Plant care library / Hoya Tri Color
How to Care for Hoya Tri Color
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About Hoya Tri Color
Native to Australia and eastern Asia’s tropical rainforests, Hoya Tricolor is a trailing beauty wearing marvelous variegations of pink and white on waxy, forest green foliage. Hoya Tricolor is also a natural epiphyte - growing on the trunks of trees - making it used to thriving under any condition, and the perfect houseplant.
Other common names
- Wax Vine
- Honey Plant
- Porcelain Flower
- Hoya Carnosa
- Krimson Queen
- Wax Flowers
How Often Should I Water My Hoya Tri Color?
With easyplant, watering your Hoya Tri Color is simple. Make sure to check the easyplant reservoir once a month and fill it when empty, and you're all set!
Without an easyplant pot, you need to be careful not to overwater your Hoya Tricolor. As an epiphytic plant, less is more, so the key to avoiding overwatering – which can be fatal to the plant – is checking first if the top inch of the soil feels completely dry to the touch. It’s best to water the Hoya Tricolor once every two weeks, but you may need to increase your watering in the summer and reduce it in the winter. Be mindful not to overdo it as it can lead the roots to rot.
Hoya Tri Color Light Needs
Hoya Tri Color grows best in a space with bright indirect light, where the sun rays are diffused, and can also adapt to spaces with bright direct light, where the sunlight streams inside directly. Avoid placing it in spaces with low light or spaces without natural sunlight.
The Hoya Tricolor plant’s light requirements range from bright indirect light to a bit of full sun, but never to the extent that it can ruin its lovely and delicate foliage. Light is a crucial aspect of growing any variegated specimen, especially when you want to maintain those exquisite streaks of color in its leaves. Indoors, you can easily match the light needs of the plant by placing it near a window or any nearby spot that receives an ample amount of filtered light. Avoid high light intensity as it can burn the leaves and make them turn yellow.
Hoya Tri Color Plant Care
During your Hoya Tri Color’s first few days at home, one or two leaves may wilt, and should be cut. This is a normal part of adjustment, which can take a couple weeks, and no cause for concern.
Once adjusted, Hoya Tri Color is very easy to care for, and will reward your love for it by quickly bouncing back from any mishap.
To help it grow optimally and evenly, you may occasionally dust the leaves and rotate the pot by a ¼ turn once a month. To help it grow to its height, you may attach the leaves to a totem or moss pole and watch it grow tall.
Given enough light, Hoya Tri Color will bloom. During this time, the flowers' nectar may stain furniture, so the pot should be placed accordingly, and it should not be rotated as usual.
How Big Do Hoya Tri Color Plants Grow?
Hoya Tricolor is a natural trailer that will grow long, and can eventually be hung across a wall or stretched down a high shelf.
The Hoya Tricolor is a relatively fast-growing plant. In the wild, it can grow to a staggering length of 20 feet. Indoors, with the right care and light, the beautiful vines can reach up to 6 ft. long, and the plant can grow to about 9 ft. tall within a few years. Be sure to give the plant plenty of space for its vines to climb up.
Temperature & Humidity
Knowing the right temperature and humidity for your houseplants is key to keeping them healthy. The Hoya Tricolor’s ideal temperature range is between 70-80 ºF (21- 26°C). While they can certainly tolerate higher and lower temperatures, try to avoid temperatures below 50 ºF as this may be damaging to the plant. In terms of humidity, typical indoor humidity levels should work fine, but you can also adjust air moisture using a humidifier, given that its ideal humidity is at least 40-60%. In short, the Hoya Tricolor prefers to be kept warm and likes moderate to high humidity.
Are Hoya Tri Color Toxic for Pets & Kids?
Hoya Tri Color is non-toxic and safe for humans and animals alike.
The Hoya Tricolor is not considered toxic to pets or children. It should come as a major relief for plant lovers and parents who wish to grow the beautiful plant indoors. However, it’s important to still be cautious when dealing with plants as touching them can still cause certain irritations. Additionally, while ingesting the Hoya Tricolor is unlikely to cause major illness, even non-toxic plants can trigger unwanted reactions in certain individuals and animals.
Troubleshooting Common Problems with Hoya Tri Color
If you notice multiple leaves are becoming scorched or brown, relocate the pot to a less brightly lit area, where the light is not directly touching the foliage.
If you notice stems growing long and leggy with too much space in between the leaves, relocate the pot to a more brightly lit area, where the light is not directly touching the foliage.
Most problems with Hoya Tricolor are caused by overwatering and underwatering, overfertilization, and pests. These may lead to a number of unappealing symptoms such as blackening of the leaves, leaf-drop, and stem dieback. Signs of pests and disease include spots, yellowing or browning of the leaves, and dry stems. Make it a habit to regularly wipe off the foliage with any specks of dust and secretions, and try neem oil as a spray for both the upper and lower surface of the leaves.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hoya Tri Color Plant
- Do hoyas like sun or shade?
Most hoya plants prefer medium to bright, indirect light. Some grow well with about two hours of direct sunlight in the morning or evening, but too much sun exposure may burn their leaves or cause them to turn yellow. - How fast does Hoya tricolor grow?The Hoya tricolor grows relatively quickly and new shoots may arise in just a couple of months. Indoors, it grows up to 6 feet, but in its natural environment in the wild, it can grow up to 20 feet long.
- Is Hoya carnosa an indoor plant?Hoya vines are absolutely stunning indoor plants! You can grow your Hoya carnosa indoors by placing them near a curtained window. Be sure to maintain a humidity of at least 40-60% and water only when the soil dries completely.
- Is Hoya tricolor the same as krimson princess?Hoya Krimson Queen is a variegated variant of the Hoya Tricolor. Its thick leaves have dark green edges with variegation in the center of either pink or white, sometimes even yellow and lighter shades of green. New leaves are often a reddish pink.
- Is Hoya carnosa easy to care for?The Hoya Carnosa is one of the best plants for house plant beginners. It's very easy to maintain, requires little water, and knows how to adapt to its environment.