Blog by Jenni Dodini
As you may recall, I wrote a blog about how my hoya plant finally started growing, and that I had learned that it is classed as an
orchid in the Apocynaceae family. Well, time goes by, and this guy starts REALLY growing. It is of the kind that grows up, so I staked it.
Then it started tipping over, so I added another stake. Then I propped it up. Then, I gave up and went back to the internet to find out
how to cut it and propagate a new plant. In the meantime, it sprouted another leaf from the bottom!
Here's what I found. Most of the info is the same: Order - Gentianales, Family - Apocynaceae, Name - Hoya kerrii. Other names are Valentine hoya, Waxheart, Heart plant, and Sweetheart plant. The care and history, etc., are the same. I went to GardeningKnowHow, which is one of my favorite sites, and found it listed as a SUCCULENT! So I looked at the North Carolina Extension site, where it is also listed as a succulent. So, one more site was checked to verify that I had reported properly with my first blog. Univ. of Florida Extension also listed it as a succulent. So, I must apologize for my first round of reporting and remind myself not to stop at the first pretty picture, but go to many pretty pictures in the future.
Image
So, moving on to the reason why I started this learning adventure in the first place, what do I do to keep this plant from falling over?
Propagation is best done in the spring or summer. Prepare a pot with a soil that contains fast-draining soil containing perlite, vermiculite,
or clean sand, and then water it to ensure that the soil is evenly moist and let it drain well. Cut the stem below visible nodes and, like a
succulent stem cutting, let it form a callus. The cut stems have a milky sap that can irritate your skin and stain any fabrics that it might
come into contact with. Once the callus has formed, apply rooting hormone and plant down to the node. It will take 2 - 8 weeks to form
roots, during which time you must keep the soil evenly moist. Reduce watering once the roots develop. A blog by Jane Perrone said that the
problem with these plants is that they are unlike a succulent in that they will not grow from a single leaf; you need a piece of stem attached to the
leaf petiole. Then it can take several years to really grow. It also said that they should not be repotted until necessary.
Fun fact: Since it is a member of the Apocynaceae (Dogbane) family, it is related to MILKWEED!
So, what is my plan for moving forward? I have put it into a bigger pot to keep it from tipping over, and I will wait a couple of months and
do a cutting, and then wait. Since it took over a year to get going when I first got it, I will just be patient and hope for the best. I will wait on
repotting it and see how things go.