Hoya Obovata Care & Propagation

Hey all! Today I am adding another hoya to my hoya care guide arsenal—the hoya obovata. One of my favorite plants in my whole collection! The obovata’s thick, flat, round, succulent-like leaves make it truly stand out. Each leaf is deep green with a gray/whitish “splash” variegation on them. It climbs and vines, making it perfect for a small trellis.

Light

Let’s dig into hoya obovata light needs first. The obovata enjoys bright, indirect light. I recommend placing it near an east- or north-facing window—or a few feet away from a south- or west-facing window. I have had mine in a few different spots in two homes now, but it has almost always been 2-3 feet away from a west-facing window.

That means it gets a steady stream of light from late morning into early evening. but—and this is important—none of it is direct light. While hoya obovata can tolerate some direct light, its leaves may begin turning red (often referred to as “sun stressing”) in too much direct light.

It will also not do well in a low-light scenario. If you don’t have a spot with decent lighting and you’d like to grow an obovata, you can also place it under a grow light. I had mine under a grow light in my Ikea greenhouse cabinet for a while, and it did very well.

Water

I water my hoya obovata when the soil dries out completely. Yes—completely. This big juicy leaves really help the plant get through periods of drought. I’ve watered my obovata more often than this in the past, and some of its leaves began turning yellow and getting veiny looking (see photo below).

Coupled with wet soil, this is a tell-tale sign of overwatering. That’s because the water stays consistently wet, filling air pockets in the soil that would otherwise be filled with oxygen. And oxygen is a critical part of your plant’s growth.

When I water my plant, I set it in the sink and thorough soak the soil until water is running out of the drainage holes. I also rinse off the leaves—an easy way to keep them clean and a good pest management best practice. Once all of the excess water drains, I put the plant back in its decorative pot.

Soil

Most soils labeled “houseplant” or “for indoor plants” will work just fine. My obovata came in a very peat-based soil. When I repotted it, I used a chunky houseplant soil and threw in a bit of extra perlite and bark. Things like coco coir, fine moss, perlite, and orchid bark help to make the soil less dense, facilitate air and water flow, and give the roots room to breathe. 

If you use a dense soil like you’d find in a garden bed, your obovata will likely rot from retaining too much water—even if you water sparingly. You want to use something lightweight and airy that retains an appropriate amount of moisture.

Temperature

Obovata is native to tropical regions and generally prefers warmer temperatures. It thrives in the 70s and 80s Fahrenheit during the day. Avoid temperatures that drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night; this plant is not cold or frost hardy.

Humidity

Obovata is also a big fan of humidity, so adding a room humidifier is not a bad idea. However, I do not currently have my obovata in a spot with a humidifier, and it has been thriving. It’s very tolerant of drier indoor air based on my experience.

Fertilizer

You can use any run of the mill houseplant fertilizer. I am horrible at remembering to fertilize my plants and went a few years without using any fertilizer. Instead, I would simply add a handful of worm castings to the soil or using Liqui-Dirt concentrated plant food.

However, more recently I’ve started using Fox Farm Grow Big (affiliate link) fertilizer on my houseplants. I got it for my garden, but a little goes a long way. It contains earthworm castings, Norwegian kelp, and essential micronutrients designed to help enhance foliage. I think my houseplants have really enjoyed the boost!

Repotting

Obovata is a slow grower needs to be repotted only every few years. I have had my plant for about 6 years and have only repotted it once. I recommend waiting until the roots are growing out of the bottom of the pot’s drainage holes first.

When repotting your plant, it’s also a good time to add a trellis. Obovata loves having something to climb all over, and I’ve found that a small bamboo arch trellis works wonders. It’s really complements the plant’s growth style, too.

Flowering

I have a whole article on How to Get a Hoya to Bloom! I have many, many hoyas, and almost all of them have bloomed for me. It’s one of the best parts about hoyas! Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Light: It needs plenty of bright, indirect light to flower.
• Pot: Use a pot that is only slightly larger than the plant’s root system.
• Water: Err on the side of underwatering to help blooming, especially in late winter/early spring.
• Fertilizer: Give the plant a nutrient boost with fertilizer or concentrated plant food; consider trying an orchid fertilizer spray.
• Pruning: Be mindful when pruning; sometimes a plant can sprout a peduncle (where the flower grows from) but not flower. It will eventually bloom from that spot over and over again, so don’t cut it off.
• Age: Sometimes plants just need to mature before flowering. If you have a young plant, give it some time (and love). Have patience—it’s worth the wait 🙂

Toxicity

Hoya plants are not considered toxic and are safe to have around cats, dogs, other pets, and kids. However, they are not meant to be ingested, so it’s best to keep all plants away from curious munchers.

Propagation

You can propagate hoyas through division and through stem cuttings. Propagating a hoya obovata through division is as easy as separating a piece from a mature plant. Try to keep as much of the root structure in place as you can.

Propagating a hoya obovata through a stem cutting takes a bit longer, but it’s not hard. Simply take a snip of the plant. Make sure you have a few leaves. Remove the bottom leaf or two, exposing nodes. (The area where the leaf grows from the stem.)

I like rooting my hoya cuttings in sphagnum moss and perlite. They seem to respond very well to it and experience less transplant shock when moving to soil. However, I’ve also rooted plenty of hoya cuttings in water before transferring to soil, and it works fine. They are pretty resilient plants.

LECA, or clay pebbles, are also a really cool way to root plants. I don’t use LECA as a permanent potting medium, but I do like to root plant cuttings in LECA before transferring to soil. I also like to put them in cups or trays and fill them with water to keep humidity levels higher!

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