Hoya Wayetii is a unique species of the Apocynaceae family, having waxy green leaves with reddish edges and pretty mauve flowers. It is an evergreen tropical vine that is widely grown as a houseplant in hanging baskets and pots. This plant not only looks beautiful indoors but it equally adorns outdoor gardens and porches. Due to the long dangling branches and thick, succulent leaves, this Hoya species is a great plant for indoor decor.
Classification
- Family: Apocynaceae
- Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
- Genus: Hoya
About the Genus Hoya
This genus was introduced and classified by Robert Brown. He named this genus after his companion Thomas Hoy, who was a famous botanist. This genus includes 200-300 flowering species of vines, creepers, and shrubs having succulent leaves and small, beautiful flowers.
Origin and Distribution
This species was originally discovered in the Philippines and is native to the same area. It is found in many tropical countries of Asia and Australia.
Hoya Wayetii Features
Foliage and Stem
The leaves of this plant are green in color and have reddish edges. The approximate size of each leaf is 6 inches long. Multiple branches growing out from a single base produces thick, succulent leaves in an alternate pattern.
Flowers
This Hoya species produces one of the most beautiful blooms that are red to pale pink in color. The flowers are about 0.25 inches in size and these bloom throughout the growing season.
Height
This beautiful vine grows as high as 1 to 4 inches, and then it starts to dangle down its pot. Its long branches are approximately 30 inches long. These long branches with exquisite leaves make this species a great hanging plant.
Drought Tolerance
Hoya Wayetii forgives you if you forget to water it for a week or two. Its leaves are waxy in nature and can store water for such harsh conditions. This is why this plant is said to be a drought-resistant plant.
Disease and Pest Resistance
Bacterial Leaf Spot, fungal diseases, and root rot are some common diseases of this plant. These diseases are easy to prevent but are not easy to get rid of. We recommend you to strongly stick to the watering schedule and never over-water this plant if you want to keep it safe from any such diseases.
Two types of pests that habituate this plant’s foliage are mealybugs and fungus gnats. These two are easy to get rid of by rubbing the foliage with neem oil or insecticidal soap.
Growth
Apparently, this plant has a slower growth rate than other Hoya species. But you need not disappoint by this fact because this plant still produces blooms every now and then to cheer you up.
The ideal USDA plant hardiness growth zones for this plant are above 11.
Toxicity
The sap of the stem and leaves of this plant is toxic for animals and humans. If this plant gets wounded, it releases milky white sap. If your skin gets in contact with it, it can trigger severe irritation. This is why this plant must be handled with care. You should wear gloves while handling this plant.
Maintenance
This attractive Hoya vine seems as if it requires a lot of care needs and the full attention of its grower. However, it is not true. It is one of the easiest houseplants to grow; it is a low-maintenance species. Hoya Wayetii has bare minimum care needs that are easy to cope up with. This is why this beautiful plant is so loved by gardeners.
Dormancy
This species is actively growing in spring and summer. However, in winters and days of low temperature and low light levels, this plant slows down its growth rate; it enters its dormancy. These are the resting days for this Hoya vine, and it does not need much attention during these days.
Hoya Wayetii Care
Hoya Wayetii care is as easy as other Hoya species. It should be watered two to three times every week in summers and once every fortnight in winters. The ideal humidity is 60-80%, and the ideal temperature range is 15-30°C. It must be grown in fast-draining, well-aerated soil. Fertilization is necessary twice every month in the growing season. This plant grows the best hardiness growth zones above 11.
Watering Requirements
Hoya Wayetii has the basic watering schedule as the other easy-to-care houseplants. It needs thorough watering, and it hates being waterlogged. This is why this plant must be allowed to dry between waterings.
The average watering schedule is watering the plant two to three times every week in summers and once every week in winters. If you want to protect your plant from fungal diseases and root rot, do not over-water it. There is a simple rule to know if your plant needs watering: stick your finger into the soil till your first knuckle; if it comes out dry, water the plant.
Soil Requirements
This epiphytic vine should be grown in fast-draining soil with good airflow. We recommend you to use the same potting mix for this plant as you would use for a Hoya Rotundiflora. Just mix 50% potting soil with a layer of perlite, vermiculite, bark mix, and peat moss to prepare a potting mix for Hoya Wayetii. Here the bark mix increases the drainage and protects the plant from getting root rot.
As for the pH, you can use soil that is either mildly acidic or neutral. This pretty plant can grow well in both soil types.
Sunlight
This beautiful vine needs bright sunlight for the lush growth of its dangling branches. The more light exposure it gets, the more healthy it grows. If your Hoya Wayetii receives 70% to 90% of indirect, bright sunlight every day, we assure you it would grow like wonders. Six hours of daily light exposure would be enough for its proper growth.
A place a little far from a window would be best to hang this Hoya vine. Here the point to notice is that we did not recommend you a place right next to a window. This is because if direct sunlight reaches the foliage of this plant through a nearby window, its leaves can burn and turn brown. This is why direct sunlight must be avoided for this plant.
Temperature Tolerance
It is a tropical plant, so it prefers average tropical temperatures. If you ask about the optimum temperature range from us, we recommend you to go for 15°C to 30°C. Luckily, this temperature range is not difficult to regulate indoors. Inside a home, the temperature does not fluctuate much and does not reach either extreme. This is why this beautiful plant is best-suited as an indoor houseplant where it is safe from outdoor temperature fluctuations.
Humidity
Whether it’s Hoya Curtisii, the breathtaking Hoya Krimson Queen, or the low-maintenance Hoya Shepherdii, all the Hoya species opt for high humidity. If you want to see your Hoya Wayetii have the freshest and the greenest foliage with the prettiest variegations, you must increase the moisture level around this plant. The ideal humidity level is 60-80%.
Increasing humidity inside a home is not much difficult only if you know the secret tips and tricks. Let us reveal some for you. You can place its pot in a bathroom where humidity is naturally high, or you can place it in a group with other plants. You can also place its pot over a pebble tray, or you can install a humidifier in your home. All these easy ways increase the humidity for this plant.
Fertilizer
This lovely species does not need much feeding throughout the year. It should be fertilized only during the months of active growth, which are from March to September. Twice or thrice a month, feed this plant with a balanced fertilizer. You can use liquid fertilizer or pellet fertilizer as per your choice.
If you want a DIY solution, we have two of them for you. You can either add coffee granules to the topsoil for fertilization or add diluted green tea leaves. These two ingredients prove effective for the healthy growth of Hoya Wayetii.
Grooming and Pruning
This dazzling Hoya plant must be pruned at the beginning of each growing season. Yearly pruning encourages more growth, makes room for new blooms, and frees the plant from the burden of dead leaves. The basic rule of pruning this plant is cutting the bottom leaves first that have turned brown or yellow.
Disinfecting the gardening shears is also important before pruning this plant. This is because non-sterilized scissors can expose your plant to many deadly infectious diseases.
Repotting
We love Hoya plants not only for their beauty but also for their easy maintenance routine. These plants prefer to stay root-bound and thus do not ask to be re-potted every year. With that being said, Hoya Wayetii should not be re-potted for at least two to three years. Whenever this plant requires repotting, it gives you signals by itself. Either its roots will start growing out of the drainage hole, or it will require more watering than usual.
If you notice any such signs or its roots have taken up all of the soil in its pot, move the plant to a new pot that is at least 2 inches bigger than the previous one.
Hoya Wayetii Propagation
The propagation process of this Hoya plant is similar to its fellow species. This plant can be propagated through its stem cuttings, whether in soil or in water. Both these processes are equally easy and equally effective. The best time to take a stem cutting from the mother plant to propagate it is early spring or mid-summer. Here is how you can properly propagate this plant:
- Take a healthy stem cutting with at least two nodes and some leaves.
- This cutting must be cut just below the node with a disinfected knife.
- Make sure the cutting is pest-free and healthy.
- Take a small pot and fill it with an appropriate potting mix.
- Place the cutting into the soil in a way that the leaves are above the surface.
- Water the soil thoroughly until it is damp and place the container in a bright spot.
Water cutting is also similar to this process until step 4. In water propagation, instead of planting the cutting into soil, you put it in a jar of water. The water must be changed regularly until new roots form. This is when you move the cutting to soil and a proper pot.
What Is the Difference Between Hoya Wayetii and Kentiana?
Hoya Wayetii and Hoya Kentiana look so unbelievably alive that if you look at them for the first time, you would not be able to tell the difference. But we are here to help you in differentiating both equally beautiful species.
- The flowers of Hoya Wayetii are less round and petal-shaped. Its flowers have lighter shades on their edges. On the other hand, Hoya Kentiana has round and oval flowers with uniform colors.
- The shape of the leaves of both these species differs a lot by being pointy at the edges for Hoya Kentiana and round edges for Hoya Wayetii.
Summary
Hoya Wayetii is a tropical evergreen vine with green leaves and red flowers. It is the perfect plant for those people that have no experience in growing a houseplant before because it has minimal care needs. And what if we tell you that you can also get a variegated Wayetii with pinkish-green leaves? Wouldn’t it be a great addition to indoors?
