Hoya Patricia is one of the most beloved house plants, thanks to its distinctive, bell-shaped flowers that range in color from white to pink to purple. While it’s not difficult to keep your Hoya Patricia looking lovely and healthy, there are some steps you can take now to ensure that it thrives in your home for years to come.
In the exotic plant world, there are few plants more widely sought after than the Hoya Patricia plant. With its long, slender leaves and star-shaped blooms, it’s no wonder that this tropical shrub has gained so much popularity as an ornamental plant.
However, with great popularity comes some misconceptions about how to best care for this unique plant.
Hoya Patricia flowers are delightfully fragrant, which makes them an excellent indoor plant to brighten up your home during the winter months and beyond. Although they’re fairly easy to grow, there are a few special tips you should know about to keep your Hoyas healthy and happy for years to come.
If you need some more information about how to take care of Hoya Patricia plants and how to propagate them from cuttings, read on!
Origin and descriptions
Hoya patricia is a small variety of Hoya, native to Central America. It’s known as a vine, but it has more in common with other flowering plants. Hoya patricia originates from wet, forested habitats in Central America like Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua.
It grows on trees or shrubs in its natural habitat. In cultivation, it can be mounted on tree fern slabs or wrapped around a wireframe to mimic its growing conditions back home. The leaves are long and thin with a soft texture. They are glossy green above and lighter below, often with purple veins running along them.
The flowers are small (about 1/2 inch across) but they come in large clusters that dangle down toward their host plant. The flowers have five petals that are yellowish-green fading into white at their tips. They open up slowly over several days before closing again when they’re done blooming for the season.
Hoya patricia propagation
If you’re lucky enough to find a Hoya patricia that has just finished blooming, it can be easily propagated for future enjoyment. To propagate, simply remove its stem from where it was attached to its mother plant.
Trim off any dying leaves with a sharp pair of scissors, making sure not to nick any of its new buds. Then just pop it into some potting soil or water as you would normally do with other houseplants!
The cuttings should root in about two weeks. As long as you keep them well-watered, they should continue to grow for years to come. You may even want to consider repotting your little plants every few months so they don’t outgrow their pots. It’s also good practice to inspect your hoyas regularly for pests like aphids and scale insects.
These pests tend to show up on older plants more often than younger ones, but if you catch them early enough, there are many safe ways to get rid of them naturally—no harsh chemicals required!
Hoya patricia care information
Hoya plants are generally not large growing, but some can reach 30 inches (75 cm) in height or more. In general, you should try to provide a well-drained soil mix of 1 part peat moss, 1 part perlite, 1 part coarse sand or horticultural grade vermiculite.
Water your plant regularly during active growth periods in spring and summer; about once a week is sufficient. Allow potting soil to dry slightly between waterings. Do not allow your plant to sit in water for extended periods as it will cause root rot. Also, avoid getting any fertilizer on leaf surfaces as it may burn them.
Light requirements
Hoya plants need partial to full shade. This is particularly true of a plant like Hoya Patricia, which can suffer from sunburns when grown in full sun.
If your home or office isn’t shaded, consider growing them on a covered porch or under a tree (depending on weather conditions). A bit of direct sunlight each day won’t hurt, but don’t leave them in any areas that get 6 hours of direct sunlight or more.
You can even grow them indoors if you have enough light – they’ll grow better with some indirect sunlight. The leaves will look brighter and shinier too! It helps to think about how bright it gets in your home during peak hours of sun throughout different seasons.
Soil/potting mix
It is important to choose a soil/potting mix that drains well. Hoya patricia, like most hoyas, will rot if you use soil that stays too wet. Mix your own potting mix using 2 parts (by volume) of the builder’s sand or coarse-grade horticultural grit with 1 part sifted garden soil, 1 part peat moss or leaf mold, and 1 part sphagnum moss.
Alternatively, commercial cactus mixes are suitable. Add some perlite for good drainage.
Watering
Hoya plants are typically found in hot and humid climates, so keeping them properly hydrated is a must. Overwatering your plant is one of the biggest risks of sickness in Hoyas. After you water your plant, allow all excess water to drain from its pot. This will prevent root rot from occurring. Never keep Hoya pots sitting in saucers filled with water.
Fertilizer
The easiest way to fertilize is to simply use a plant-specific, water-soluble fertilizer in moderation. Hoya plants can be fertilized at any time during their growing period, but they do need to be fed every couple of months.
The best time to do so is right after you’ve repotted your hoyas. Just sprinkle it around a bit, being careful not to get too much on your leaves, or else they may burn.
Temperature
Hoya patricia thrives in temperatures between 65°F and 80°F (18°C–27°C). It’s best to keep your plant in a cool room with air conditioning or a fan. Avoid keeping it near hot window ledges or in direct sunlight. You can also move it outside during warm months but bring it back inside before nighttime temperatures drop below 50 degrees.
Humidity
Be careful when watering Hoya plants, as over-watering is a common cause of root rot. That’s why it’s essential to maintain an appropriate humidity level around your Hoya plants. Hoya plants generally don’t like their roots to be sitting in wet soil or dirt.
The ideal humidity range is between 50% and 60%. If you’re having trouble maintaining that level, use a humidifier or place your Hoya plant on a tray of wet pebbles. This will help raise your plant’s humidity levels without exposing its roots to excess moisture.
Pruning
Hoya plants are epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants) which makes them particularly easy to care for.
Most hoyas should be pruned twice a year to keep them healthy, blooming regularly, and growing their best. Pruning during the winter is a great time since you can easily see where cuts should be made. Hoyas bloom from summer through fall, trim in spring if you want plants to produce more leaves than flowers.
When to repot
Repot your Hoya patricia in spring when new growth is about two inches long. Use a light-mix, high-quality potting soil. Repot in containers only 1 to 2 inches larger than their previous size, as Hoyas do not like to have much space between their roots and leaves.
Water them well after repotting, then continue watering well each week throughout spring and summer. Mist frequently with room-temperature water to maintain humidity levels of 40% or more for best results.
Dormancy
Like most other tropical plants, Hoya patricia requires a dormancy period in order to flower properly. The exact time spent in dormant depends on your local climate and when temperatures drop at night to between 50 to 55 degrees F.
It is typically a good idea to suspend watering during dormancy, although you may want to water sparingly if you live in an area with hard freezes.
Hoya patricia flowers & fragrance
The flowers of Hoya patricia are a lovely pink color, but won’t last more than a few days once cut from your plant. To extend their life, try putting them in a small jar with a bit of water.
You can either keep them indoors or outside in warmer months if you live in an area where it doesn’t freeze. So be sure to put some drainage holes in your jar so that they don’t get too wet while they are sitting on your counter or shelf.
Growth rate
Hoyas are among the fastest-growing plants I’ve ever had in my home. As a rule of thumb, they can double their size every few months if provided with proper light, water, and temperature conditions.
They typically take anywhere from three to six months to fully mature—however, some varieties will mature faster or slower depending on light quality and plant variety.
Toxicity
All parts of Hoya patricia plants are highly toxic. All are irritants, especially to mucous membranes. Ingestion of any part of a plant can cause severe nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, severe colic, and diarrhea with blood in stools.
Cardiac arrhythmias or muscle paralysis also may occur; unconsciousness or death may follow ingestion (Erwin & Reed 1981). These plants should be considered poisonous!
USDA Hardiness Zones
Hoya Patricia will thrive in USDA hardiness zones 10-11. They can be brought indoors as houseplants, but if you do so, make sure to give them bright light and plenty of water.
Be sure to use a potting mix that drains well, because they are prone to root rot. If your plant starts to look droopy or wilted, it’s probably time for repotting. Repot your plant every spring when new growth begins.
Pests and diseases
The most common pests on Hoya patricia are mites, mealybugs, scale insects, and aphids. Mites can attack all parts of your plant including leaves, stems, flowers, and roots. Mealybugs suck sap from new growth and secrete a sticky substance called honeydew that attracts ants.
Scale insects attach themselves to plant stems or leaves with their mouthparts; they secrete a protective coating around themselves called a waxy shell that makes them look like tiny bumps or specks on your plants.
Aphids feed by inserting their mouthparts into plant tissue and sucking out juices; they also excrete large amounts of honeydew which in turn attracts ants.
Conclusion
Hoyas are known to be easy to care for plants. Hoya patricia is no exception. You just need to know a few things before you bring your plant home and into your collection of houseplants, or place it in its final location. You’ll want to find a place with indirect light (not full sun) or some morning sun exposure because they prefer filtered light.
If you have a south-facing window that gets direct sunlight all day long, then hoyas might not do well there. They also like humidity, so placing them on top of your refrigerator will help increase their humidity level which will make them happy!
Also, remember that Hoyas can grow up to 3 feet tall, so make sure you have enough space for them! If you have any questions about how to care for your hoya patricia, please don’t hesitate to contact us! We would love to help.
