Last Updated on October 13, 2021 by Grow with Bovees
The Hoya Curtisii plant is a beautiful tropical wax plant variety from Thailand, Philippines, and Malaysia.
This cute shrub is hard to come by, but it would make a great addition to any houseplant collection.
This trailing miniature beauty is a perennial vine with a slow-growing nature and it belongs to the Apocynaceae family, genus hoya.
When maturing it develops miniature succulent leaves which become thick and are olive green in colour.
Not to mention its lovely creation of magnificently scented clusters of flowers. Their vines look lovely when growing from a hanging basket.
Hoya Genus Plants
This plant genus consists of roughly 300 tropical plant species.
Most of them consist of thick succulent foliage, and they are evergreen plants. The hoyas air roots are of an adventitious nature which helps this shrub climb when provided with a peat moss stick.
Both terrestrial and epiphytic species are included in the diverse hoya genus.
Origin
Their natural habitat lies in the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand.
Curtisii Hoya Size
This hoya usually reaches heights of 2-3 inches before starting to cascade downwards after which a vine can grow up to 20 inches. The width reaches about 1 foot.
Growth
It is a slow-growing shrub. But once mature and growth crosses the sides of its container, it makes for a healthy-looking and pretty ground cover. It eventually resembles a mat over the soil.
Leaves
This hoyas foliage forms two different shapes. They either appear rounded or sometimes form heart-shaped leaves. The leaves are small but thick and with unique blotches of grey variegation on an olive green base.
Fung Wax Porcelain Flowers
The blooms of the Fung wax flower come with a lovely fragrance and grow in red clusters with yellow centres from peduncle tips. It should be noted that the Porcelain flower is quite difficult to bloom, but you might be lucky provided there’s enough light and misting.
When the Fung wax flower blooms they appear as beautiful star-shaped flowers.
This plant is compact and can be grown in gardens or pots, it will be happy either way. Although it also looks really pretty when it’s allowed to dangle from a hanging basket.
So, what are the care requirements for this hoya?
Name Guide
Hoya Curtisii plants, also go by a few other names, e.g. The Porcelain Flower and Hoya Aloha. They are drought-tolerant plants, as their juicy leaves store water, so their water requirement isn’t as great as some plants.
Its foliage and lovely flowers have provided other names.
They include but aren’t limited to waxflower and wax vine. Another popular name is the wax plant. What you call it is your choice.
Brief Care Guide
This perennial climber is low-maintenance and caring for it isn’t hard. They are suitable for both indoor and outdoor gardens as long as there is a good amount of light.
They need to be given water when their potting mix dries and they require high humidity and temperature.
Wax plants need fast-draining soil, so they don’t get waterlogged and develop root rot.
FAQ
Position
Where is the best place to keep a wax vine?
Propagation
Is propagation possible?
Repotting
How do you repot this vine?
Care
How do I go about Hoya curtisii care?
We’ll find out the answers in the content below.
Hoya Curtisii Care
These lovely tropical plants can be planted in a pot and kept indoors but can also be planted in the ground of a garden.
They don’t require special daily care, so they’re relatively easy to care for.
Let’s go through everything you need to know to take good care of this shrub.
Watering Requirement
Watering the Wax fung flower is easy to do. You should always water this vine from the top and not just at soil level, as they do enjoy moist leaves, which also helps increase humidity.
These plants are drought-tolerant, which means that they prefer to be a bit dry overall and don’t have a high water demand.
They don’t tolerate being overwatered, and their leaves will turn yellow very quickly if they are overwatered.
When watering your hoya, give the soil a good soak, then allow all excess fluid to drain through the pots drainage holes.
This aids in keeping a good moisture level without having soggy soil.
Next, you should empty the water tray from underneath the pot to help prevent the shrub from getting waterlogged and wet feet.
Hydrate the waxflower when the top 1-2 inches of its soil surface is dry.
Light Requirements
Hoya Curtisii plants grow well in a space of bright light, but ensure it is indirect light. A dark environment should be avoided if good growth is what you’re aiming for.
However, it does also greatly benefit from a few hours of direct light every day.
So, if you can, you should try and move your shrub into direct sunlight for a few hours every day, and your plant will thrive.
Direct summer sun should be avoided as the rays in the summer months are too harsh and may end up scorching the was flowers leaves.
Alternatively, you can keep these houseplants in east-facing windows where the plant will receive some direct sunlight in the early morning but will be in the shade for the rest of the day.
Just ensure your plant is not left in direct sunlight all day, as this will burn your plant.
Temperature
Hoya Curtisii plants prefer a warmer temperature. They grow best in the temperature range of 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 24 degrees Celsius) during the day and 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius) during the night.
You need to make sure the temperature of the room you keep your hoya in does not go below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). Remember that the Hoya Curtisii is a tropical plant, so the environment should match a tropical climate, or the plant’s growth will be stunted.
Do not place the plant outside during the winter months, this will make for an unhappy plant as it does not tolerate cold temperatures.
Humidity Levels
The Hoya Curtisii prefers a very humid tropical environment, and the humidity should be kept at 50% or higher to keep this plant healthy.
To help create this humid environment for your Hoya Curtisii, you can mist their leaves every day or keep them in a room with a humidifier.
Natural summer humidity which occurs during the summer months is also beneficial.
Soil Requirements For Hoya Curtisii Care
The soil requirements for a Hoya Curtisii are pretty simple as they will do well in basically any potting soil as long as it is fast-draining soil content with a neutral ph level.
Remember that these plants are epiphytes, so they need free-draining soil mix with good air circulation.
A good soil mix to use for a Hoya Curtisii is a succulent or a cactus soil mix that is then mixed with some perlite.
If you cannot find this soil mix, then you can use any soil and mix it with perlite, the ratio being two parts soil and one part perlite.
These soil mixes will provide sufficient drainage for your Hoya Curtisii.
Repotting the Hoya Curtisii Plant
Repotting to a bigger inch pot is part of good Hoya curtisii care, even though it is not something that needs to be done regularly, as these plats do like being slightly root-bound.
You may find that you will only need to repot your Hoya Curtisii every three to four years.
As these plants like being root bound, ensure you use a new container that is only one or two sizes bigger than their old pot. Make sure the pot you use is a fast-draining pot, like a hanging pot or a ceramic plant container.
A drainage hole is essential to aid in proper drainage.
To repot your hoyas, carefully remove your plant from its pot and remove any excess soil still clinging to the roots.
Then fill your new plant pot up halfway with your fast-draining soil mix. Place your Hoya Curtisii into the pot and fill any remaining gaps with the soil mix. Choose a pot size that is only slightly bigger than the previous one.
Hanging baskets are also great to use.
Water Propagation Method Using Cuttings From A Parent Plant
Propagation of a Hoya Curtisii is an easy task as you can propagate them with woody stem cuttings.
For propagation of your Hoya Curtisii, you will need to cut a stalk from the mother plant with sharp scissors, a sharp knife or shears.
Do not rip or twist a stem cutting off, as this will scare your shrub.
Then put the stem cuttings in water and wait for roots to start growing. Once the roots are about 2 inches (2.5 cm) long, you can place the baby plants into a pot with good draining soil.
Propagation of cuttings should be done in the spring season or even the summer season.
Common Pests And Diseases
The Hoya Curtisii can suffer from a few pests and diseases that you should watch for in your daily Hoya curtisii care of the plant. Some pests that the Hoya Curtisii is prone to getting include mealy bugs, aphids, spider mites, and fungus gnats.
Hoya Aloha Pests
These plants are open to bad behavior from the usual suspects, including spider mites, mealy bug, and aphids. Fungus gnats are also sometimes a problem.
These pests will drain the sap from your plant and quickly overwhelm it and kill it. To help fight these pests, you can use a spray pesticide at medium strength, and to help prevent them, you can spray some diluted neem oil on your plant.
Porcelain Flower Diseases
The disease that this plant can get very easily is root rot. This is a disease that attacks your plant’s roots and is caused by over-watering your plant. To avoid this, follow the instructions mentioned earlier in this article on watering your Hoya Curtisii correctly.
You may also be interested in further Hoya articles;
How to care for Hoya Krimson Queen
Hoya Obovata Care Guide
Conclusion
Curtisii hoya are lovely houseplants to have in your home as their heart-shaped green succulent leaves are gorgeous to look at; plus, they are relatively easy to care for and do not require any daily special care to ensure their health.
It is a container plant that works well as an indoor plant, but it can also be planted in your garden as a ground covering plant if the conditions are right for it to grow nicely.
Give it all it requires and it will soon grow into a blooming, full-size plant.
Have fun looking after your Hoya Curtisii fellow growers!
