvious when a hoya plant isn’t receiving sufficient sunlight. But there are a few key signs to watch for:
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Leggy growth – When light is inadequate, the stem stretches out and leaves become smaller and sparse.
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Loss of leaf color – With too little sun, hoya leaves can turn from a vibrant dark green to a pale yellowish hue. Variegated varieties may lose their color contrast.
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Lack of blooms – Insufficient light means hoyas don’t have the energy to produce flowers. If a mature plant stops blooming, low light could be the issue.
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Dropping leaves – Along with color loss, inadequate sunlight can cause hoyas to shed older leaves. This is typically from the lower parts of the vines.
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Slow growth – Low light results in a slow growth rate. The plant produces fewer new leaves and trails.
If you notice any of these issues, incrementally increase sunlight exposure. Add sheer curtains, move the plant closer to the window, or supplement with grow lights. Within a few weeks, you should see improved color, flowering, and growth.
Signs Your Hoya is Getting Too Much Sun
While most hoyas need a sun boost, getting too much light can also damage these plants. Watch for these clues that your plant is getting more sun than it can handle:
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Leaf scorching – This shows up as brown, crispy patches, especially along the edges and tips.
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Yellow spots or variegation – Excess sun can cause yellow splotches on the leaves, even on green varieties.
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Faded color – Similar to insufficient sun, hoya leaves will turn lighter and lose their healthy sheen.
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Sunburned leaves – Severe damage leads to leaves that are shriveled, dried and browned from sun exposure.
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Fewer blooms – Too much intense light can inhibit flowering just like too little sun.
Take action immediately if you see any warning signs of sun damage. Add a light sheer curtain, move the plant back from the window or provide shade outdoors. Trim off any burnt, crispy leaves and give it a week or so to recover in gentler lighting conditions.
Providing Consistent Light for Hoyas
Along with adequate brightness, hoyas also need consistent sun exposure. Avoid letting the light levels fluctuate dramatically from day to day. For example:
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Keep sheer curtains in the same position to maintain filtered sunlight.
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Don’t move the plant into direct outdoor sun if it’s accustomed to bright indirect indoor light.
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Leave grow lights on for the same duration daily. Use timers to automate the schedule.
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Rotate the plant weekly to ensure even lighting on all sides.
Dramatic light changes can shock hoyas. Allow them to adjust gradually if you do increase the sunlight. And remember to watch for any signs of leaf scorching or color changes, especially when transitioning them to brighter light.
Using Grow Lights for Hoyas
When natural sunlight from windows isn’t sufficient, grow lights are a great solution. LED growing lights work wonderfully for hoyas and come in many affordable, compact designs.
Here are some tips for using grow lights successfully with hoya plants:
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Choose full spectrum LED lights – These provide a bright, white light that contains all the wavelengths plants use. Avoid purple grow lights.
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Position 6-12 inches above the plant – Keep the lights close enough for maximum brightness but not so close as to burn the leaves.
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Run lights for 12-16 hours per day – Hoyas need a good duration of continuous bright light from grow bulbs.
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Use a timer to ensure consistent daily lighting. Manual operation can lead to fluctuating durations.
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Monitor for leaf burn – Grow lights are intense, so watch for any scorching or yellowing. Adjust the height or duration if needed.
With the right grow light setup, you can keep your hoya thriving even in low natural light environments like offices or basements. The key is choosing full spectrum LEDs and positioning them properly to avoid leaf burn.
Common Hoya Lighting Problems and Solutions
Here are some troubleshooting tips for the most common hoya lighting issues:
Problem: Leggy, sparse growth with small pale leaves
Solution: Slowly increase light exposure. Add sheer curtains, change location to brighter window, or use supplemental LED grow lights.
Problem: Leaf scorching, yellow spots, brown crispy patches
Solution: Filter sunlight with sheer curtains, move plant back from window, or provide outdoor shade. Trim any burnt areas.
Problem: Leaves dropping, plant losing vigor
Solution: Ensure plant is receiving consistent sunlight every day. Use timers on grow lights and avoid dramatic location changes.
Problem: Lack of blooms
Solution: Increase sunlight gently by a few hours per day until flowering resumes. Mature hoyas require ample sun to bloom.
With a little attention and adjustments, you can resolve any hoya lighting issues and get your plant thriving again. Proper sunlight is the key!
Let Your Hoya Shine
Getting the lighting right is one of the most critical aspects of growing vibrant, flowering hoya plants. These tropical epiphytes thrive under bright, indirect sun filtered through a rainforest canopy. Recreate those conditions indoors by situating hoyas near east or west facing windows. Add sheer curtains to prevent harsh direct rays.
Supplement with grow lights when needed, but avoid excessive intensity that can burn the leaves. With a proper sun regimen, your hoya will reward you for years to come with cascading foliage and fragrant blooms. Let your plant bask in just the right amount of sunlight for optimal health and enjoyment.
More about Hoya carnosa
Hoya carnosa has historically been the most widely cultivated Hoya in the Western world. The plant has been crossed with other species and grown to change the genes of the leaves and flowers so that we can get new plants with new names. Two different types of the plant, Hoya carnosa Krimson Queen and Krimson Princess, have already been mentioned. Here are some more fun variations on the original wax plant:
- The leaves on Hoya carnosa Chelsea are thicker, wider, and slightly cupped. The plant’s growth pattern falls gracefully as its heavy leaves fall.
- Hoya carnosa Krinkle 8 has leaves that are slightly cupped and have 8 cute holes in them that make them look like empty pea pods.
- Hoya carnosa Compacta has leaves that are folded in on themselves and never fully open. This makes the plant look like a strange rope.
- Hoya carnosa Jade has brighter green leaves than the normal H carnosa.
- Hoya Mathilde — a hybrid between H. carnosa and H. serpens, leaves are splashy and coin-sized.
- Hoya Chouke — from the same seedpod as H. Mathilde, H. carnosa x H. serpens hybrid with small leaves and little to no splash.
- Hoya Minibelle — a hybrid between H. carnosa and H. shepherdii, easy-to-grow variety with elongated leaves.
- Hoya linearis: The needle-shaped leaves of this Hoya hang down in a dramatic way.
- Hoya imbricata: The leaves on this Hoya look like cupped turtle shells and grow vertically. The leaves cover a tree, wall, moss pole, or climbing board and look like buttons or bubbles.
- Hoya callistophylla: This Hoya has bright green, lance-shaped leaves with dark, contrasting veins all over them. This is one of our favorite “foliage Hoyas. “.
- Hoya lauterbachii: This Hoya has the biggest flowers in its genus and soft, hairy leaves. Fuzzy leaves and umbels of drinking-cup-sized flowers? Yes please!.
- That’s right, this Hoya doesn’t have any leaves. Its stems and long, leaf-like peduncles do all the photosynthesis.
General tips for all Hoya Plant Care
- Choice of Soil: Hoyas can be grown in a mix that is light and drains quickly, but they need more water. They can also be potted in a more traditional houseplant or succulent soil blend, which needs less watering. Plants grow faster and stronger in airy soil blends, even though chunkier mixes need more care. Perlite and orchid bark should be added to common Hoya soil blends to make succulent soil better.
- When you prune these plants, don’t cut off the long tendrils. Over time, the leaves and peduncles will fill in the gaps.
- To make more Hoya plants, you can use stem cuttings or air layering. Make sure there are a few healthy leaves on the cutting. You can grow more Hoyas from a cutting without leaves, but it’s much riskier!
- Repotting: Hoyas don’t mind being root bound. Keep in the same pot for years, but don’t forget to feed it in the spring and summer. You should be extra gentle with the plant when you repot it. Repot in the spring, wait two to three days after your last watering, and be very careful with the roots. You don’t have to get rid of all the old soil; just knock off what’s loose.
- Picking a pot: All Hoyas need to be grown in pots that have drainage holes. These plants are very sensitive to too much water. For extra air flow, choose an unglazed terracotta planter.
- Sunstress: A recent plant trend is “sun-stressing” Hoyas. Like people who get a tan, Hoyas can change color to protect their leaves when they get too much light. Go slowly if you want to try this. To avoid getting sunburned, people need time to build up a base tan. The same is true for Hoyas!
Do Hoyas like sun or shade?
FAQ
Where is the best place to put a Hoya?
Do Hoyas like sun or shade?
Can Hoya grow in low light?
How often should I water Hoya?
How much sunlight does a Hoya plant need?
If your Hoya is kept close to a south-facing window, then the sunlight will hit the plant throughout the day. But if you have kept your Hoya plant close to a west-facing window, the plant will get hit with direct afternoon sunlight. Afternoon sunlight is too harsh for Hoya plants, and they must be kept away from it.
Do Hoyas like Sun?
Hoya plants are also called Wax plants and belong to the milkweed family (Asclepiadaceae) according to the University of Florida. This species of plant is a popular choice for indoor plant owners since it can even bloom indoors, and some of these species have their own requirements when it comes to sunlight.
Do Hoyas need light?
As we all know, plants require light in order to survive, and in the case of Hoya plants, a bright sunlight is the best, as long as its indirect. Although some Hoyas survive in low-light conditions, they generally like the sun on their leaves. What Is The Light Requirement For Hoyas?
Does Hoya Sunrise need full sun?
Hoya sunrise does best in bright but indirect sun, not full sun. It does have somewhat specific sunlight needs and the best way to determine them is to pay attention to how the plant responds. This hybrid is a newer cultivar of the hoya plant. Its reddish leaves with pale green veins make it highly-prized for its colorful foliage.