Wendy’s Wanderings

Whoya Am I?

June 13, 2025

What houseplant:

• Has low watering needs?
• Grows as a vine or a trailing, spilling plant?
• Comes in many species and varieties with different leaf shapes, variegation, and textures?
• Thrives in hanging baskets or cascading from containers?
• Has waxy, evergreen, semi-succulent leaves?
• Produces fragrant, star-shaped flowers in pink, yellow, cream, orange, maroon—or combinations of all of them?
• Is easy to propagate and loves bright, indirect light or partial shade?
  

If you guessed hoya, you’re right!

Hoyas—often called wax plants—have completely won me over. With more than 500 species in the Hoya genus, it’s easy to see why these tropical beauties have a loyal following. Native to Southeast Asia and parts of Australia, hoyas are epiphytes in the wild, growing up trees or trailing along forest floors. In our homes and gardens, they adapt beautifully to containers, hanging baskets or trellises. According to a study at the University of Georgia, Hoya carnosa has been shown to be an excellent remover of indoor pollutants, so they are good for your home environment as well.

What makes them such excellent houseplants? They’re low maintenance, drought tolerant (they prefer to dry out between waterings), and they forgive a missed watering here and there. They thrive in well-draining soil and prefer bright, indirect light—but they’ll also tolerate some shade. To propagate, simply snip a stem with a few nodes, dip in rooting hormone and put the stem in moist soil. Hoyas are generally pest-free, but occasionally can attract aphids or mealy bugs. These soft-bodied insects can be treated with insecticidal soap.

Botanically, hoyas belong to the Apocynaceae family, making them cousins of milkweed. The flowers—waxy, clustered and sweetly fragrant—are unforgettable. I once stood under a sabal palm and couldn’t figure out what was perfuming the air. Looking up, I saw a Hoya carnosa that had climbed 20 feet up the trunk, covered in over 100 blooms. It stopped me in my tracks.

With so many to choose from, hoya collectors often treat them like trading cards. Here are six of my personal favorites:

• Hoya kerrii – Heart-shaped leaves, often sold around Valentine’s Day.
• Hoya carnosa ‘Albomarginata’ – Creamy variegated edges on thick green leaves.
• Hoya crassipetiolata ‘Little Splash’ – Speckled, splashed leaves with delicate veining.
• Hoya callistophylla – Deep green leaves with dramatic black veins.
• Hoya curtisii – Tiny, round, mottled leaves. Blooms best when pot-bound.
• Hoya carnosa ‘Compacta’ (Hindu Rope) – Curled, rope-like foliage on long, trailing stems. I saw one at a plant show with five-foot vines—and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Learn more about growing hoyas on UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions.