If you are looking for a compact and lovely houseplant, then Sweetheart Plant is the way to go! Here’s everything on Hoya Kerrii Care Indoors!
Sweetheart Hoya is a thick succulent famous for its heart-shaped leaves. The plant gains wide popularity during valentine’s week as people gift it to their loved ones. If you too want to add it to your collection, then here’s all you need to know about Hoya Kerrii Care Indoors.
Botanical Name: Hoya Kerrii
Common Name: Sweetheart Hoya, Valentine Hoya, Heart-shaped Hoya, Valentine Wax plant, Heart Wax plant, Sweetheart Wax Plant
Check out pictures of the best Hoya varieties here
Best Varieties of Hoya
- Hoya kerrii ‘Splash’: The plant gets ‘splash’ added to its name because of the splashes of white hues on its green leaves.
- Hoya kerrii ‘Albomarginata’: This lovely plant comes with yellow borders on the leaves that make it spectacular to look at.
- Hoya kerrii ‘Sweetheart’: This is the one that people gift on Valentine’s day. It is a single, heart-shaped leaf in a pot.
- Hoya kerrii ‘Variegata’: This hoya variety has variegated leaves with white or yellow margins.
Hoya Kerrii Flowers
The flowers of Hoya are contrasting in the shade with white and red-maroon or pink in color and come in the shape of stars. Only mature plants are capable of flowering. Non-variegated varieties will flower more quickly. To bloom, the succulent needs to be in a bright spot with indirect light and preferably some explore to the mild morning sun.
Propagating Hoya Kerrii
If you want to have the whole plant, then you need to snip a piece of a stem, 5-6 inches in length, from a healthy specimen. Remove the lower leaves, if any, and keep it in a warm and dry place, away from sunlight, to callus. Once the succulent heals, apply a rooting hormone on the cut end and plant it in a succulent mix or propagate hoya in a glass of water and wait till the roots emerge.
It might take few months for the plant to develop a 1-2 inch root system, and then you can plant it in an original pot.
You can also propagate a single leaf and maintain it as a houseplant, like the ones they sell online or in garden centers. Remember that the leaf will not become an entire plant and will continue to thrive as a single leaf. To propagate, follow the same procedure shared above.
Requirements for Growing Hoya Kerrii Indoors
Location
The plant does well when it can get bright, indirect light, or filtered sunlight. If you can keep it near a window that receives a mix of direct and indirect sunlight, that would be best.
Soil
The plant does best in well-draining and slightly acidic soil. For best growth, go for a good quality succulent or orchid mix. Over time, the potting mix loses its potency, so it would be a nice idea to change the mix once every 14-18 months to keep the plant healthy and thriving.
Watering
Since Sweetheart Hoya is a succulent plant, it stores enough water for a decent amount of time. Therefore always check the topsoil before watering and keep it on a drier side. Avoid overwatering the plant at all costs.
Temperature & Humidity
The plant does best in the temperature range of 60-80 F (15-26 C). Hoya Kerrii is not particular about the humidity and does well without it.
Hoya Kerrii Care Indoors
Fertilizer
If you are growing a single leaf, then you only have to feed it twice a year, max. For a plant, feeding it 4-5 times a year, using a liquid all-purpose, general fertilizer will be more than enough. Do refer to the label for dosage and instructions.
Re-Potting
As the plant is a relatively slow-grower, you don’t have to worry much about the re-potting. If your specimen has many leaves and is a foot tall or so, you can wait for a good 2-3 years before moving it into a size bigger pot.
Pests & Diseases
Hoya Kerrii is not prone to many pests and diseases other than the mealybugs. We have a great article on how to get rid of them here.
Overwatering may lead to root and leaf rot. Also, keep the plant away from where it might get exposed to the cold drafts of air.
