Hoya Lacunosa Care Guide

Hoya lacunosa is a hanging vein commonly known for its green and fleshy leaves. One of the main things that make this plant unique is the cinnamon fragrance it produces. Because of that, you can use it as a natural home scent diffuser.

If you want to add more color to your home, you can choose those with variegated and frosty leaves.

Characteristics

• Scientific name and common names: Hoya lacunose or Hoya suaveolens is the scientific name of this plant, but some of the other common names are cinnamon-scented wax plant, wax porcelain flower, wax vine, Lacunose-leaved Hoya, and grooved waxflower.
• Origin: Hoya Lacunosa is a native of Thailand.
• Outdoor or indoor plant: You can plant the Hoya Lacunosa both indoors and outdoors.
• Height and Structure: generally, the stems of the Hoya Lacunosa grow up to around five feet tall.
• Temperature: This plant does best in bright and warm conditions. The best temperatures for the plant are 70-85 degrees F during the day and 55-65 degrees F during the night. The plant will exude signs of stress if the temperatures are above 85 degrees F and below 55 degrees F.
• Flower Color: Flowers appear in small bundles of cream, tan, or white star-shaped flowers. They also have a strong cinnamon fragrance and appear mainly during spring.

How To Plant the Hoya Lacunosa

Planting Time

The best planting time for a young Hoya Lacunosa is in spring because the plant will experience the most growth. However, if you are planting one that is already mature, you can plant it throughout the year because there are fewer chances of it dying.

Whether you are planting a small or already mature plant, ensure that you have a large pot because it is a fast-growing plant, and it needs the space to climb.

Spacing

Because of how huge the Hoya Lacunosa can become, you should leave a 2.5 feet space between it and neighboring plants. However, if you are planting a smaller species, you can reduce the space.

Light

Whether you are planting your Hoya Lacunosa indoors or outdoors, it needs at least eight hours daily of direct sunlight.

Do not grow the plant under insolation or fluorescent lights because those are not enough substitutes for natural sunlight. While it may not die, it will not climb effectively, will become weak, and will not produce flowers.

Soil

As long as you give your Hoya Lacunosa enough space to climb and expose it to enough sunlight, it can adapt to many soil types, provided they are well-drained.

You can buy the usual potting mix you would use to grow other plants, usually a mixture of soil and composted organic material.

If you do not get the potting mix in the nearby store, you can make yours at home by mixing topsoil with compost and perlite.

To fertilize the plant, you can add superphosphate or Bone meal to the soil every three months.

How To Grow the Hoya Lacunosa

Growth habits

Hoya lacunosa is a moderately slow-growing plant and is mostly medium-sized, which is a perfect choice for an indoor house or if you have a small garden space. The best way you can enjoy this plant is to plant it in a hanging basket.

Staking

Staking is when you drive upright stakes in the ground around the plant, then fasten the plant to the stakes with plant ties. For this plant, you can have a few skates around it to ensure that it has the support to climb in the direction you want and to the extent you want.

Watering

Underwatering and overwatering are the key reasons why Hoya Lacunosas die. Therefore, you need to study and master the characteristics of the plants to know when it needs water and when you have given it too much.

Constantly water your plant when you notice the first few inches of the soil are dry. Usually, it is best to give the plant less water because then you can always add in more, unlike overwatering, which sometimes has irreversible effects.

Fertilizing

Use a low nitrogen fertilizer, preferably a liquid fertilizer, to feed your Hoya plant, and do it after every three months.

In the growing season, add ¼ teaspoon of potassium and phosphorous-rich fertilizer to the soil weekly.

Humidity

Hoya lacunosa plants do best in moderate humidity levels ranging from 50-65%. If you are planting your Hoya indoors and there is not enough humidity, you can boost those levels by placing the pot with the plant over a tray with pebbles and water.

Ensure that there is enough airflow around the plant to prevent the appearance of mold. If there is a lot of humidity around the plant, place a fan near it or put the plant close to an open window.

However, do not leave the plant in direct sunlight for a long time since there is not enough light to allow for proper flowering underneath the plant. If this happens, you will notice that your plant’s leaves have black blotches and will curl backward.

Mulching

This helps protect the plant from direct sunlight and dehydration. You can mulch your Hoya by placing a layer of pot shards or pebbles on the soil around the plant. You should do this if you are watering the Hoya copiously.

That is because instead of the water going straight to the roots, the pebbles ensure that it remains in the pot longer, reducing stress on the plant’s roots.

Trimming and Pruning

Hoya Lacunosas develop leaves and branches only when they have stored up enough energy. Therefore, before you start pruning or trimming it, let it grow for several months.

However, if you notice that the leaves have become too crowded, you can cut off some branches that don’t look the best.

You should prune and trim your Hoya over the summer because it reduces the stress as it recovers. Also, during winter, trim the plant into a bonsai shape because that encourages growth only in the branches. However, do not cut off any new leaves until spring.

Pot and Repotting

The best time to repot your Hoya Lacunosa is during spring after it has come out of the winter dormancy. Repotting the plant during the wrong seasons will stress the plant out, and you might notice some signs like withering and curling leaves.

You do not have to repot it unless you want to give it to someone, propagate it, or transfer it into a bigger pot.

You must always replant it into a bigger pot as it grows because that allows it to climb effectively and helps prevent root rot. Once you have repotted, wait until a year later to repot it again to ensure that it fully recovers from the process.

If you notice that there is root rot during the repotting process, cut off all the roots below the rotting part to save the plant.

Also, before pruning off any branches or leaves above the soil, ascertain that there is no rotting beneath the soil. Otherwise, pruning when there is rot could transfer the rot to the rest of the plant.

Propagation

Hoya plants produce new shoots quickly, and these are perfect for propagation. The best time to propagate your Lacunosa plant is at the beginning of the growing season. Once the new shoots are around two inches long, it is ideal for you to propagate them.

All you need to do is snip them off below the leaf node, where you notice a bulge in the stem, but the stem must have at least three nodes.

Be careful not to cut too close to the stem; otherwise, you might cut the main branch. After getting the shoot, place it in moist soil or water and wait. If you use soil, ensure that it is always moist and have the plant under a shade until it establishes itself. You can also add a rooting hormone.

You could also propagate by taking cuttings from the main vines. If you notice any fungus infection, spray the cutting with fungicide before planting it.

Divide and Transplant

You can divide your Hoya Lacunosa into individual plants by repotting them. To do this, you need small pots since you will only be transplanting the root system. The plant develops many roots once you plant it in soft soil, which makes transplanting possible.

During the repotting process, do not let the roots of the main plant or the ones you are repotting dry; otherwise, it could kill the plants. Also, if you notice any root rot or fungus infection, cut off the infected areas and spray the remaining ones with fungicide.

Pests And Diseases

Just like other plants, the Hoya Lacunosa could get affected by certain insects and diseases. If left unchecked, those pests and diseases will destroy the quality of the plant and kill it.

You should check for any signs of diseases or pests infestation to prevent that because it will be easy for you to control them before they spread. The most common pests you will deal with are spider mites and mealybugs. Also, this plant is prone to root rot and mold.

When you notice any pests or diseases, you should be careful about handling the situation because using pesticides on overgrown areas of your Hoya could cause them more harm.

However, if you notice the infestation of spider mites or mealybugs on the plants, you can spray them with a strong spray of water to loosen them off the leaves.

Some types of pests and diseases need severe treatment that you might not be able to handle. Because of those reasons, it is best to call a pest control professional to treat the plant for you because that eliminates any pesticides’ side effects and kills all infestations.

Some other common problems you might encounter with this plant include yellowing, drooping, wrinkling, misshapen and thin leaves.

When you notice yellow leaves on your Hoya Lacunosa, this means your plant has too much water. To avoid this, ensure you water only when necessary and plant the Lacunosa in a pot that has a drainage hole.

Thin and wrinkling leaves mean that the plant is not getting enough water and is also experiencing other types of stress. If you notice drooping leaves, especially new droopy leaves, that is an indication of water stress.

Finally, misshapen leaves, especially thick, misshapen leaves, mean that the plant experienced stress during leaf production.

If you have your plant in the house, you might notice that sometimes it produces veins with no leaves to try and get to places with more sunlight. However, sometimes these vines may die back, and it’s okay to cut them off unless it’s a peduncle because that is the flowering part of the plant.

Hoya Lacunosa plants could also suffer from dormancy, especially if there is a change in the climate. If you notice that, give it some time to adjust to the changes. This mainly happens after you bring it home from the store or its original home.

Plant Species

The Hoya plants have over 1100 species, with the Lacunosa being among the most popular ones. Another common Hoya species is the Hoya Rectusa, a native of the Philippines. It is known for climbing with its leaves and takes around three years to mature.

Another common Hoya species is the Hoyarex anitphillipsana, which is more difficult to find because of its low numbers.

They have the same shiny and thick leaves as the Hoya Retusa, making it hard to tell them apart sometimes. However, their flowers are different and are the main way to differentiate them.

The other common Hoya species is the Hoya pubicalyx, which is a native of India. It has a beautiful wax-like bark that makes the vines appear covered in snow and numerous health benefits.

That has made many people seek after the plant, and it has been classified as an endangered species.

Hoya Kerri, a native of the Eastern Himalayas, is another popular Hoya species. It is mostly known for its white star-shaped blooms, and it got its name from Joseph Ker. This species is hardy, takes about two years to mature, and you can plant it indoors.

Companions

Because of its climbing characteristics, the Hoya Lacunosa does best when you plant it close to other plants with space in their pots. You should also choose low-maintenance plants as companions since the Hoya’s vine will outgrow the smaller plants.

One of the best companions you can plant at the base of the Hoya Lacunosa is the cactus because they enjoy the same soil and warm climates.

You can also plant the Chinese evergreen or Ponytail Palm in front of the Lacunosa so that when it climbs, it can lean on it. When planting companion plants, do not place them in a position where they will block incoming sunlight.

Toxicity

Hoya Lacunosas are not toxic, but their sap could cause skin irritation. That is because they have scopoletin, a chemical that could cause allergies in some people. Therefore, always have your gloves on whenever you want to handle the Lacunosa, especially when making cuts.

It could be dangerous for you or your pets to ingest the leaves of the Lacunosa because they have chemicals that could affect your body in numerous ways.

Hoya plants are vulnerable to a lot of humidity, which increases their chances of having mold spores. The spores have many toxins, and you should keep the Lacunosa away from other plants that could harbor the mold spores.