Plant Care Waxplant

Waxplant

4.7 out of 5 (121 experiences)

Waxplant has a Survivor plant personality Survivor
Waxplant has a Fast grower plant personality Fast grower

About Waxplant

With over 500 species and even more cultivars, there's a Hoya out there for everyone! They're native to Southeast Asia and their common name, waxplant, refers to their thick, waxy leaves which help them retain water in the heat. They're excellent climbers and will take off if you give them a trellis to grow on. Their other-worldly, star-shaped flowers are often fragrant and come in brilliant shades of red, pink, yellow, and more!

Taxonomy

Hoya carnosa
Hoya
Apocynaceae
Gentianales

Also known as

Wax Plant, Star of David Plant, Hoya motoskei and Porcelain Flower 'Krinkle 8'

How to care for Waxplant

💦 Water

How often to water your Waxplant

Water needs for Waxplant
0.5 cups
every 12

Waxplant needs 0.5 cups of water every 12 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Calculate water needs of Waxplant

Water 0.5 cups every
12

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

Select the pot size

5"
☀️ Light

Finding light for Waxplant in your home

Light needs and placement for plant Waxplant: 3ft from a window
3ft or less from
a window

Waxplant may have difficulty thriving, and will drop leaves 🍃, without ample sunlight.

Place it less than 3 feet from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Waxplant in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize Waxplant

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Waxplant: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Waxplant after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

Browse #Hoya
💡 FAQs
⭐ Difficulty Level

Waxplant is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!

Benefits of Growing Waxplant →

Common Waxplant Problems →


💦 Water Needs

Waxplant thrives in dry soil and should be watered sparingly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Waxplant Water Frequency →

Waxplant Root Rot →


☀️ Sunlight Needs

Waxplant may have difficulty thriving and will drop leaves 🍃 without ample sunlight. Place it less than 3 feet from a window to maximize the potential for growth. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

Waxplant Light Requirements →

Waxplant Direct Sunlight Needs & Tolerance →


🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Waxplant is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.

Waxplant Toxicity to Cats →

Waxplant Toxicity to Dogs →

Waxplant Toxicity to Humans →


💨 Humidity

Waxplant prefers dry environments. Providing extra humidity or misting your plant allows water to linger on leaves, which can create the perfect environment for harmful types of fungi.

Waxplant Humidity Needs →


🪴 Soil

Waxplant does best in well-draining soil. A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!

Best Soil Mix for Waxplant →

When and How to Successfully Repot Waxplant →


💩 Fertilizer

Waxplant should be repotted after it doubles in size or once a year, whichever comes first. Fresh potting soil has all the nutrients your plant needs, so as long as it’s refreshed yearly, you shouldn’t need to use fertilizer. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!

How Much and When to Fertilize Waxplant →


❄️ Dormancy

Waxplant does not have a typical pattern of dormancy. If you notice their growth slowing down substantially, double check that they are getting enough sunlight and water to thrive!


🌎 Native Region

Waxplant is native to Southeast Asia and Australia.


🌸 Flowers

Waxplant produces flowers in the wild, but does not flower when kept as houseplants.

Waxplant Flowers →


⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

Waxplant is a naturally climbing plant and can be trained to climb indoors if you provide a moss pole or trellis. The newest growth will emerge from the end of the stems.

How and When to Prune Waxplant →


🌦️ Growing Outdoors

USDA Hardiness Zone
Waxplant can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 9a-11b. Find your local hardiness zone here.

Waxplant Temperature Tolerance →


🌱 Propagation

Waxplant can be propagated by the stem method. To propagate:

  • Make a cut just above the node. The node is the break in the stem where the leaf emerges.
  • To get the cutting to root, you can either:
    • Place the cutting in water until roots emerge and are ~2” long and then transplant into well-draining soil, or
    • Place the cutting directly into well-draining soil and water when dry.

How to Propagate Waxplant →


🧐 Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.

Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.

Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.

Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.


😖 Common Issues

Overwatering is a likely cause of issues with Waxplant. These plants are very sensitive to wet soil so if you notice your plant becoming squishy or translucent, overwatering is the likely culprit.

Cut your plant just past where the rot ends and allow it to callus over for a few days before replanting it in fresh, dry soil. Download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!


Care Summary for Waxplant

Waxplant

Waxplant


Greg recommends:

Water

0.5 cups every 12 days

Placement

< 3ft from a window

Nutrients

Repot after 2x growth

Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say

Waxplant has a Survivor plant personality Survivor 77
Waxplant has a Fast grower plant personality Fast grower 59
Waxplant has a Easy to propagate plant personality Easy to propagate 39
Waxplant has a Large, lush leaves plant personality Large, lush leaves 25
Waxplant has a Blooms easily plant personality Blooms easily 15
Waxplant has a Pest magnet plant personality Pest magnet 4
Waxplant has a Browns easily plant personality Browns easily 3
@LovingSunnyAZ avatar
@@LovingSunnyAZ
leaf-1 8 Plants
xp 7,895 XP
globe Goodyear, AZ
03/15/2022

Delicate leaves seem to come easily, and I love the variation of green, white and pink leaves she is my Queen Hoya! 👑

Blooms easily Blooms easily
Survivor Survivor
@mossycabbages avatar
@@mossycabbages
leaf-1 66 Plants
xp 3,455 XP
03/14/2022

Such a cute plant and survives pretty much everything! Easy to prop with nodes although roots can take a while. Overall love this plant!

Fast grower Fast grower
Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
@GardeningDiva avatar
@@GardeningDiva
leaf-1 64 Plants
xp 12,142 XP
globe New York
02/20/2022

One of my favorite Hoyas grows fast blooms are beautiful and it’s a very hardy plant

Fast grower Fast grower
Blooms easily Blooms easily
Survivor Survivor
@Veriveri avatar
@@Veriveri
leaf-1 1 Plants
xp 173 XP
globe Melbourne, Victoria
02/10/2022

This beauty with her speckled leaves and majestic tendrils is an amazing plant to keep and love for years!Play around with light, fertiliser, humidity and watering to find the perfect combo for your Hoya, just sit back and watch her respond thankfully.

We went through some terrible fungus gnats when she was first given to me, however one hydrogen peroxide bath and lots of neem oil + a few sticky traps and she came out stronger and happier then ever. Best part is, hoya’s don’t mind the dry out in between to kill off those little pests!

Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor
@MariansOasis avatar
@@MariansOasis
leaf-1 92 Plants
xp 25,485 XP
02/03/2022

Thick waxy leaves difficult to clean/check for pests. Slow grower. Very low maintenance though! And sooo different!

Survivor Survivor
@MariansOasis avatar
@@MariansOasis
leaf-1 92 Plants
xp 25,485 XP
01/23/2022

Gorgeous trailing plant. Easy to care for. Love all her tendrils 😍

Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor
@madisonsand avatar
@@madisonsand
leaf-1 13 Plants
xp 296 XP
01/09/2022

grows very fast, be ready to repot!

Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor
@opheliaio avatar
@@opheliaio
leaf-1 12 Plants
xp 2,886 XP
globe Attleboro, MA
12/03/2021

LOVE my hoya carnosa!!! she is so beautiful and absolutely thrives in a west window. she has put out 4 new leaves since september. easy to care for, doesn’t require much watering or humidity.

Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor
@Megan avatar
@@Megan
leaf-1 29 Plants
xp 14,740 XP
globe Washington, DC
11/24/2021

Super easy plant. Doesn’t need water all that often and is quite hearty! It took a little while to root my cuttings but I had 100% success!

Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Survivor Survivor
Gwynee avatar
@Gwynee
leaf-1 2 Plants
xp 261 XP
globe Nashville, TN
11/16/2021

I love how beautiful this plant trails, but I was naive in thinking that my hoya would immediately bloom lol! but these are beautiful plants that aren’t too hard to take care of at all :)

@Cassrose avatar
@@Cassrose
leaf-1 51 Plants
xp 1,155 XP
globe New York
11/05/2021

Love him! The leaves are thick and waxy, I love that! Funny thing is that he’s the type of plant that you don’t realize has grown until you’re like whoa that vine got super long overnight. Definitely easy to maintain, water when dry.

Mckayla avatar
@Mckayla
leaf-1 9 Plants
xp 381 XP
globe Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
11/04/2021

Grows like a vine. Have something for them to climb!

Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Fast grower Fast grower
@PixieWitch avatar
@@PixieWitch
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 120 XP
10/24/2021

Have had the mother plant for years and saw no growth or failing. Just stayed the same. I took a small cutting and it propagated quickly. Hopefully this app will help me learn to care for it properly so I can grow it well

Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Survivor Survivor
Adia avatar
@Adia
leaf-1 3 Plants
xp 72 XP
10/17/2021

Loves direct light and lots of watering with dry soil in between

Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor
@Tattooty avatar
@@Tattooty
leaf-1 42 Plants
xp 2,453 XP
10/16/2021

Hoya are quickly becoming my favorite plants. I love them 🌿❤️

Fast grower Fast grower
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
@tessasplants avatar
@@tessasplants
leaf-1 35 Plants
xp 728 XP
10/12/2021

I love this plant because I got it from my grandma. It’s jelly like flowers are cute

Fast grower Fast grower
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Blooms easily Blooms easily
Survivor Survivor
@Fat.jungle avatar
@@Fat.jungle
leaf-1 46 Plants
xp 883 XP
globe Perth, Western Australia
10/03/2021

- Slow growing
- Low maintenance
- Water when majority of soil is dry
- Incredibly beautiful variegation

Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Blooms easily Blooms easily
Survivor Survivor
Jan avatar
@Jan
leaf-1 41 Plants
xp 648 XP
10/03/2021

Dry out before watering again

Fast grower Fast grower
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Shirley avatar
@Shirley
leaf-1 32 Plants
xp 775 XP
globe Eden, NC
09/21/2021

Love it

Fast grower Fast grower
Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Survivor Survivor
Blooms easily Blooms easily
@amyk1465 avatar
@@amyk1465
leaf-1 7 Plants
xp 339 XP
globe Christchurch, Canterbury
09/09/2021

Growth boosts when bad looking parts are removed

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves

Trending in your area

Similar to Waxplant

Discover rare plants