The Hoyas are known to be wax plants, and you will never regret growing them. Here comes a beautifully exotic and familiar household plant that most of the growers love to grow. Hoya Macrophylla is a long-lived plant and easy to maintain the plant.
The visual appeal of the plant makes it a perfect choice for plant lovers. Three characteristic features define the plant: low maintenance, large waxy leaves, and unique visual appeal.
Hoya Macrophylla Classification
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Genus: | Hoya |
| Species: | Hoya Macrophylla |
| Origin: | Austral-Asia |
What are Hoya Macrophylla characteristic features?
- Hoya Macrophylla is low maintenance and stays compact.
- The plant is easy to grow and bloom.
- Hoya Macrophylla has beautiful leaves with eye-catching spots on them.
- You can create a better climate for your garden bed by introducing this garden.
- Hoya Macrophylla can also be grown for ornamental purposes by hanging it within your living rooms.
- It is also epiphytes, which means that it can also trail and crawl over other plants.
These plants can also collect nutrients from fog, rain, mist, or air. However, they are odorless.
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How to do Hoya Macrophylla care?
1. Fertilizer preferences:
You need to fertilize the plant once a month, especially in the growing season. The right time to fertilize the plant is after diluting it, and you can also spray orchid fertilizer on it. Please do not place the plant directly in the sun after fertilizing it to burn the leaves.
2. Humidity preferences:
Hoya Macrophylla is a lover of high humidity environments up to 90%. But do not worry, it can also grow well in 40% of humidity. Achieving this humidity level is not possible, and you need to place it in a terrarium in this case.
You can maintain the humidity level by using a humidifier or misting. Do not over humidify the plant, as it can result in causing root rot or fungal attack.
3. Light preferences:
Direct sunlight is not a perfect option to place your Hoya Macrophylla, as it can result in burning the leaves directly. The right location to place your plant is an eastern-facing window but put it a couple of feet away from the direct light.
Do not let your plant get hot for a longer time, as it can burn the leaves. If you are also deciding to hang your plant, do not keep it closer to the window. Direct light can burn the leaves, and your leaves will also start looking leggy.
4. Soil preferences:
These plants grow in limestone areas and love to grow in the alkaline and sweet soil. So, it suggests that you must not choose an acidic potting mix. The perfect mixture that you can choose to prepare the potting mix is eggshells and oyster shells.
You can grow the plant cheaply at your place, and they are full of calcium. So, prepare the right potting mix and keep your plant happing by growing it in alkaline and sweet soil.
Pro tip:
The perfect mix to grow your plant is one part of the organic cactus mix, perlite, and one part of the organic orchid mix in charcoal. It will maintain the aeration level and contribute to fast growth.
5. Temperature preferences:
This crawling beauty loves to grow in hot weather, due to which you need to place them in a warm region. If you are living in a desirable area, then put it outdoors. However, do not let the temperature drop, as it can result in stunted growth.
The optimum temperature in which Hoya Macrophylla stays happy is from 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Fluctuations within this temperature can impact the growth of the plant. So, keep your plant in a bright place, and you will see ideal growth in the spring season.
6. Watering preferences:
The watering preferences of the plant depend on the season and the habitat in which you are growing your plant. Hoya Macrophylla is native to the hot weather with rare ample rain.
The right time to water your plant is when the soil of your pot gets dried completely. So, inspect the soil of the plant before watering it. Use for a finger to decide whether you need to water it or not. Also, do not overwater your plant and evenly wet the pot.
Pro tip:
Choose a well-draining pot and let the water from your pot drain completely. Also, do not choose hard or tap water. Distilled or rainwater will be a perfect option.
Hoya Macrophylla Propagation
If you want to clone this plant in your household, the good news is that you do not have to struggle much to propagate the plant. Hoya Macrophylla is easy to propagate plants, and the best method to reproduce them is by stem cuttings or in the long-fiber sphagnum moss.
The good news is that you can quickly propagate the pant in the sphagnum moss. Here are some of the steps that you need to follow to propagate the plant:
- Obtain the stem cuttings from the parent plant but make sure you must not cut the budding tendril. The reason behind not these is that they rarely survive.
- Choose the cutting having one or two nodes on it along with one leaf. It is a perfect stem cutting to grow your plant.
- After that, place the cutting in the sphagnum moss and provide it with the right growing conditions.
- Cover the entire setup with the plastic bag and provide it with the right warmth and moisture.
- You will observe the growth of the leaves after some days.
Growth:
These plants are not fast growers and love to crawl upon other plants. Also, the growth speed depends on the growing conditions provided to the plant. Hanging the plant will highly encourage its growth naturally.
Potting:
The right time to repot your plant is when the roots of your plants become root-bound. After two years, repotting is mainly suggested and placed in a potting mix with one-third of the orchid bark.
Repotting is not always about increasing the size of the pot, and you need to let your Hoya grow in a more pleasant growing environment.
Also, Check Hoya Retusa Plant Care | Grass Leafed Hoya | Propagation Guide
What are Hoya Macrophylla common problems?
This plant is not that much prone to fungal attacks or other plant issues. The only common problem that these plants face is the mealybugs. Here are some of the difficulties that your plant mainly faces:
1. Mealybugs:
These are the bit crawlers that can appear on your Hoya Macrophylla and can do significant damage to the plant. Mealybugs appear like tiny cotton balls and can impact the overall appearance of the plant. It can result in yellowing and curling of the leaves.
Solution:
If you are facing such an issue, examine the underneath of the leaves. If you see any mealybugs out there, use the alcohol cotton balls or spray the plant with alcohol. This remedy will help in actively dealing with the issue.
You can also keep your hands away from the humidity and fertilizing. It will result in controlling the death of these mealybugs.
2. Hoya Macrophylla black spots:
Hoya Macrophylla faces issues with the black spots due to the higher temperature. Long time exposure to the hot and humid environment can cause this issue impacting the health of the leaves. It also results in negatively impacting the appearance of the plant.
Solution:
You can deal with this issue quickly by providing the plant with the right growing environment and optimum range of humidity and temperature.
3. Hoya Macrophylla leaves turning yellow:
The primary reason Hoya Macrophylla turns yellow is due to the attack of mealy bugs or overwatering. Both these conditions result in yellowing and curling of your leaves. Just examine the plant to find out the root cause of this issue.
Solution:
You can deal with this issue by maintaining the plant’s watering requirements and rubbing alcohol-dipped cotton on the leaves to deal with the mealy bugs.
What is Hoya Macrophylla Variegata?
Hoya Macrophylla Variegata is the longest-lived and easy-to-maintain houseplant. The plant is native to the Austral-Asia region and is a common variety of household plants. Almost five hundred varieties of Hoya plants are present, and all of them hold a special place in the household plants. Hoya Macrophylla also can crawl and is known as the climbing tropical vine crawler.
If you do not have enough time to take care of your plants, then Hoya Macrophylla is the perfect choice of yours. It is a low-maintenance plant and does not demand much from you. This guide will provide you with a detailed overview of the care, growth, and propagation of your beautiful Hoya Macrophylla.
What are the growing tips to keep my Hoya Macrophylla problem-free?
- If you face an overwatering issue, use a terracotta pot to prevent your plant from yellowing and drop the leaves.
- Both clay or terracotta pots are best to keep your plant healthy and problem-free.
- Use sphagnum moss to propagate your plant and place your plant in the right potting mix.
- A place to stem cuttings of your plant denser and increase the chances of success to propagate your plant.
- Clean your leaf from time to time by using tissue or cloth dipped with cotton. It will give your plant a fresher look.
- Give your plant the right growing conditions.
Final thoughts:
On a concluding note, Hoya Macrophylla is a perfect match for those who do not have enough time to spend with their plants. This is a real piece of jungle that you will love to grow in your garden.
You can plant the beautiful Hoya Macrophylla both indoors and outdoors at your convenience. Also, provide it with the right growing conditions and let it bloom well.
Nurture your Hoya Macrophylla in the right growing environment and make it an eye-catching piece for your guests. Happy growing!
Frequently Asked Questions about Hoya Macrophylla
Is Hoya Macrophylla a rare plant?
Yes, it is a rare species of plant having large textured leaves. The patches of creamy white and pink color create a unique look. You can quickly grow this long-lived plant in your household.
Does Hoya Macrophylla love high humidity?
Yes, this plant loves to grow in higher humidity level till 90%, that can only be achieved in terrariums. The good news is that you can also grow it in 40% of the humidity level.
Why is my hoya plant dropping leaves?
The reason behind the dropping of the Hoya leaves is due to the lack of humidity. The long-term exposure of the drafty area can also cause this issue. Both these conditions result in impacting the health of the plant.
What is the right time to repot Hoya Macrophylla?
The right time to repot your plant is when the roots of your plants become root-bound. After two years, repotting is mainly suggested and placed in a potting mix with one-third of the orchid bark.
