Hoya shepherdii is a tropical, perennial plant that is one of its kind. Its exquisite beauty and striking appearance are due to its slender, pendulous stems having dark-green, thick, waxy leaves and small clusters of white to baby-pink flowers that are equally showy and fragrant.
This climber plant, with its rich, cascading foliage, looks stunning in hanging pots. It is a popular vine that is commonly used as an indoor ornamental plant. It can be grown indoors, in terrariums, in hanging baskets for patios, or in living rooms.
Common Names
- String bean Hoya
- Hoya longifolia
Classification
- Family: Apocynaceae
- Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
- Genus: Hoya
About the genus Hoya
Robert Brown named this genus after his friend, Thomas Hoy. It is a genus of epiphytic and terrestrial plants. About 200-300 species of flowering plants have been classified into this genus. These tropical plants are majorly found in Northern India, some countries of Asia, and Australia.
Origin and Distribution
Hoya shepherdii was originally discovered in the Philippines, Asia. It is widely distributed in the tropical belt of Asian countries.
Hoya Shepherdii Features
Foliage and Stem
This stunning houseplant is all about pretty flowers and striking foliage. It has deep-green colored narrow leaves. The leaves are thick and waxy in texture. This waxy texture makes this vine a semi-succulent plant. Each leaf is about 5-10 inches long. Multiple slender stems grow out of the base. Its stems are cylindrical and sleek.
Flowers
This plant is not only grown for its appealing pendulous form but also for its beautiful, showy flowers. New flowers bloom all year long. These flowers are creamy to baby pink in color and grow in clusters forming tiny bouquets. These pretty flowers are so small that a whole bouquet can fit on your palm. Each flower is just 4-5 cm in size.
Evergreen
Hoya shepherdii is a tropical climber that is an evergreen plant. Its gorgeous stem and leaves stay green, fresh, and functional all year long. The old leaves dry out randomly and fall when new buds have already taken their places; this plant does not lose its foliage all at once.
Height
This beaut belongs to the family of climbers and vines, whose height depends a lot on their growing conditions and growth medium. It attains a mature height of 8-12 inches. You can increase its maximum height by placing a totem or a small pole in its soil for support.
Temperature tolerance
Hoya shepherdii is a delicate plant with exquisite leaves. It is not tolerant of high temperatures or freezing temperatures. It prefers to be grown in a cool surrounding, whose temperature does not fall below the freezing point. Extreme temperature can harm its delicate foliage. The high temperature will scorch its leaves, and the freezing temperature will cause chilly injuries. It is better to grow this mini vine indoors where the temperature is in an average range.
Humidity
Which tropical plant does not like to be kept in a highly-humid environment? Hoya shepherdii is an evergreen tropical herb that is native to the rainforests; it stans high humidity. It is better to keep misting your plant to compensate for the indoor humidity levels. The best step would be to place this gorgeous in your bathroom or terrarium where the humidity levels are never low.
Drought Resistance
This vine is a semi-succulent plant that has thick, waxy leaves. It is capable of retaining a considerable amount of water in its leaves. This water-storing feature enables it to survive the harsh conditions of low-water availability. It can survive weeks without being watered.
Pressure Tolerance
Hoya longifolia shepherdii is a tough succulent that can tolerate surprising levels of neglect. It can survive harsh conditions, such as droughts and external pressures. But you should be careful with the placement of this plant. No hard object should be putting pressure on the beautiful foliage of this plant. Otherwise, its growth rate will slow down.
Disease and Pest Resistance
This mini vine is not susceptible to many diseases. However, it is prone to the following pests: aphids, spider mites, and mealybugs. However, you need not worry. It is really easy to get rid of these annoyers. You can do so by using a chemical insecticide or making one on your own.
Add a little soap, vegetable oil, or neem oil to the spraying container. Spritz your plant all over. This practice will keep all the bugs and pests at bay.
Growth
Hoya shepherdii is a fast-growing vine that grows new leaves and new flowers every month. Its growth rate can be increased by placing a supporting pole in its soil. The ideal USDA plant hardiness zones for this climber are 10 and 11.
Toxicity
This waxy succulent has a poisonous milky substance in its thick leaves and stems. It is better if you place your pets and your young ones away from this Hoya shepherdii.
Durability
This perennial vine is pretty durable that has a longer lifespan than many other houseplants; it is a robust, semi-succulent plant. It is a tough species that will live inside your walls for several years.
Maintenance
Growing Hoya longifolia shepherdii is an easy breeze. It is a low-maintenance plant. It is the best choice as a houseplant for those plant-lovers who are not much good at maintaining plants and end up killing them. This lovely plant is easy to grow for all black thumbs and plant lovers.
Dormancy
This plant goes semi-dormant in winters. It does not stop growing completely. However, its growth rate will slow down. You can increase this pace a bit by providing it with enough artificial light and warmth.
Hoya Shepherdii Care
Hoya shepherdii care includes watering it once every week and keeping it in an east-facing window, where it can receive bright, dappled sunlight. It must be planted in soil that has a pH range of 6.0-7.0. The humidity levels around it must be above 70%. The ideal growth zones are 10 and 11.
Watering Requirements
Hoya Shepherdii is not a type of water that will dry out if you forgot to it for some days. It is drought-tolerant, and thus it can tolerate several days of neglect.
The best way to know if your Hoya needs to be watered is to put your finger into the soil, to check the dryness of the upper 2 to 3 inches. If the top inches are completely dry, water your plant. However, if the sides of the pot or the soil is still damp, wait for some days.
Normally, this plant needs to be watered once every week. You may have to water it more during summers.
Soil Requirements
Fertile soil is one requirement for this plant, but the soil also needs to be good in drainage. Better drainage ensures better aeration. Well-draining soil does not let the water accumulate in its pouches, and thus, air and oxygen can easily reach its roots.
You can increase the soil drainage by adding a little sand or perlite to it. These compounds let the air flow easily through the soil and keep it healthy and fresh. You can also add peat-free compost to increase its fertility.
Sunlight
Tropical plants are never in favor of direct light exposure. Shepherdii Hoya is a tropical vine that prefers bright, dappled sunlight. The best spot to place its pot in your home is an east-facing window, where it is safe from direct sun. Keeping this plant away from the direct sun is an important part of its care as the heat and rays can scorch the beautiful foliage of this lovely plant. Placing this plant behind a curtain in a spot where the sun shines directly will cause no harm.
You may have to change its spot in winters when the sun shines less fiercely; you should move to a place where it can receive the necessary amount of light exposure and warmth.
Temperature Requirements
Hoya shepherdii thrives at a narrow range of temperature. The ideal temperature range for its proper growth is 10°C to 25°C. Any temperature cooler than this will stunt its growth, and any temperature hotter than this can burn this plant. However, this range can fluctuate a little at night.
If you like to grow your Hoya in your home gardens outside, it is better if you move this delicate beauty indoors to save it from the cold and frost.
Humidity
High humidity is a major requirement of tropical plants. They want their growers to mimic their artificial growth environment just like their natural habitat, rainforests. Hoya shepherdii prefers at least a 70% humid atmosphere. If you have placed its pot in a terrarium, in your bathroom, or with a group of other plants, it will not bother you much as the surroundings will be quite humid. But in other spots, you may have to work for it a little. Misting and spritzing regularly helps a lot in this situation.
Fertilizer
This pretty plant does not require to be fed every week or every fortnight. However, it is important to feed it with necessary fertilizers once a month for its healthy and lush growth. The best months to add fertilizer are the growing months, mainly spring and summer. Cut down its feeding during winters as the plant is in its dormant stages.
There are many fertilizers that you can use for this Hoya plant. However, it is best if you go for the domestic ones. You can add houseplant mix, compost tea, or dilute fish emulsion to its soil.
Grooming and Pruning
Hoya shepherdii is a fast-growing vine; new leaves and flowers take no time to sprout. It needs regular pruning to groom its lovely foliage. You can prune its old and dried leaves from the base by using a pair of sharp scissors.
Re-potting
This tropical plant does not need to be re-potted every growing season; you can wait for 2-3 years before re-potting it. However, if you see any roots coming out of its drainage holes, or the plant has grown bigger than the pot, re-pot it without second thoughts. The growing season that lasts from early spring to late summer is the perfect time to re-pot a Hoya shepherdii plant.
It is better if you re-pot it in a pot, which is 2-3 inches bigger than the old one. A pot much larger than this will not help. It will just harm the plant by accumulating water that will eventually lead to root rot.
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Propagation
This tropical vine is so gorgeous that it feels an obligation to propagate it and increase its collection. Also, the process is so easy that you can propagate it multiple times without any hassle. You just have to take a stem cutting (about 6 inches long), which has 2-3 leaves and place it into a new container. You can either grow the cutting in a water jar or a soil mix; it’s all your choice. Once the plant has grown new roots and new shoots, you can move it to a proper pot with better drainage holes.
Final Thoughts
Who doesn’t stan a beautiful, low-maintenance vine with stunning foliage and pretty, showy flowers as a houseplant? Well, Hoya shepherdii is a complete package. It has thick, green leaves and little, delicate flowers; it is semi-succulent and low-maintenance. Because of its features, it is a perfect houseplant to grow indoors as well as outdoors. This beautiful plant adorns a house in the most sophisticated way.
