If you love the hoya family, then you will inevitably lose your heart to the wayetii cousin. This lovely plant is easy to care for – once you know where it comes from, the things it needs to thrive and which problems might crop up. Our guide covers everything, so sit back and discover what makes this hoya so amazing!
Table of Contents
The Benefits of Choosing A Hoya Wayetii
- Easy to care for.
- Makes a lovely hanging plant.
- Long-lived (several years).
- An air-purifying plant.
Origins and Appearance
Hoya wayetii is a gift from the Philippines where it grows in hot and humid areas. The plant has long, waxy leaves. The leaves are also thick, like the foliage of succulents. They are also edged with a dark line that often reflects red in the light.
This hoya is also known for trailing tendrils, a feature that makes it a beautiful hanging plant. These vines can grow up to 30 inches (76 cm) long. As a bonus, the blossoms are exotic and downright gorgeous. They resemble mauve balls with intricate star-shaped petals.
The Color Varieties
The standard Hoya wayetii is dark green or a blend of different shades of green. The only other color you can expect is the red line that runs along the edge of each leaf. But this hoya also has a popular variegated variety. Its physical features are identical to the standard one but here’s what you can expect color-wise.
As the variegated plant develops new leaves, they develop hues of pink and red. Some leaves develop white lines with a creamy appearance.
Temperature and Humidity
In order to keep your hoya happy and thriving, you can provide it with the perfect lighting, heat and humidity conditions. Most plants tend to go downhill when these needs are not met and hoya wayetii is no different. Let’s quickly cover this important aspect of hoya care!
This Hoya Loves Light
Just to be clear, not direct sunlight! The leaves will definitely suffer burns. Instead, this hoya needs more indirect sunlight than most other hoya types; you are looking at about six hours minimum a day to keep it healthy and strong.
The best lighting is natural sunshine. This plant does not fare well when the only light it gets is artificial. But when it absorbs enough hours of sunlight every day, it will not only stay healthy but also bloom more regularly.
Provide a Toasty Temperature
Remember where this hoya is from? That’s right. The warm heart of the Philippines. For this reason, this plant cannot tolerate temperatures that fall below 50°F (10°C). You might want to keep an eye on your hoya during cool evenings and the colder seasons.
Your hoya wayetii will thrive in conditions where the temperature ranges between 60°F and 85°F (15°C and 30°C) during the day.
High Humidity is Best
Most other hoyas hail from south Asia, making them very happy in average house humidity conditions. However hoya wayetii is a little different. It prefers more humidity than most of its relatives. While your plant will stay healthy at moderate humidity, aim to create conditions where the levels are between 60% and 80% humidity, overall.
Watering and Feeding
Watering Tips
When it comes to hoya care, your water habits can make or break your plant. All hoyas, including wayetii, can suffer a series of misfortunes when they receive too much water. Indeed, this plant hates being waterlogged.
You need to be careful about how often you offer your hoya a drink. Allow the topsoil to dry out and even then, give it a few more days. Give the plant a thorough drink and allow the water to run through the soil and container. The latter can be accomplished by planting your hoya in a pot with plenty of drainage holes.
As a general rule, reduce the watering frequency during the colder seasons.
Feeding Tips
Your hoya is not a hungry guy. However, it will benefit from a feeding every now and again. Once again, give your plant a break from fertilizer during the colder season – just as you would reduce watering during the late fall and winter. But whereas you reduce watering during this time, put the fertilizer to one side completely.
During the growing seasons, which are spring and summer, you can give your hoya a feeding every second or third week. This only applies if you use a good organic fertilizer, one that is designed to never burn your plant. An excellent choice is fish emulsion – although it can get very smelly for a day or so!
You can also use a pellet fertilizer (fish emulsion is liquid). However, read the product’s instructions label to use the fertilizer correctly.
Soil and Repotting
This hoya hates being waterlogged For this reason, choose soil that is particularly well-draining. A good example is a soil mixed with stones, bark and lots of perlite. When your hoya is happy with the potting mix, you will also be rewarded with abundant blooms.
Don’t rush to repot your hoya when you bring it home for the first time. These plants do well in the same pot for months. When the roots become too root bound, however, you can switch the container for a bigger one.
Get all the best tips on how to re-pot your house plants.
Pruning
When to Prune a Hoya Wayetii
This hoya does not need seasonal pruning. However, you can snip off dead leaves and vines to improve the appearance of the plant. You can also prune the tendrils when they grow too long.
Pests and Diseases
Correct care will reward you with years of good health. The latter is your main defence against pests and problems. Let’s see which issues can affect this hoya. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared, right?
Common Pests
Mealybugs – This prolific pest sucks the juice from your hoya, causing leaves to turn yellow and die. These goobers can cause serious damage if action is not taken as soon as possible. You can identify mealy bugs by their white powdery appearance. Use a good organic pesticide to get rid of the infestation. You can also wash your hoya by hand and quarantine it away from your other potplants.
Fungus gnats – These pests appear as gnats that seem obsessed with your plant – the soil in particular. The adults are harmless but their underground larvae can damage the hoya’s roots. The best course of action is prevention and the number one cause of a fungus gnat infestation is overwatering.
Common Problems
Root rot – This is due to overwatering. Your hoya will look sick. The leaves will also yellow, turn brown and possibly even fall off.
Leaf burn – The plant is exposed to too much direct sunlight. Simply move the hoya to an area where there is bright but indirect sunlight.
FAQ
This hoya is generally considered non-toxic. However, it is advisable to keep the plant out of reach of pets and children. Individuals who are sensitive or consume too much might fall ill.
Tap water contains chemicals that can harm your hoya. Better choices include rainwater, bottled water or distilled water.
Hoya plants respond best when they are watered from above and the water is allowed to run through the soil and drainage holes unimpeded. Allowing them to sit in water can lead to overwatering (and root rot) because the topsoil seems dry enough to water but the bottom of the pot is still waterlogged.
You can do both. Cuttings tend to root faster in soil but if you are patient and like hydroponics, then give water rooting a shot.
No, this type of hoya is not particularly rare. You should be able to find it at your local nurseries without too much trouble.
This variety grows very slowly. A young plant needs up to three years before it blooms for the first time. However, if you want a hanging plant that doesn’t outgrow its basket every couple of months, then this hoya is a perfect choice.