How to Care for Hoya Wayetii?

With clusters of dark crimson blooms and a trailing growth pattern, the Hoya Wayetii is an intriguing plant that’s suitable for indoor growing. It’s especially wonderful when displayed in a hanging basket.

Photo by Scott Zona CC BY-NC 2.0

Hailing from the Philippines, this Hoya plant enjoys bright light, warmth and humidity. Just how much of these and in what conditions, I will discuss at length in this article.

Just because this isn’t a plant that would otherwise survive in your area, I am confident that you can create a hospitable environment for it to thrive in your home.

Admittedly, the Hoya Wayetii does have some peculiar needs, but nothing that you can’t easily satisfy.

Size & Growth

Because of its trailing habits, the dimensions of the Wayetii are more about length rather than height. The individual tendrils of the plant can reach a length of 36 inches.

The plant also becomes quite bushy when it’s thriving, and its long leaves are densely packed on the stems.

Don’t expect the plant to dazzle you with fast growth, however. This is a slow-growing plant that will take its merry time to reach its maximum time.

The blooming of the Hoya Wayetii can also take a couple of years, so that’s another aspect to take into account.

Patience and an optimal environment are essential to growing a bushy, flowering Hoya.

Light Requirements

All Hoyas enjoy bright, indirect light. But the Wayetii variety has a higher demand for bright light. A Hoya Wayetii should ideally receive around 70%-90% of sunlight per day.

But here’s an important reminder – Hoyas don’t like direct sunlight, especially in the afternoon hours of the day.

In direct sunlight, the leaves of Hoya plants scorch easily. Find the brightest possible spot in your home to place your Hoya. Also, make sure that the rays of the sun don’t shine down directly on the plant.

Filtered light is accepted and so is gentle direct light in the morning or late afternoon. That said, you should always keep an eye on your plant and how it deals with various types of light exposure.

The more light it receives, the fuller it grows. And optimal light exposure is important for triggering the blooming stage in the plant.

Watering

If you’re inexperienced with growing Hoya plants, watering may turn out to be the biggest difficulty in growing this plant indoors.

Hoyas enjoy slightly damp soil, which can be tricky to maintain without accidentally overwatering the plant.

Waterlogged soil is not tolerated, so you’ll need to learn how to ‘read’ the moisture level of the soil.

The easiest is to stick your finger into the potting mix up until the first knuckle. The rule is simple – if the soil is moist, don’t water; if it’s dry, go ahead and water.

Even when watering, you’ll need to only water until you see water escaping through the drain holes. Any more than that and you’ll risk saturating the soil too much.

Also, don’t allow water to pool and sit in the saucer below the pot. Empty the saucer every time so that the roots of the plant don’t have to sit in water.

But correct watering isn’t all there is to preventing root rot issues in Hoya plants. A well-draining potting mix is also necessary.

The quality of the water matters too. I don’t advise using tap water and if you still do, make sure to allow chlorine to escape from it by leaving it out overnight.

Soil Type

As an epiphyte species, Hoyas will prefer their roots to be well-aerated. To achieve that and good drainage, you’ll need a potting mix that contains a higher amount of perlite or bark mixed with potting soil.

A potting mix that drains fast, doesn’t get saturated with water and promotes healthier root development by not becoming compacted.

In the long run, a good potting mix is essential to keep your Hoya Wayetii thriving and its roots healthy and disease-free.

Temperature & Humidity

In terms of temperatures, the Hoya Wayetii will tolerate a range between 50 F and 85 F. Anything below 50 F will trigger temperature shock and tissue damage or death.

This isn’t a plant you can grow outdoors in temperate climates or anywhere with cold, frosty winters. Winterizing your Hoya indoors becomes crucial for its survival.

I also recommend paying attention to often neglected indoor elements such as AC units, heating vents, windows or doors that don’t close properly and cause drafts that may be chilly, etc.

These too can ‘chip away’ at the health and well-being of your Hoya plant and can even trigger temperature shock associated with tissue damage and leaf loss.

The humidity preferences of the Hoya Wayetii are slightly different from other Hoya plants. While other Hoyas are fine with moderate humidity, the Wayetii thrives on moderate to high humidity.

Keeping humidity levels at 60%-80% would be the most indicated for the Hoya Wayetii. However, unless you live in a humid area, indoor humidity won’t naturally be at these levels.

A humidifier or humidity tray can help increase humidity around the plant.

Fertilizing

When it comes to feeding a Hoya Wayetii, there are a couple of options, but before I get into the available options, I should remind you that this is a slow-growing plant that doesn’t need lots of feeding.

Still, it’s a good idea to offer this plant a gentle feeding during the growing season, in spring to summer.

You can use a heavily diluted liquid fertilizer for foliage plants, one that is high in nitrogen to encourage foliage growth. If you want to promote blooming, a fertilizer high in phosphorus would be most helpful.

Alternatively, you can use a top dressing of compost or worm castings to give your Hoya Wayetii a more natural feeding.

Potting & Repotting

Repotting isn’t needed as often for this Hoya variety on account of it being a slow-growing plant. Repot only when roots are visibly poking out of the pot.

The pot in which you’re transferring should only be two inches larger than the current pot. An oversized pot will need more water and will take longer to dry.

Don’t repot in winter so as not to disturb the plant’s natural dormancy.

How to Propagate Hoya Wayetii?

Hoya Wayetii can be propagated in water or soil via stem cuttings. Here are the steps to follow for a successful propagation:

• Cut stem cuttings with two visible nodes; cut just under a node. Make sure cuttings are healthy and pest-free.
• Place the cut end in water or damp potting mix so that at least one leaf node is under the water level or in moist potting mix.
• Keep the potting mix damp by spraying it with water (don’t overdo it, rotting is possible even in stem cuttings!).
• Replace water often to prevent clouding and algae growth.
• Keep stem cuttings in a warm, humid environment, out of direct light, but in a bright spot, so they can receive plenty of light.
• Roots should emerge within a month and stem cuttings can be transplanted to a different pot.

– Why is the Hoya Wayetii Plant Wilting?

A wilting Hoya Wayetii can signal several underlying issues such as:

• Temperature shock caused by sudden changes in temperature, including cold drafts or exposure to excessive heat.
• Overwatering caused by poor quality soil and a lack of understanding of the water requirements of the soil.
• Prolonged exposure to strong direct light.
• Lack of humidity caused by rising temperatures.

Given that any of these can be an underlying cause, you must examine each possibility and make adjustments where you notice issues.

– Does the Hoya Wayetii Plant Bloom?

Yes, Hoya plants are blooming plants that produce waxy clusters of flowers that grow on peduncles. The colors of blooms can range from white to pink and shades of burgundy.

Blooms usually appear in mid-spring and summer, and it’s generally a good idea to not cut off the peduncles of the plant as they can carry other blooms after one set of blooms fade.

– Is the Hoya Wayetii Plant Toxic?

Although Hoya plants aren’t generally viewed as toxic to pets or humans, the latex sap in the plant can cause individual allergic reactions when in contact with the skin or when ingested.

Symptoms can range from skin irritation to gastric distress, so wash your hands if you come into contact with the sap of the plant.

Because several houseplants are toxic to pets, it’s better to keep your houseplants in a location, where your pets would not have access to them.

Wrapping Up

Hoya plants can seem like a lot of work for the most inexperienced among us, but once you successfully grow one Hoya, chances are high that you’ll manage the needs of even more finicky ones like the Wayetii.

From watering to light exposure, the elements I discussed all come together in ensuring that your plant will thrive rather than struggle indoors.

Likewise, the needs of Hoya plants aren’t dissimilar to those of tropical plants, so if you have experience with those, you’ll be great at growing the Hoya Wayetii as well.