Are you searching for a plant that enhances your interior and produces fragrant flowers??
Did you know? Hoya Imbricata Decne is one of the most beautiful tropical plants that spread positive vibes in your home garden and can be grown indoors with minimum care.
I am obsessed with Hoya plants. I keep on adding more and more in my home even if I have no space left. Hoya Imbricata Decne plants are one of my favorites among the various varieties of Hoya plants. I hope it would be a better match for your search, so let me take you to the brief care guide of the plant.
Ant plants, Wax plants, Paul-pauikan, or Hoya Imbricata Decne plants are versatile plants that have vining tendencies and climb the trees when grown wild. However, these plants can’t lose their behavior and so climb the nearby plant stands, curtain holders, or even a thick thread if you give them support. These attractive vines have eye-catching foliage that has silvery splashes, which are usually in dark green. Also, these nice-looking plants produce starry, waxy, and furry flowers that spread a sweet smell.
In this article, I will discuss everything you need to know about Hoya Imbricata Decne plants, how to grow and care for them, how to propagate them, and the most common problems occurring to them.
So, let’s not keep you waiting any more and let’s start with why these plants are so important for you to bring home!
About Hoya Imbricata Decne!
Let us know some details about this plant and why these plants are so important for you to bring home!
1. Hoya Imbricata Decne flowering
The flowers of these plants grow in clusters and look like umbels with star shapes. In each cluster of flowers, you can observe at least 5 to 10 flowers. These flowers have yellow centers and fur which is very smooth to the touch. They often look like artificial flowers and produce a nice fragrance that spreads positivity in the home.
2. Life span of Hoya Imbricata Decne
These plants are slow-growing rare species of Hoya plants and have a long life if provided enough care. With normal care, it can be grown for at least 30 years. You can easily propagate them to increase their number.
3. Toxicity of Hoya Imbricata Decne
Although there are some toxic species in the Hoya genus, it is an exception to that. These plants are considered non-toxic to both humans and animals. So, you need not worry about the children or pets, if you have them in your home. But, these plants are not for ingestion. So, it is better not to ingest the parts of the plant. If there are any children or pets that are curious about plants, then place the plant away from them.
4. Height and width of Hoya Imbricata Decne
Being vining plants, these plants always tend to climb up and increase their height, so they hardly have 1-2 feet in width. While talking about height, they can achieve heights up to 8-10 feet. But, you need to be patient to see that height, as this is a slow-growing plant.
5. Maintenance of Hoya Imbricata Decne
These plants are well-known for their low maintenance. They thrive on low care and thus they become beginner-friendly. But the minimum care you provide will help them get a good height and strength to recover from pest attacks and diseases.
6. Best time to pot for Hoya Imbricata Decne
You can pot them at any time in the year if you are attentive to them until it starts growing well. But, remember the winters are the dormant seasons of the plant. Thus the plant may lose some leaves and may not grow quickly. Don’t worry about such cases. Wait for the spring to come. Your plant starts its growth in that season. So the growing season is considered the best time to pot these plants.
How to propagate Hoya Imbricata Decne?
Many plant enthusiasts love to propagate plants in their homes, even if the plants are easily available in nearby nurseries or any online plant stores. Because it is an interesting task to increase the number of these beautiful plants. Also, it is a cheaper way to increase the number of plants in your greenhouse. Hoya Imbricata Decne plants are easy to grow and can be easily propagated. Let us see the processes step by step.
Propagation through cuttings
Step 1: Select a medium
Select a medium for propagating a new Hoya Imbricata Decne. You can propagate the stem cutting in soil, sphagnum, and perlite.
Step 2: Take a pot
If you are planning to propagate in soil, perlite, or sphagnum, take a pot full of the potting medium and if you are willing to propagate the plant in water, take a jar of water.
Step 3: Cut the stem
Using sharp and sterilized scissors, cut a strong and mature stem of the Hoya Imbricata Decne plant, which is at the bottom, as it allows the roots to grow fastly. Remember that the length of the stem cutting is at least 6-10 inches.
Step 4: Remove the leaves
Remove all the bottom leaves of the stem cutting. You can apply rooting hormone at the bottom part of the stem cutting to boost root growth. However, it can grow leaves even if you do not apply the rooting hormone.
Step 5: Place the stem
Gently place the stem in the potting medium. Damp the soil, sphagnum, or perlite to maintain the humidity which helps in root growth, or place the cutting in a glass of water. Make sure you change the water every 2-3 days.
Step 6: Observe the root growth
You can observe the root growth at least after 2-3 weeks. Once you observe its root growth, transplant it to a pot with suitable soil.
That’s it! You’ve done it.
How to grow and care for Hoya Imbricata Decne plants?
It is not a hard task to grow the Hoya Imbricata Decne at home. All you need is to know some tips that make your gardening journey easy. I will now discuss the factors that you need to consider to grow and care for your Hoya Imbricata Decne plants. Let us check them in detail!
1. Sunlight requirements of Hoya Imbricata Decne plants
Sunlight plays an important role in the process of photosynthesis. Thus it is essential to maintain a healthy plant. In the case of Hoya Imbricata plants, bright indirect sunlight makes the plant thrive. Being a tropical plant, Hoya Imbricata enjoys light. But direct, intense rays of the Sun can burn the leaves of the plant. This plant can be placed in direct sun during the early morning and the late evenings. Because then the sun rays may not be too scorching to damage the foliage of the plant.
You need to bring back the plant indoors in the afternoons if you place it outdoors during that time. So, it’s better to place the plant near windows that get bright indirect sunlight. Avoid placing them just beside the window as the sun rays that pass through the windows may become more intense and cause severe damage to the plant. So, place the plant 3-6 feet away from the windows.
Let the plant absorb indirect sunlight, as much as it can. Dried leaves, discoloration, sunburns, and brown-edged leaves are the signs that your plant shows that it is not comfortable with the intense sun rays, droopy leaves, yellow leaves, droopy stems, stops flowering, and fall of growth are the signs that indicate lack of sunlight.
Use drapes to cover the windows and avoid intense rays falling on the foliage in the summers. Move the plant around to provide light uniformly to all parts of it. Artificial plant lights help the plant if you are living in low-light areas.
2. Watering Hoya Imbricata Decne plants
Water is another important aspect that is responsible for the plant’s survival. Hoya Imbricata has succulent leaves that store water in the plant cells. Thus they do not need frequent, but adequate watering for their better growth. Water not only fulfills the thirst of the plant but also supplies essential nutrients to the plant. So, the plant needs enough watering.
But overwatering or underwatering of the plant results in the improper growth of the plant. The sensitive root system of this plant is prone to root rot and other root-related issues that can cause harm to the plant. The root system is responsible for the plant’s survival. Because the roots absorb oxygen present in the soil or from the environment that helps a lot during food preparation in the plant. The roots absorb water and also nutrients to send them to all other parts of the plant.
If the roots get rotten, it fails to perform all these duties and thus eventually may cause the plant’s death. In summers, these plants need more frequent watering, whereas, in winter, you need to reduce the quantity and frequency of water you provide.
Most of the time I follow this rule for watering my tropical plants, that is, check the moisture of the soil before you water your plant, instead of following a schedule for it. If the top 1-2 inch layer of the soil is dry then it is time for watering your plant. If you feel that it is somewhat wet, then postpone watering the plant.
Hoya Imbricata plants should be watered with filtered water or distilled water. You can also use tap water that is allowed to sit for a day in an opened container to avoid chlorine and fluoride content present in the water. Rainwater is also a better choice for watering your Hoya Imbricata Decne.
3. Soil mix that suits Hoya Imbricata Decne plants
Use only well-drained soil mixes for planting these types of plants. Hoya Imbricata plants have sensitive roots that are prone to root rot. Compact soil mixes that hold the water for a long time will damage the plant in no time. The soil mix that dries quickly is good for planting this plant.
You can prepare the well-draining soil mix at home by mixing peat, orchid bark, perlite, and coarse sand with the normal household soil in equal quantities. This mix is not only well-draining but is also nutritionally rich and boosts the growth of the plant. The coarse sand in the mix will not store the water for much time and the perlite absorbs the excess water present in the soil mix. Also, this soil mix allows the aeration from them, thus the roots absorb oxygen that helps in the plant’s growth.
You can also buy organic soil mix that drains well for planting this attractive plant. Remember that the pH of the soil must be between the range of 6.1 to 7.5. That means that the soil must be slightly acidic.
4. Potting Hoya Imbricata Decne plants
Hoya Imbricata’s care guides include potting this plant because the material, size, and way of potting can show their effect on the plant’s growth. So let me know how to pot the Hoya Imbricata plant in detail.
Soon after getting this plant from a plant store, you need to select the best pot for planting your plant. For that, you need to consider the material of the pot, the size of the pot, and the drainage system of the pot.
a) Material of the pot
Being a tropical plant, the Hoya Imbricata plant loves to be in warm and dry conditions. So it is better to use clay, terracotta, and ceramic pots which pass air through the pores of their walls. Thus the soil becomes dry quickly and the roots will get oxygen from the aeration.
You can also use cement pots after leaching out the lime from them because they too have porous walls, but the lime content in the cement increases the pH levels of the soil. Do not use plastic pots for planting plants like Hoya Imbricata. Because plastic will hold the moisture in the soil instead of drying it. The sensitive roots of the plants cannot tolerate it.
b) Size of the pot
Do not use large pots for planting Hoya Imbricata plants. Because Hoya plants love to grow pot-bound roots to increase their blooming. Large pots are filled with much soil thus much water is needed to fill the soil and the damp soil needs a lot of time to dry, meanwhile the roots absorb more water than usual which leads to root rot or yellow droopy leaves and other such diseases.
Also, smaller pots will not support the further growth of the roots and may cause root rot. So, it is recommended to use pots that are 1-2 inches larger than the root system of the plant.
c) The drainage system of the pot
It is the most important thing to consider while you select a pot for planting your Hoya Imbricata. Because it plays a crucial role in maintaining the roots’ health. The excess water after fulfilling the soil and root system should be drained out of the pot. Otherwise, the sensitive root system of the Hoya Imbricata which is exposed to excess water can get rotten.
The roots which supply oxygen, water, and nutrients to the parts of the plant fail to perform well when it is rotten. Thus improper drainage systems eventually lead to the plant’s death. So, check the drainage holes of the pot while buying. The pot must have at least 5 small drainage holes to drain the excess water out.
After getting a better pot from the store, fill the first layer of the pot with gravel or pieces of bricks to allow the excess water to flow out of the drainage holes. If you neglect this step, the soil may get stuck in the drainage holes and stop the drainage of water.
5. Repotting Hoya Imbricata Decne plants
Repotting Hoya Imbricata helps in boosting its energy. All the hoya plants like to be in the same pot and grow pot-bound and root-bound roots to increase their blooming. But, repotting the small pot with slightly larger ones allows for the root’s further growth and thus improves the plant’s growth.
Also, it decreases the risk of root rot, as pot-bound or root-bound roots are prone to root rot. While repotting, change the soil mix, because the old soil may become nutrient-less. This also helps the plant to get more nutrients.
Remember larger pots, filled with more soil hold more water. So, get a pot that is 1-2 inches larger than the pot for repotting. Before repotting, dampen the soil to loosen the roots that are tightly bonded with the soil and the pot. After a few minutes, pull out the plant with the root system.
Shake the plant to remove the soil that is stuck between the roots. Fill the new pot with the bottom 1-inch layer with gravel and add soil as the second layer. Then gently place the plant and support it by filling the sides and top with soil mix. That’s it! The process of repotting is completed by filling the top layer. Report the plant every 1 to 2 years to maintain the good health of the plant.
6. Fertilizing Hoya Imbricata Decne plants
Many plant growers who provide nutrient-rich soil for their plants and repot them regularly, will hardly fertilize the plant. But feeding your Hoya Imbricata, once or twice in the growing season that is from early spring to late summer, helps to improve its growth and produce more blooms that look beautiful and are fragrant. Also, fertilization boosts the growth of the plant.
As these plants have sensitive root systems, light fertilizers are used to feed this plant. It should be fed once a month. During the winter season do not prune your plant as it is the dormant period. It is better to use organic fertilizers to fertilize your plant. As the organic content will not harm the root system and also provide essential nutrients to the plant.
Inorganic fertilizers work fastly but may not be as good as organic ones. NPK fertilizers are mostly used to feed this plant as they help the growth of shoots, roots, and blooms. If you would like to improve the blooming in your plant then try potassium-rich fertilizers.
7. Pruning Hoya Imbricata Decne plants
These vining plants do not need to be pruned. However, you can prune your Hoya Imbricata to have desired shapes. They tend to climb heights and might not disturb the look of your home, if you support it to climb, by placing an object near it. However, overgrown leggy stems can be pruned and can be used to propagate new plants.
Removing dead leaves and old flowers saves the plant’s energy. Cutting back the old stems which are near to the roots will help the new growth in the plant. Prune the infected parts of the plant, if there are any. While repotting, you can prune the overgrown small roots to control the plant’s growth. roots. Do not prune the new plant nodes that produce flowers. Also do not prune the places where there are flowers, because we can observe the new floral growth in the same place.
Always use sterilized sharp pruners for pruning your plant. Because the blunt ones can mash the plant’s stem and may lead to fungal growth. Remember to wear gardening gloves before you prune the plant because it expels thick milky sap that may irritate your skin
8. Suitable temperature and Humidity levels of Hoya Imbricata Decne plants
Hoya Imbricata plants are natives of Tropical regions of Asia and tend to live in warm conditions. They thrive in moderate humidity levels and can tolerate slightly higher humidity levels. The best range of temperatures for this plant is between 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperatures above this range will dry the plant and cause dehydration in it.
While the temperature below this range will not encourage the plant’s growth. So, it is essential to maintain the temperatures. In extreme temperatures try using plant heaters or place the plant under an Air conditioner to maintain the plant in suitable temperatures.
While we talk about Humidity, Hoya plants need moderate to little high humidity levels to thrive. Being a tropical plant, it loves to be in humidity levels from 50-65%. Humidity improves the growth of the plant. So, avoid placing the plant near vents, if you are providing the light through plant lights or plant heaters, then mist the plant with distilled or filtered water.
If you are living in low humid zones, then place the plant above the humidity tray which is nothing but a tray filled with water. Place some pebbles on the tray to avoid the transfer of water from the drainage holes to the soil.
9. The common problems faced by Hoya Imbricata Decne plants
Although these Hoya Imbricata Decne plants are hardy, they can also face some problems, due to lack of proper care. This might happen with the experienced ones sometimes. Don’t worry, you can treat the plant and help in solving the problem. For that, you need to know some common trouble-shooting things that bother your plant.
1. Pests
Being a tropical plant, the Hoya Imbricata plant is prone to pest attacks. The following are the insects that are usually observed attacking Hoya Imbricata.
a) Mealybugs
Mealybugs are one of the common pests that live on plant liquids. These pests look like small cottony balls that grow on the undersides of foliage and the stems of the plant. After dying, their residues may lead to fungal growth in the infected parts. so it is better to avoid these pests by wiping them off with a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol. Spraying soap water will also show its effect in getting rid of these mealybugs. Apply neem oil to the affected parts to avoid the growth of these troubling pests. You can use mild pesticides to treat these pests.
b) Aphids
Aphids are another troubling pest that sucks the nutrient sap from the plant and dries it. Observe some wilted leaves on the plant, then check for Aphids on them. If you confirm that there is some infection then you can follow the same methods I’ve mentioned above to get rid of mealybugs.
2. Diseases
Every plant gets some disease during its growth. It can be a hardy one, or a sensitive one. All you need to provide proper care and try to recover the plant from the disease. Let us know some common diseases that influence plant growth.
a) Root rot
It is one of the most dangerous diseases that can kill the plant if you neglect it. It occurs due to overwatering, frequent watering, poor drainage, usage of compact soil mixes, and sometimes the material of the pot will also have an impact when it comes to root rot. Use a well-drained soil mix and a pot with good drainage for planting your Hoya Imbricata. Water the plant only if the soil of the top layer is completely dry.
If the root gets rotten it shows signs like droopy and mushy leaves, yellow foliage, fungal growth on the soil e.t.c. immediately repot the plant with fresh well-drained soil mix and a suitable pot, after pruning the rotten parts of the root system.
3. Discoloration of leaves
Discoloration in leaves can be observed if it does not get enough water or sunlight. Rarely, it can be caused due to inadequate fertilization. Make sure that you provide enough care by following the above care tips if your plant is also facing the same problem.
4. Not flowering
Your Hoya Imbricata Decne plants may stop their flowering due to the change in the. Generally, the hoyas won’t flower in the winter. If that is not the cause, then it is suffering from a problem. It is commonly observed due to a lack of fertilization and lack of sunlight. Provide bright indirect sunlight and use potassium-rich fertilizer to boost the blooming.
5. Stopped growing
Winters are the dormant season for these plants. So, they stop growing at that time. If the plant is not growing well even in the growing season, then it is commonly due to a lack of nutrients, pot-bound roots, lack of sunlight, and even root rot may be a reason. Check whether you are providing enough care.
6. Droopy leaves and stems
If your plant has droopy leaves and stems it may be due to water issues. Both over and under watering can cause this case. If the soil is damp, then it is due to overwatering. And if the soil is too dry then it is caused due to underwatering water adequately. Your plant gets well soon with your proper care.
7. Fungal growth
It is commonly due to overwatering. Use fungicides to avoid this case. If the fungal growth is more than pruning the affected parts, dispose of them carefully. Wash the pruning equipment thoroughly.
Conclusion
Hoya Imbricata Decne plant is a beautiful vining plant with gorgeous fragrant flowering and attractive foliage. It grabs the attention of its viewers. This tropical plant can be maintained easily both indoors and outdoors with adequate care. Hoya Imbricata Decne plants produce fragrant flowers that improve the aesthetics of any home with their stunning appearance and exotic aroma with minimal effort. It is a better idea to keep one of them at home to enrich the oxygen levels of the home.
I hope this article helps you to maintain your Hoya Imbricata plant healthy. Keep loving your plant.
As you can see, the Hoya plant is such a rewarding plant and my house is filling up with more and more of these rewarding plants and I just can’t resist adding to my collection. What about you? Are you also obsessed like me with Hoya plants? Do you have any hoya plants at home?
Also, if you enjoyed the article, don’t forget to share it with your like-minded friends, family, and on social media to spread the word about lovely Hoya plants!
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