Are you looking for a succulent climber with beautiful thick leaves and clusters of tiny flowers? Hoya callistophylla is an evergreen plant popular for indoor ornamentation. It is native to many Asian countries, specifically Malaysia. Tough leaves with shades of green and small clusters of fragrant flowers are the center of attraction and admiration. This climber makes beautiful hanging baskets and totem-supported terrestrial pots.
Do you want to know more? This is a low-maintenance plant. Thus, you can enjoy this Hoya baby without any strict care and hustle. In this article, we are going to share more facts about the Callistophylla plant, its care, and propagation.
Hoya Callistophylla Classification
Family: Apocynaceae.
Genus: Hoya.
Species: H. callistophylla.
Genus Hoya
This genus comprises a range of about 300 tropical plants. The botanist R.Brown named this Asian native genus by giving tribute to his friend Thomas Hoy. Members of Hoya are diverse, evergreen, and perennial climbers with adventitious roots. Moreover, they may be epiphytic or terrestrial. The majority of Hoyas have succulent leaves. While the flowers appear in clusters on the peduncle tips. Waxplant, waxvine, and waxflower are some of the common names of these plants.
Hoya Callistophylla Plant Features
- The plant lives as an epiphyte or a terrestrial climber.
The plant is evergreen. While the growth frequency slows down in winter.
The length of an average vine is around 12 feet. However, the growth depends upon the space available to the plant. - A mature leaf is between 4 to 7 inches in length. The leaf texture is thick, hard, and succulent. In addition, these are light green in color with prominent dark green veins. Moreover, the foliage grows in an alternate pattern.
- Inflorescence: This plant produces tiny, star-shaped, fragrant flowers. These are off-white to in color with brown border lines. Additionally, numerous tiny flowers join to form small bunches of flowers. Furthermore, these flower clusters are around 1 inch in size.
Plant Toxicity
Ingestion of these plants is toxic for humans and pets. Thus, keep your kids and pets away from your Wax plant vines.
Plant Varieties
This plant has many varieties. Popular ones include;
- Hoya callistophylla longleaf,
- The shortleaf Hoya callistophylla
- Hoya callistophylla T.green.
The requirement and other basic features of these varieties are pretty similar. Alternatively, the leaf size and color is the differentiating feature in these varieties.
Hoya Callistophylla Care
Are you thinking about the care of the H. callistophylla plant? We have good news for you! You don’t need to think more. As this plant is easy to care for.
Water Requirement
The water requirement of the plant is medium to high. In summer, you can water three times a week. While in winter, once a month will be enough. Importantly, let the soil get completely dry between consecutive watering schedules.
Sunlight Requirement
Hoya callistophylla plants need full sun to partial shade. Avoid putting the plant in long hours of direct sun exposure.
Soil Requirement
Hoyas generally like moist and well-drained soil. If you are going to buy a commercial mix, go for a well-drained porous potting mix for epiphytic plants.
Humidity Requirement
Wax plants are generally resistant to different humidity levels. However, you can go for occasional misting on hot and dry days. Make sure the foliage doesn’t remain wet for long. The reason being, the wet leaves may get fungus or other issues.
Temperature Requirement
The optimum temperature range for Hoyas is 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, the plant can’t bear temperatures below 10 F.
Hoya Callistophylla Propagation
The best method for propagation of this plant is by stem-cuttings or sowing seeds. The ideal season for propagation is the final days of summer.
- Take 5 to 7 inches of semi-ripe stem cuttings from a well-grown parent plant. Remove some leaves fo the lower side. Make sure you keep at least two leaves at the top of the stem-cutting. Now plant the cutting in moist pre-prepared soil. Importantly, don’t forget to keep 2 to 3 aerial roots under the soil. This will enhance root development.
- Now you need to select a spot with bright light or semi-shade. Keep the soil partially moist. Wait for a month and Bang! Roots will develop in about 3 to 4 weeks followed by shoot development.
- The plant is usually propagated through the cuttings of the stem. Late days of summer are suitable for this method. Semi-ripe cuttings from the healthy plant are planted in moist well-fertilized soil. The pot is then placed in bright indirect light and a suitable temperature. Shoots will develop in three to four weeks. This will be a sign of successful propagation.
- You can also propagate the plant by ‘layering’ in the spring or summer season.
- Seeds can be sown in the spring season. The ideal temperature range for the seeds to germinate nicely is 66 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you are thinking about seed propagation, spring is the ideal season. In addition, the seed germination will need a temperature range of about 66 to 75 F.
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Summary
Hoya callistophylla is a terrestrial or epiphytic perennial vine, 6 to 12 feet in length. The evergreen succulent leaves are light green in color with prominent dark green veins. The flowers are small in size, light yellow with brown borders. Furthermore, numerous tiny fragrant flowers join to form a cluster on peduncle tips. This is an easy-to-care popular houseplant and makes beautiful hanging baskets.
