If you love vining houseplants that also have a nice bloom, then the Hoya Fungii is the plant for you.
This plant is known for it’s green leaves and creamy white bloom with red tips on the top of the flowers.
Native to Asia, Hoya Fungii is used to above average warm temperatures and an above average amount of humidity present.
So if you have this type of environment then growing outdoors will be pretty easy.
If not then you can always grow it as a houseplant with no issue.
So here is what you need to know to be able to take proper care for Hoya Fungii as well as how to propagate further below.
Hoya Fungii Light Needs
To keep this part short, the best type of light for Hoya Fungii will be bright and indirect light.
This is what you should strive to provide on a daily basis as direct light can damage the leaves and low light will slow growth if not given enough.
Bright indirect light is the sweet spot for this Hoya and can be provided both indoors and outdoors if you have the right setup.
When growing outdoors, placing your Hoya in a spot with some shade such as under trees which will allow filtered light or really anywhere that gets consistent shade will be best.
If you’re growing indoors, near most windows will also work.
Try to avoid South facing windows as the light from here can get pretty intense.
With that said, you should keep this plant about a foot away from any window to prevent direct light from reaching the foliage.
Temperature and Humidity
As mentioned before, Hoya Fungii is used to warm and humid climates so you want to do your best to mimic this for best results.
A good temperature range for growing will be between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
You don’t really want to go outside this range often as the plant is not cold hardy and can also get damaged in the higher range.
So if you expect the temperature to exceed this range in either direction then it’s best to bring your Hoya indoors for the time being.
As for humidity, Hoya Fungii will tolerate between 40% and 70% humidity quite well.
Depending on where you live this may or may not be feasible outdoors, but most homes will at least be able to provide this on the lower end.
If your Hoya Fungii starts to look dried up, or curly then it’s possible that it’s lacking in humidity levels.
There are a few ways you can increase the local humidity for this plant if needed.
- Use a water pebble tray under the container or near the plant
- Grow near water sources such as in the kitchen
- Group other plants nearby to increase local humidity
- Use a humidifier if you have one
Hoya Fungii Soil
When it comes to finding the right soil mix, you need to keep in mind that Hoya Fungii likes to keep slight moisture retention but also drain really well at the same time.
So a good way to provide this will be by using some quality soil combined with well draining organic material.
A good combination will look something like this.
- Peat moss/Sphagnum Moss
- Perlite
- Coco Coir
I like this combination because the Peat will drain well but also allow moisture retention.
The Perlite and coco will allow faster drainage that if you just used the soil alone.
This will give you the best of both worlds and provide your Hoya Fungii with what it needs to grow and look it’s best.
How to water Hoya Fungii
So now that you know Hoya Fungii likes to keep some moisture but drain well, how do you water?
The key is you should check your soil each time before you water.
So each time you water, make sure you are watering fully until the water flows through the drainage holes or the container itself a bit.
Now after some time has passed such as a week more or less depending on a variety of factors, check the soil.
If the top 2 inches have dried out then you can water.
If the top 2 inches are still moist then you can hold off on the watering for a few more days.
With Hoya Fungii, you really want to stay on the safe side with watering to prevent root rot and other issues.
It’s better for this plant to experience a bit of a drought than it is to overwater and risk more serious problems that occur with overwatering.
How to propagate
I find that the easiest way to propagate Hoya Fungii is by using stem cuttings.
So to get started you want to have some sterile gardening shears at the ready and then select a healthy stem to use from the main plant.
This is best done in either the spring or summer by the way.
So here are the steps in order.
- Make a stem cutting at least 4 inches long with the cut being below at least one leaf node
- Remove any leaves towards the bottom of the cutting, but leaves towards the top will be fine
- Let the stem cutting dry/heal for a day or two
- Prepare a new container with fresh soil to plant in
- Place the stem cutting a few inches deep into the soil
- Wet the soil and place the container in a warm location with indirect light
- Keep the soil a bit moist for the following weeks
That’s all there is to it.
After a month has passed you can lightly pull the stem and if there is some resistance then you’re good to go.
Pruning
With Hoya Fungii being a vining plant that can grow several feet in length, you may want to prune to keep it a bit more compact.
It just depends on where you’re growing and how much room you want this plant to take.
You honestly don’t have to prune it at all if you want it to grow naturally the entire time.
With that said, if you ever get damaged leaves such as yellow or brown leaves then you should prune these away to make room for fresh growth in the future.
Damaged leaves will still take up energy that could be better used elsewhere like on heathy leaves or new growth so it’s a valid reason to prune those away.
Fertilizing
Fertilizing Hoya Fungii is a great way to either promote growth or encourage blooming.
Either purpose is a valid reason to do so, but you just want to be careful to not use too much as this can cause damage to the roots over time which is known as fertilizer burn.
So with that said, a balanced liquid fertilizer once or twice a month during the spring and summer will be the way to go.
Just make sure you are only using 1/4 to 1/2 strength of what’s recommended as fertilizers are quite strong on houseplants in general.
Final thoughts
Based on all of the information provided above, I’m confident that you will be able to properly take care of your Hoya Fungii for many years to come.
Also if you successfully propagate, then you won’t even have to buy more of this plant as you can just keep growing from the original plant.
So have fun and enjoy the process.