How to Care for Hoya Lanceolata Plants

Hoya lanceolata, also called miniature wax plant, is a perennial evergreen native to India. It has shiny, lance-shaped leaves and small white blooms that are fragrant in some varieties. The plant will attach itself to a small trellis or other structure and gradually climb, much like an ivy. Hoya lanceolata cannot survive temperatures that drop below 50 degrees F, so it is grown as a houseplant in all but the warmest regions. It does best in full sunlight and a very moist environment.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

things you’ll need:

• Growing container
• Small gravel
• Potting soil
• Sand
• Climbing structure
• Saucer
• Water-soluble fertilizer

1. Line the bottom of a growing container with small gravel. Fill the container with a combination of three parts potting soil and one part sand.
2. Plant the Hoya lanceolata at the same level it was growing in its original container. Place a climbing structure 3 to 4 inches from the base of the plant. Water until the soil feels very moist.
3. Add a 1-inch layer of small gravel on top of the soil to help prevent stem rot, to which Hoya lanceolata is especially prone. Place the growing container in a location that receives indirect sunlight most of the day.
4. Drench the soil heavily each time you water. Allow it to become almost dry before watering again.
5. Fill a saucer with small gravel and water. Place the Hoya lanceolata’s growing container on top to increase the humidity around the plant. Make sure that the container is not submerged in water.
6. Feed once in April and again in July with water-soluble fertilizer.
7. Allow the soil to become completely dry to the touch before watering during fall and winter months. Do not water heavily during this period, but add just enough moisture to dampen the soil.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not move the plant at all when flower buds begin to develop because they will drop off if disturbed.

• Do not remove faded blooms from the hoya lanceolata plant.

• Hoya lanceolata is poisonous if ingested.