Sweetheart Hoya

Check your light →

Sun softened by a sheer is its favorite, like the dappled light under the trees of its Southeast Asian forests. With less light it carries on but may hold back its flowers.

A sunny window softened by sheers is the easiest way to copy that forest light. An east window can work as well, and so can a south- or west-facing one; RHS just suggests sparing hoyas the strongest summer sun on their leaves.

Winter glass matters as much as the light. NC State gives 65-80°F as its ideal and notes that cooler air slows both growth and flowering, so keep the leaves from touching a frosty pane.

On a plant this slow, buds can be a long time coming. If clusters ever appear, leave the pot right where it is: Penn State Extension’s advice, once a hoya starts to bloom, is no moving and no rotating.

Find it a canopy’s worth of light, then let it stay put.

About every two weeks year-⁠round, stretching to three in winter; it tolerates dry soil far better than wet. Overwatering can rot the roots and, NC State notes, keep it from flowering.

Keep it snug. NC State’s advice runs against instinct: a pot that keeps the roots crowded is less likely to hold excess water around them, so resist moving it up a size until the roots fill the old one.

The hearts keep score if you stretch it too long: leaves that thin out, brown, or wrinkle mean it’s drying too far between drinks. Firm hearts mean you’re on schedule.

Gone for a while? Three weeks is fine; soak it the day you leave and its thick leaves carry it through.

Wound on a wire hoop with florist wire, its thick hearts line up like a valentine and reach about 1.5-3 feet over 5-10 years. Left to drape, the stems string out much longer, while a lone leaf usually stays a leaf.

Its oddest habit is the one most likely to fool you. It sends out long, bare, twining stems with nothing on them for a while. Leave them be. NC State notes those leafless runners come before new leaves and flowers, so trimming them cuts off what’s next.

Its pace is slow even for a hoya. This species is rated slow, where the genus as a whole is rated medium (NC State). Penn State Extension calls bringing home a hoya a lesson in patience, and this one tests it.

That slowness has an upside: a shape you set holds for ages, so a hoop on a side table or a deep sill can carry the same wound outline for years before it needs rewinding. Hung from a basket instead, its stems keep going; UConn describes trails as long as 13 feet.

Like every hoya the ASPCA rates, it’s non-toxic to dogs and cats; CHOP counts hoya non-poisonous for kids. A big nibble may still upset a pet’s stomach.

Good news on every front. The ASPCA’s listing names its toxic principles simply as non-toxic, and the children’s poison center at CHOP places the hoya genus among its non-⁠poisonous plants.

The ASPCA’s one caveat applies to any leaf a pet swallows: eating plant material can still bring on vomiting or a sour stomach, which isn’t expected to be life-threatening. If yours seems off after a feast, your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (a fee may apply) can help.

The bigger risk runs the other way. Its thick hearts grow so slowly that a chewed one stays on display for a long time, so if your cat or toddler likes to sample, a hanging pot or a high shelf protects the plant more than the household.

1. ASPCA: safe for dogs.
2. ASPCA: safe for cats.
3. CHOP: safe for kids.

Cats and dogs: The ASPCA lists it as non-⁠toxic.

Kids: CHOP lists it as non-⁠poisonous.

Happiest at 65-80°F, and it shouldn’t sit below 55°F. Keep it away from cold glass in winter. Humidity can drop to 20% without trouble.

Temperature

65-80°F

Mealybugs are the common guest, so check the stems, especially at the leaf joints. Spider mites like leaf undersides in dry winter air (look for webbing). Aphids visit flowers and leaves; flat mites hide in growing tips.

• Mealybugs
• Spider mites
• Aphids
• Flat mites

Not many. Mealybugs are the one to watch, with aphids, scale, and spider mites now and then, and root rot if the mix stays wet.

Mealybugs look like tufts of white cotton, often tucked where the leaves meet the stem. Wipe them off with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, then check again next week.

Aphids bunch on new growth and flower buds and leave the leaves sticky; scale looks like small brown bumps stuck to the stems. Rinse aphids off in the shower, and scrape scale off with a fingernail or an alcohol swab.

Spider mites leave a faded, speckled look and fine webbing, mostly in warm, dry air. Rinse the whole plant, undersides of the leaves included; if they come back, spray it with insecticidal soap.

Root rot shows as soft, limp leaves while the mix is still wet. Let the pot dry right out, water less often, and keep it in a small pot.

Feed monthly through spring and summer while it grows. Stake new stems twice a year, winding them onto a trellis or hoop with florist wire, and prune lightly after flowering. Repot only when outgrown and not in bud, which is rare.

• Feed6× a year
• Stake2× a year
• Prune1× a year

A chunky mix that drains fast, like potting mix cut with orchid bark and perlite, in a small pot with a drainage hole. A big pot holds water too long.

Repot only when it has clearly outgrown its pot, or when the mix has broken down. It flowers better a little snug, so there’s no hurry.

Food is optional: a houseplant fertilizer at reduced strength now and then in spring and summer, and none in winter.

Each thick, heart-shaped leaf is one even green with a glossy, waxy finish. The hearts string along slender vines with gaps between them, so soil shows between the stems.