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Top 5 Grow & Care Tips For Hoya Nummularioides [Revised 2023]

The verdure and fragrant flowers of Hoya Nummularioides become apparent with a proper nutrient boost and ideal care.

Hoya Nummularioides needs 6 hours of filtered sunlight, 65-90°F ambient temperature, and 50-70% surrounding humidity. Also, offer well-draining soil, watering, and monthly fertilizer application with sparse pruning and repotting every 2-5 years.

Learn the complete care guide of this Hoya species to enjoy its aromatic blooms and elegant foliage all spring and summer.

Hoya Nummularioides [Plant Overview]

Belonging to the plant family Apocynaceae, Hoya Nummularioides is a semi-succulent tropical plant native to the rainforests of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

They are among the most beautiful climbing Hoya variety, with magnificent bunched reddish-white flowers offering a sweet scent.
Image represents a potted Hoya seedling
Hoya has splendid leaves arranged entirely along extensive and draping stems.

Like most true Hoya species, the plant comprises a variety called Hoya Nummularioides ‘Silver.’ 

The basic overview of the plant is given in the table below.

Characteristic(s)Description(s)
Common NamePorcelain Flower

Wax Plant

Wax Flower
Scientific NameHoya nummularioides
OriginTropical Forests of Southeast Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam)
FamilyApocynaceae
USDA Zones10-11
FlowerInflorescence: Axillary Umbel

Tiny white flower with pinkish-red corona
FoliageOvate (egg-shaped), fuzzy & green succulent leaves
Blooming TimeThroughout late summer and fall
Plant SizeAbout I-3 meters long
FragranceSweet fragrance
ToxicityNon-toxic to pets & humans

Complete Hoya Nummularioides Care Guide

Being a tropical plant, Hoya Nummularioides favors a sultry and warm surrounding to reach its maximum growth.

The plant can bloom indoors with the correct balance of watering care and fertilizer care.

Image illustrates care tips for Hoya Nummularioides
By mimicking tropical conditions, you can evoke your plant to bloom and sustain its greenery longer with sweet-scented flowers.

1. Sunlight & Temperature

Hoya Nummularioides prefer 6 hours of regular indirect bright sunlight with 65-90°F temperature.

They often get scorched from direct sun exposure resulting in floppy, wilted, and yellow or brown leaves.

For maximum sunlight, locate your Hoya 3-5 feet away from a south-facing or close to an east-facing window. Also, use sheer drapes to lower light intensity.

Meanwhile, low light and cold temperatures (<60°F) cause leggy or sparse foliage, eventually pulling plant growth.

In such peril, use grow light, cover with frost blankets, or place heat pads underneath the plant to level light and temperature.

2. Water & Humidity

As Hoya Nummularioides are semi-succulent, they are relatively drought tolerant and prefer at least 60% humidity.

Aim for regular misting for ideal watering and fetch rain or distillate water to your Hoya plant only after the top 2 inches of soil are dry.

Hoya watering demands increase in spring and summer but reduce watering care in fall and winter every 3-4 weeks to avoid overwatering issues.

Despite the tolerance, Hoyas exhibit signs when the watering and humidity requirements are unmet.

  • Overwatering: Immature dropping of flower buds and new leaves, wilting or yellowing leaves, and root rot.
  • Underwatering: Petioles, leaf tips look brown and yellow, no flowers, and small brittle, weak vines.
  • Low Humidity: Curling dry leaves, brown Hoya leaf tips.
  • Excess Humidity: Fungal or pest problems, mold formation on top of the soil.

To ensure ideal moisture content for Hoya Nummularioides, check the soil moisture using a moisture meter before watering.

Otherwise, aim for a pebble tray underneath the plant pot aided with top-to-bottom watering.

3. Soil & Fertilizer

Hoya Nummularioides prefer well-draining, chunky, nutrient-rich soil (pH 6.1-7.5).

As Hoyas do not like wet feet, prepare a well-draining mix by blending orchid mix, organic perlite, and peat moss. Also, replenish soil nutrients monthly through balanced fertilizer application.

Furthermore, employ Hoya with a phosphorus-rich blend but nitrogen-based feed when adding new leaves.

That said, refrain from fertilizing your plant in winter to avoid overfertilization issues.

Overfertilized Hoyas often have brown leaf tips and margins but stunted, weak, and fragile growth but look weak with fragile, pale foliage when underfertilized.

Leveraging organic, homemade composts can avoid fertilization issues like root burn and choking.

Additionally, always dilute the fertilizer to its half strength before application.

4. Potting & Repotting

Hoya Nummularioides has a small root system and prefers 1-3 inches wide terracotta pots facilitating drain holes.

They need repotting only when roots begin to pop out of the drainage holes or when they tangle with each other. Otherwise, you can repot Hoyas every 1-5 years.

Besides that, severely root-bound Nummularioides grow slowly, and the soil dries up unusually quickly.

Your plant might need immediate repotting when suffering root rot from excess water or compact soil.

Carefully repot infected plants after thoroughly trimming infected parts and applying copper-rich fungicides.

5. Casual Pruning

Potted Hoya Nummularioides do not need frequent pruning but will not fuss about light pruning of damaged vines.

So, light pruning in the early spring and summer will be sufficient to maintain plants’ charming looks.

Meanwhile, pruning is crucial when they begin to host pests like mealybugs and aphids. Carefully trim off pest-infested parts and apply neem oil to prevent them.

Remember, you must not snip off the spurs (the part where the flower grows) because flowers grow from the same spurs every flowering season.

Also, you can regularly apply rubbing alcohol on the plant foliage to prevent a pest invasion.

Hoya Nummularioides Growth Rate & Flowers

As a vining evergreen perennial, Hoya Nummularioides grows slowly with consistent aromatic reddish-white blooms yearly during summer and fall.

The stellar bisexual blooms in clusters arise apically on the flowering stem, called the ‘flowering spur.’ 

Also, these flowers recurve and flare out from a single point giving the impression of an umbrella-shaped inflorescence called ‘Umbel.’

Additionally, the ovate, fuzzy, dark-green to lime-green waxy succulent leaves arrange oppositely throughout long vining stems.  
Image represents the flowers of Hoya
Umbrella-shaped arrangement of blooms that arise from a single flowering spur.

The stems can reach around 3.2-9.8 feet long and form new growth every growing season.

They actively add new foliage in spring and summer but gradually slow down and go dormant during fall and winter.

The waxy leaves are small, but the vines can grow long and drape from the sides when kept in a vertical garden wall or hanging baskets.

Toxicity of Hoya Nummularioides

According to ASPCA, Hoya plant varieties are non-toxic to humans and pets.

Hence, Hoya Nummularioides is free of any fatal toxic traits and can be safely kept indoors.

However, minor gastrointestinal upset and vomiting might appear under accidental consumption.

Additionally, the plant’s milky sap can cause minor rashes and blisters upon touch.

Therefore, take minor preventive measures like keeping the plant in a hanging basket to prevent contact with pets and children.

Remember, the plant’s vines can become long and cause you to trip over it.

Thus, regularly prune the hanging vines to keep the length in check.

Hoya Nummularioides: Propagation Methods

In the early spring, you can propagate Hoya Nummularioides via disease-free stem cuttings.

Image represents stem propagation of Hoya Plant
Stem propagation needs 2-4 exposed leaf nodes for root growth.

How to Propagate Hoya Nummularioides Using Stem Cuttings?

Follow these steps to propagate Hoya Nummularioides successfully.

  • Cut 3-6 inches-long stem sections with healthy leaves using sterilized pruners.
  • After, remove the lower 2 sets of leaves to expose 4 leaf nodes.
  • Place the cutting inside the jar filled with rooting hormone solution.
  • Ensure the stem nodes are submerged, but the top leaves are not touching the water.
  • Place the jar near the indirectly bright windows.
  • Replace the water every 2-5 days or place the cuttings in dark glass bottles.

The nodes will sprout new roots in about 3-5 weeks.

Image represents Hoya propagation using seeds
Hoyas can readily grow from seeds with conducive temperature, warmth, humidity, and lighting.

Once the root is 1-2 inches long, take the stem out and plant it in the soil by covering the roots completely.

Alternatively, you can root the stem cutting in the potting mix or use other propagation means, such as leaves and seeds.

Hoya Nummularioides for Sale

I have enlisted some verified online retailers where you can buy Hoya Nummularioides.

StoreDelivery/ Shipping Time
EtsyWithin 1-3 days after placing an order
Gabriella PlantsWithin 2-4 days after placing an order
LogeesWithin 1-2 days after placing an order
AmazonWithin 4-5 days after placing an order

Hoya Pubera Vs. Nummularioides

Nummularioides share similarities with Hoya Pubera in leaf shape, foliar arrangement, growth habit, flower clusters, etc.

But the striking difference between Hoya Pubera and Hoya Nummularioides is the texture of their leaf surface.

Image illustrates comparing leaf texture of Hoyas
Nummularioides has a fuzzy or hairy leaf texture, while Pubera has comparatively glossier leaves.

Hoya Nummularioides has fuzzy or pubescent leaves, but Hoya Pubera has a much smoother leaf texture.

From Editorial Team

Vigorous Bloom Hack!

You can encourage vigorous flowering in Hoyas by maintaining humidity at around 60% and carefully deadheading spent flowers.

Also, feed them fertilizers with high phosphorous fertilizer before the active growing season.

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