The Hoya Latifolia is known for it’s gorgeous green foliage, but even more importantly is it’s cream white bloom that can occur if proper care is provided.
This type of Hoya is native to the Southeast Asia region and so it’s used to a warm and tropical like environment which you will want to mimic for best results.
With that said, Hoya Latifolia can easily be grown indoors as well as many people will have this Hoya as a houseplant year round.
So to be able to grow Hoya Latifolia and have it bloom successfully, you need to be able to take good care of it and follow the following tips provided.
Latifolia light requirements
Your Hoya Latifolia will grow and look it’s best when provided with adequate amounts of bright but indirect light also known as partial shade or filtered light.
Too much direct light can damage the leaves and super low light will stunt growth so you need that middle ground for this plant to grow quite well.
Hoya Latifolia is an epiphyte which means it naturally grows on other plants such as trees and non directly in soil, but it’s protected from direct light due to growing under shade provided from these trees and plants.
So when growing outdoors, you can place this plant anywhere that gets a good amount of light but also has great shade provided such as under a porch, set of trees or other shaded spots.
If you’re planning on growing indoors then near most windows will work well as long as your Hoya isn’t sitting to close to a window that gets direct light.
Using grow lights is another option if your house lacks natural light or if you just want to provide controlled amounts of light how you want.
So you get the idea, direct light and low light are not so good but indirect light is.
Hoya Latifolia soil selection
You may be thinking wait, didn’t he just say they don’t naturally grow in soil?
And you would be right, but this Hoya can be grown in soil as long as it provides good drainage with at least some moisture retention ability.
There are many ways to go about this and a good selection will be a mix of Sphagnum moss and Perlite.
You can do 50% Sphagnum and 50% Perlite and be good to go.
Just don’t pack in the soil too tight as the roots will need some room to breathe but other than that, this is all you really need.
How to water Hoya Latifolia
For this plant watering frequencies will vary depending on factors such as the season, temperature, humidity and so on.
With that said, you can expect to be watering this Hoya on a weekly to bi-weekly basis for most of the year.
Keep in mind that you will scale back the watering during the winter when it’s not actively growing so you don’t rot the roots.
When watering each time you will want to do so fully, no sprinkling water here and there.
Really soak the soil and allow it to dry out before watering again.
When it comes to this Hoya, it’s better to stay on the safe side of watering and water less often more so than too often as Hoya Latifolia can withstand a bit of a drought.
This goes for a lot of types of plants as root rot is a real thing and overwatering sure can lead to it.
Temperature needs
Since Hoya Latifolia is native to Southeast Asia, this plant is used to warmer temperatures than most places.
A good range to grow in will be somewhere between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
You really don’t want to try to grow this plant under the 60’s as it cannot withstand low temperatures for very long and will need to be brought indoors if it gets that cold in your area.
Thankfully indoor growth can be unaffected year round so if you’re already planning to do that then your Hoya will be just fine.
Humidity
Just like warm temperatures, Hoya Latifolia likes to have a good amount of humidity present as well.
Think between 50% and 70% humidity to grow and look it’s best.
If your area provides this outdoors then that works, but if you’re growing indoors then there is a chance you may need to increase local humidity for this plant.
If you notice any curling of the leaves or it just looks a bit dried up then it could mean that there isn’t enough humidity present for your Hoya.
A few ways to increase humidity indoors for your plant include using water pebble trays under the container, grouping plants close by or by using a humidifier.
You will know you have enough humidity if you see your Hoya perk back up again if it wasn’t looking so good before.
How to propagate Hoya Latifolia
An easy way to propagate Hoya Latifolia will be from using stem cuttings from the main plant.
Propagating is nice because you will be able to make many more Hoya’s without ever having to purchase the same one again.
So to do this you want to select a healthy stem from the main plant that contains some leaf nodes at the very least or some leaves still on it.
Now use some sterile gardening shears to make a cutting on the stem with no leaves towards the bottom of the cutting.
The stem cutting should be at least 4 inches long so it has some room to be planted.
Now you can let the cutting dry and heal for a day or two and then it will be time to place into a new container with fresh well draining soil.
Place the stem cutting a few inches into the soil, moisten the soil and place the container in a warm location that only gets indirect light.
Keep the soil moist but not completely soaked for the coming weeks.
It will take several weeks for some solid roots to grow so be patient.
After a month or so has passed, you can gently tug on the stem and if there is some resistance then you know you have a good root system being formed.
So there you go, that’s all there is to it.
Pruning
While pruning is a great way to shape and keep most plants healthy, you don’t really want to prune the Hoya Latifolia since you can accidentally prune the parts that do the flowering.
So to prevent this I would just not really prune this plant at all and let it grow naturally.
Fertilizing
When fertilizing, you should only do this during the active growing season such as the spring or summer and definitely not during the winter.
Using a slow release fertilizer is a great way to fertilize and you should follow the manufacturers instructions for doing this.
Keep in mind that you may still need to use less of what they recommend as most fertilizers are quite strong and may be a bit overboard for a lot of houseplants.
Conclusion
So there you have it.
This is all you really need to not only get started, but to be able to take great care of Hoya Latifolia for many years to come.
So have fun and enjoy the experience!