Hoya Curtisii: Expert Care and Propagation Tips!

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Hoyas are a delightful and super easy to grow group of plants, and Hoya curtisii is no exception! This is one of the smaller growing Hoyas, so if you are short on space, this is a wonderful choice for your collection.

The beautiful, tiny leaves are in the shape of a spade and have gorgeous silvery variegation. A common name for this plant is Wax Plant, but remember that any Hoya can be called a Wax Plant! (Which is why I prefer using the botanical name, Hoya curtisii so we know exactly which one we are talking about!)

The care for most Hoyas is very similar, so let’s go ahead and discuss some care and propagation tips so that you can be successful!

HOYA CURTISII CARE

These plants are native to the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia. As a result, it is no shock that these plants like it warm and humid. Aim to keep your curtisii warm and never go below 50F (10C).

Although Hoyas are very tolerant of low humidity in the home, they will do better in a humid environment!

LIGHT

Aim to have this plant right in front of a window for best growth and health. At a minimum, it should have the dreaded “bright, indirect light” however, I like to give my Hoyas a few hours of direct sunshine (that is, when the sun comes out in my unpredictable climate!)

I keep my Hoyas right in front of Eastern facing windows so they get morning sunshine. Eastern or Western windows would work beautifully for Hoya curtisii.

I’d imagine southern windows will also work well, but you will need to balance out your watering as they will dry out pretty rapidly!

Hoya curtisii will also flower for you, but it generally only flowers if it has enough direct sun. They usually have to be grown in pretty high light for flowering to occur. Later on in this post, I will discuss some tips to help your Hoya curtisii flower!

WATERING

Watering is an important topic for Hoyas. In general, they are very drought tolerant plants, and they prefer to dry out in between thorough watering.

I always water thoroughly, allowing ALL of the soil to soak with water. Make sure your pot has a drainage hole and allow all the excess water to drain out.

Keep an eye on the soil, and use your finger to judge the soil dryness. Allow at least the top 1-2 inches of the soil to dry out. You can even allow all of the soil to completely dry out, but make sure to water it well at that point. It’s really quite simple!

You’ll need a well-draining soil though in order to be successful with Hoyas.

SOIL

Hoyas are epiphytes in nature, so as a result of that, they need very sharply draining potting mixes. For my Hoyas, I like to mix the following:

2 parts of a good succulent or cactus mix like Espoma Organic Cactus mix, and then add 1 part of either perlite or 1/4″ pumice. Mix it up well, and you’re good to go!

It depends on what I have on hand, but I prefer pumice for Hoyas. If I don’t have that on hand, perlite works very well too. Either mix will provide excellent drainage which Hoyas need to thrive, and allow your plant to dry out in a reasonable amount of time.

If you want an amazing mix to use right out of the bag, check out the amazing Hoya soil blend from Oh Happy Plants. This is an amazing mix and you will get 10% off at checkout automatically if you use my link.

POT SIZE

Hoyas can stay in the same pot for many years. In fact, they prefer to be pot bound, but eventually they need repotting as well. One very, very important tip for repotting Hoyas is to only go up one pot size.

This is a good rule of thumb for any houseplant, but especially for Hoyas.

For example, if your Hoya is growing in a 4 inch pot let’s say, don’t go any bigger than a 6 inch pot for its next new home.

Many people make the mistake of overpotting their houseplants. When you place your plant into a pot that is far too large, what happens is that it will take too long for the soil to dry out.

This spells trouble for plants like Hoyas need their soil to dry out pretty rapidly to thrive.

For an illustrated, step-by-step guide on repotting, be sure not to miss my Hoya repotting guide, and also my guide on choosing the best pot for Hoyas.

FERTILIZING

I fertilize my Hoyas, and many other houseplants, with a fantastic fertilizer called Dyna Gro Grow.

I absolutely love this fertilizer and you do get what you pay for in fertilizers. This is a premeium, complete fertilizer that contains all the micro and macro nutrients needed for plant growth.

You will never have any nutrient deficiency with this fertilizer, and your plants will love it if you put them on a regular fertilizing routine.

Fertilize throughout the growing season, and cut back or withhold fertilizer altogether during the winter months when your plant’s growth will have halted or reduced to a snail’s pace.

I simply mix 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of water and fertilize with every watering. I prefer this method of dilute fertilizing with every single watering.

GROWING and FLOWERING TIPS

I’ve noticed that new Hoya curtisii plants may just sit there and do nothing for a while. Once you’ve had your plant a while, the rate of growth will pick up. I promise! And with the right conditions, they will even flower for you!

Scott Zona from Miami, Florida, USA / CC BY

Now some tips on flowering, and you may need to have more than one of these conditions for blooming to occur!

• I’m finding that this plant needs higher light than other Hoyas to trigger blooming. You’ll need at least half a day of direct sun to help blooming along.

• Having a rootbound plant will also coax your plant into bloom. Hoyas in general like tighter pots.

• Cooler evening temperatures (not below 50F though) will help trigger blooming too.

• A dry rest period of 4-5 weeks during the winter time may also help. Keep an eye on your plant though to make sure that it’s not suffering too much, but Hoyas are pretty drought tolerance and should be OK!

• When your plant does bloom, don’t cut off the spent flower! It will drop the petals on its own, but leave whatever is left on the plant. Your plant will rebloom in this same spot in the coming years.

PROPAGATION

It is very easy to propagate Hoya curtisii. In fact, the plant practically tells you how! Take a look at the photo below.

Look at the aerial roots already present right where the leaves are. If you make cuttings and place these in water or soil, those roots will continue to grow for you.

Simply take stem cuttings that are maybe 2-4 inches long or so, and remove the leaves from the bottom one or two nodes (where the leaves meet the stem) but be careful not to break any aerial roots.

Then you can take these cuttings and root them in water and then plant in soil, or can just insert them immediately into soil to which you’ve adding about 1/3 perlite. Keep the soil relatively moist while they are rooting. If you can keep the humidity high, that will also help things along!

To increase humidity for cuttings, you can make a tent with a clear plastic bag, or use one of a number of ways to increase humidity for your plants.

OTHER HOYAS

If you are a Hoya lover, be sure not to miss my other blog posts on Hoya obovata, Hoya carnosa, and Hoya linearis, and Hoya compacta. Every houseplant collection needs at least one Hoya!

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