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Hoya Curtisii is a trailing hoya known for its lovely, cascading vines that are dotted with delicate, variegated leaves. Read on for everything you need to know about successful Curtisii care and propagation!
Hoya Curtisii is also known as the Fung Wax Flower, Tiny-Leaf Porcelain Flower, and Hoya Aloha.
It is an epiphyte, which is a plant that grows on the surface of another plant (e.g., a tree) without harming it, and takes some of its moisture and nutrients from the air.
And, like other hoyas, this one also has succulent leaves that store water.
Is Hoya Curtisii rare?
Hoya Curtisii is not as rare as it used to be, but it can still be somewhat hard to find at your local greenhouse. Luckily, you can find one easily online!
Where can I buy a Hoya Curtisii?
You can find a Hoya Curtisii for sale on Etsy.
Check out this beautiful hoya from one of my favorite Etsy sellers!
Is Hoya Curtisii hard to grow?
Hoyas, including Hoya Curtisii, are easygoing plants! One reason why people might think hoyas are “hard” is that they grow so slowly. But, they are not difficult plants to care for.
How do you care for Hoya Curtisii?
The basic Hoya Curtisii care requirements are:
- Bright, indirect light (with some direct light if you want to encourage blooming)
- Water when dry
- A well-aerated and well-draining potting mix
Read on for the full care and propagation guide!
How much light does Hoya Curtisii need?
Generally, Hoya Curtisii prefers bright, indirect light.
While you shouldn’t provide your hoya with too much direct sun, a little bit can help with getting it to bloom. Don’t worry, I’ll discuss this more further down!
What if you don’t have enough natural light in your home? Don’t worry! Grow lights are a total lifesaver.
Below is one of my absolute favorite grow lights. It’s SO convenient to use almost anywhere because it has a clip and the positions of the lights are easily adjustable. Oh, and my plants love them too!
How often should you water Hoya Curtisii?
Most hoyas like to dry out between waterings and this one is no different. They have succulent leaves which store water, so they really don’t need to be watered often!
Instead of watering on a schedule, use your finger to feel the potting mix to determine if it’s mostly dry. If it is, then you can water your plant!
Does Hoya Curtisii like humidity?
Native to tropical environments of Southeast Asia, Hoya Curtisii will appreciate extra humidity.
There are a few ways to provide humidity to your plants, but my favorite is by using a humidifier. I like this method because it’s easy, low maintenance, and works well—what more could you want?
Below is one of my favorite humidifiers. It’s large and can cover a lot of plants, plus it can run for up to 96 hours which means I rarely have to check on it! Woohoo!
Temperature
You don’t have to worry too much about the exact temperature.
This hoya prefers to be warm (remember, it’s native to Southeast Asia), but it will be fine as long as the temperature doesn’t drop below 60 degrees Fahrenheit (about 15 degrees Celsius).
This means you might have to move it away from windowsills or drafty areas in the winter.
When should you repot Hoya Curtisii?
Hoya Curtisii is a slow grower, they have shallow root systems, and they like to be rootbound.
All of those factors mean you don’t have to repot this plant more than every three-or-so years, sometimes even less frequent than that.
When it comes time, repot your hoya in a pot the next size up that has good drainage. Try to repot only during the growing season (spring and summer).
Buy a beautiful Hoya Curtisii here!
What kind of potting mix does Hoya Curtisii need?
As an epiphyte, Hoya Curtisii likes a well-aerated and well-draining potting mix.
A few ways to accomplish this are by using a houseplant potting mix with some perlite and orchid bark, or a succulent/cacti mix with some additional perlite to increase the drainage.
Fertilizing
To fertilize your Hoya Curtisii, use a houseplant fertilizer once a month during the growing season (spring and summer)
Pruning
You can prune your hoya to encourage new growth and remove any leggy vines. Simply cut the vine(s) to your desired length with a pair of clean, sharp scissors.
Save any healthy vines you prune off to propagate them! I’ll review propagation a few sections down.
You should also remove any dead leaves or vines as you see them.
And whatever you do, don’t prune off the peduncle (where a hoya flower blooms from) even after the flower dies. Hoyas bloom from the same spot each time so removing the peduncle means it’ll never bloom again in that spot.
Flowers and foliage
Hoya Curtisii grows with dense foliage on top and vines that cascade down. It has small, rounded leaves that are pointed at the end (they kind of look like spades), with light green/silver and dark green variegation.
This hoya looks very similar to the string of hearts plant, but they’re totally different plants.
And, just like other hoyas, the Curtisii blooms beautiful, sweet-smelling flowers that look like clusters of white and pink stars.
While Hoyas aren’t guaranteed to flower for you, there are some things you can do to encourage your plant to bloom.
- Rootbound – Allow your hoya to get rootbound, which it likes, anyway!
- Direct light – Even though the Curtisii is happy in bright, indirect light, a few hours of direct light each day will help it bloom.
- Peduncles – Don’t remove the nub (peduncle) where your hoya bloomed from after the flower falls off. They bloom from the same place each time and removing these will prevent it from blooming there again.
Does Hoya Curtisii climb?
Hoya Curtisii vines climb up trees in their natural habitat. If you like the climbing look, you can provide your hoya with a moss pole.
However, allowing this hoya to hang down from a pot or basket is the popular choice since it’s such a beautiful, cascading plant. It will grow just fine that way, too.
Growth rate and size
This hoya is a relatively slow grower—most hoyas are. Providing it with optimal conditions will help it grow as fast as it can.
The Curtisii is a smaller hoya, with leaves around a half-inch to an inch in length. Its vines can grow as long as three feet.
Common Problems and Pests
- Why are my Hoya Curtisii leaves turning yellow? – Your Hoya is most likely too wet! This could mean you’re watering too frequently or your plant doesn’t have the drainage it needs.
- Make sure you feel the potting mix before watering. Remember, this plant likes to dry out between waterings.
- Make sure your potting mix has plenty of drainage and your pot has drainage holes.
- Root rot – Your plant has been consistently overwatered. Now, the roots are rotting and the plant is dying.
- This happens in the same circumstances mentioned for yellow leaves, except the problem has gone from minor to major. See my post on root rot for help.
- Wrinkly leaves – Your hoya is too dry! Its succulent leaves are plump with water when the plant is well watered. When the plant is too dry, the leaves lack water and will start to shrivel.
- Pests – Common hoya pests include mealybugs, aphids, and spider mites.
- You should always check your plants regularly for pests in order to catch any problems early on.
- For general pest prevention and control, I like to use Bonide Systemic Houseplant Insect Control. I always use this when I bring a new plant into my home.
How to propagate Hoya Curtisii
The Curtisii can be easily propagated in potting mix or water. I’ll review both below.
Propagating Hoya Curtisii in Potting Medium
- Identify a few healthy vines. They should be at least a few inches long and have some leaves.
- Use a pair of clean scissors to snip off the vines.
- Remove the lower most leaves on the vines to expose some nodes
- The nodes are where leaves, roots, and aerial roots grow out of the stem. They are where your new roots will grow from!
- Stick the ends of the vines into your potting medium so that the nodes are buried. Don’t bury any leaves.
- You can choose potting mix, sphagnum moss, or another medium that you like to use for propagation.
- Place the cuttings in bright, indirect light.
- Keep the medium moist, but not wet, and keep the cuttings in a humid spot.
- You can put a clear plastic bag over the container to help increase humidty, just remove it every few days to let in fresh air.
- After a month or so, you can test the progress of your cuttings by giving them a gentle tug. If you feel resistance, that means a root system has developed.
- Transfer them to a permanent pot if they’re not already in one and water them. You can now treat your pot of cuttings like a normal plant!
Propagating Hoya Curtisii in Water
This follows the same general process. Some people prefer water propagation because they can watch the roots grow, but there’s also the added step of having to transfer your cuttings from water to soil.
However, either of these methods will work perfectly fine!
- Identify a few healthy vines. They should be at least a few inches long and have some leaves.
- Use a pair of clean scissors to snip off the vines
- Remove the lower most leaves on the vines to expose some nodes.
- The nodes are where leaves, roots, and aerial roots grow out of the stem. They are where your new roots will grow from!
- Stick the ends of the cuttings in a jar of water so the nodes are underneath the surface. Try not to submerge any leaves.
- Place the cuttings in bright, indirect light.
- Refill the water as needed and replace it totally when it gets murky.
- Once the roots are two to three inches long, you can transfer your cuttings to their permanent pot and water them. You can now treat your pot of cuttings like a normal plant!
- Patience is key when propagating plants. Some plants grow their roots within a few weeks and some can take a few months!
Additional Information
Hoya Curtisii pronunciation
Hoya Curtisii is pronounced: Hoya Ker-tee-see-eye
Scientific names can be tricky!
Is Hoya Curtisii string of hearts?
No, Hoya Curtisii and string of hearts are two different plants. The Curtisii is in the genus hoya and the string of hearts is in the genus Ceropegia.
They do look very similar, though—both have delicate vines that cascade down from the top, with similar-looking, variegated leaves.
Here are some of the more noticeable differences:
- Hoya Curtisii has more spade-shaped leaves while string of hearts has heart-shaped leaves
- Hoya Curtisii has more random, speckled variegation while you can see defined lines and pattern in string of hearts’ variegation
Is Hoya Curtisii toxic?
Technically, Hoya Curtisii is “non-toxic.” However, this plant is still known to cause tummy trouble and vomiting in pets. It’s best to keep this one far away from furry friends.
Is this your new favorite hoya? It’s definitely mine! Buy a Hoya Curtisii here!
Hoya Curtisii Care Summary
- Provide with bright, indirect light (with some direct light if you want to encourage blooming)
- Water when dry
- Use a well-aerated and well-draining potting mix
- Provide with a humid environment
- Keep the temperature above 60 degrees Fahrenheit (about 15 degrees Celsius)
- Repot every three years or even less frequently than that—they like to be rootbound
- Use a houseplant fertilizer once a month during the growing season (spring and summer)
- Prune to remove any dead leaves, to get rid of leggy vines, and to encourage new growth and create a bushier plant
More Hoya Posts
Huge thanks to @jungalo.li and @mygreencasita for allowing me to include their awesome Curtisii photos in this post!
Carissa C says
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! This helped me a lot to improve my plant-mom skills!! I’ll definitely be purchasing a humidifier now!!
Deeann says
Thank you for this valuable information! It was perfect for me and I am thrilled that you included its simplified pronunciation…that I’m still practicing! Thanks to you I’m on a path to success, especially with everything simplified and written so thoughtfully.
Julie, Houseplant Expert says
Thank you so much, Deeann! Good luck with your plant!