Hoya Danumensis Care – Best Practices

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(image credits, IG: hoyafun)

The Hoya genus is filled with beautiful and exotic plant species. Each one maintains its reputation for various reasons.

Some have interesting foliage, while others produce attractive blooms. Among this genus, one lovely species is the Hoya Danumensis, also known as ‘White Bells Hoya.’

The Hoya Danumensis requires a little more care than an average houseplant. However, it makes up for this by being considerably resilient and durable.

Its rigid nature allows it to withstand a wide range of temperatures, as high as 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Furthermore, it likes sphagnum moss-based soil and semi-sun. It enjoys being watered when its soil is slightly dry and prefers humidity levels ranging from 60% to 80%.

An interesting fact about this fine-looking plant is that it was known and sold as Hoya Wallichi initially.

Eventually, it was discovered that Hoya Wallichi and Hoya Danumensis have slight differences; therefore, they are two different species.

The Hoya Danumensis plant is a rare exotic species arising from the lush rainforests of Sabah, Borneo.

It is widely known for its characteristic clock-shaped creamy flowers that fill their surroundings with a fresh, pleasant fragrance.

 

 

Hoya Danumensis Plant Care

 

Soil

The Hoya Danumensis thrives in soils that are loose, well-draining, and highly organic.

Potting your precious Danumensis into dense media may cause root-rot. You can use various soil types to grow this clock-flowered beauty.

I recommend you use sphagnum or peat moss-based soil, which is light and drains reasonably well; therefore, it fits the Hoya Danumensis plant’s needs perfectly.

The alternate options include peat-vermiculite and peat-perlite. Both soil-types are satisfactory and produce fine results.

A Hoya Danumensis most likely to grows happily when moisture-retaining elements such as sphagnum moss or coco coir are added into its potting mix.

I advise you to avoid clay-like soils, which frequently hold excess water.

The plant’s soil must be kept moist at all times. However, keeping the plant or its root in standing water may cause root-rot or wilting.

Therefore, maintain a balance between the two extremes and avoid making the soil wet.

The optimum pH range for the Hoya Danumensis plant is 6 to 7 (slightly acidic to neutral).

You can also add some pine bark fines to your Hoya Danumensisplant. However, do not excessively fill the plant’s soil with such elements, as it can cause toxicity.

 

Water

Generally, all Hoya plants love being showered with love, and of course, water.

This also includes the Hoya Danumensis plant. However, do not get too excited and pour down the entire water bucket repeatedly. Please give the plant’s soil some time to dry out in between.

Since the Hoya Danumensis hails from the rainforests, it is natural to assume that it likes water.

You can water it once or twice a week, judging by the condition of its soil. If the White Bells’ soil seems slightly dry, add some water to its roots.

However, if it seems sufficiently wet, wait till the soil dries out slightly.

Please ensure that your Hoya Danumensis plant is potted in a free-draining mixture that allows excess water to drain through the soil.

If any water accumulates in the roots, the plant may begin to lose its shape, or worse, get infected by various bacterial or fungal infections.

The watering frequency for any plant should change as the seasons change.

Similar is the case with Hoya Danumensis, which is watered regularly in the summers but only weekly or even less in the winters.

During the late fall and winter seasons, the Hoya Danumensis plant does not grow actively.

Therefore, watering it abundantly is not required. Continue the same watering schedule when the summer season starts.

 

Light

The Hoya Danumensis plant naturally grows in rainforests, and so, it stays in between trees or is partially shaded by tree branches.

Resultantly, it can only survive under bright light that is filtered. If the sunlight falling on the Danumensisplant is too harsh, its leaves will most likely scorch.

The ideal sunlight setting for the Hoya Danumensisplant is bright, dappled sunlight.

This fairly meets the plant’s lighting requirements while not being too direct.

Fortunately, most households have such settings where there is partial sunlight only.

However, if you do not have such a spot, create one for your well-deserved plant.

One way to do this is by tying a 20% to 40% shade cloth to a window.

Alternatively, you can place your Hoya Danumensis plant next to the west or south-facing window. Another option is to make use of some artificial growing lights. Check out our webshop for powerful plant grow lights with free shipping.

If your Hoya Danumensis plant is potted outdoors, please make sure it is growing in a partially shaded area, as harsh sun rays may cause drooping and dehydration.

Likewise, please avoid completely shaded areas.

 

Temperature

As mentioned earlier, the Hoya Danumensis plant is a tough one. Therefore, it tolerates a wide range of temperatures.

However, it is best to mimic the plant’s natural surroundings’ temperature as this will lead to faster and healthier growth.

The Hoya Danumensis plant prefers 68 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit(20 to 30 degrees Celsius) during the daytime and 54 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit (12 to 18 degrees Celsius) during the nighttime.

The maximum temperature it can withstand is 95 degrees Fahrenheit(35 degrees Celsius), and the lowest goes to 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius).

Please avoid placing your plant in extreme temperatures. Also, keep the Hoya Danumensis plant away from direct drafts of wind from air conditioners and heaters.

 

Humidity

If you expect the Hoya Danumensis plant to survive in low humidity levels, this is not the case. However, luckily, even when placed in less than ideal moisture levels, it grows considerably well without creating much trouble for the owner.

The Hoya Danumensis plant grows relatively faster and produces larger leaves when the humidity levels are 60% to 80% in the day and 80% to 100% at night.

Please do not let these high levels intimidate you. There are several ways by which you can establish and maintain these levels.

One way is to use some modern technology and bring home a humidifier to produce the ideal moisture levels. Check out our humidifiers we offer in our shop with free shipping,

This way is reasonably convenient for the owner as well as the Hoya Danumensis plant. For measuring the humidity levels, you can utilize a hygrometer.

If you rather do things organically, simply put all your houseplants together in a room and allow them to share and distribute moisture amongst themselves.

Please keep in mind that excessive humidity can lead to increased susceptibility to bacterial infections and diseases.

Therefore, I suggest keeping a close eye on the Hoya Danumensis plant for any signs and symptoms of infection due to high moisture levels.

 

Fertilizer

All living beings need food to grow and thrive. The better the quality of the food is, the healthier the results are.

Similarly, the Hoya Danumensisplant requires high-quality fertilizer to grow into a fit plant.

The White Bells Hoya does not require too much feed; therefore, feeding is not much of a hassle.

I recommend you feed your Hoya Danumensis plant about once every 1 to 1.5 weeks.

This feeding schedule can be followed through the summer, spring, till early fall.

However, during the late fall and winter seasons, the plant has little to no active growth. Therefore, feeding it during this time is not necessary.

You can either use a liquid fertilizer or a slow-release fertilizer. I advise you to pour or sprinkle the feed about 2 to 3 inches away from the plant’s stem over its moisturized soil.

If you are unsure about the type of feed to buy, I recommend you get fertilizer explicitly manufactured for Hoya plants.

At the end of the growing season, you can give your Danumensis plant’s roots a thorough wash to prevent salt buildup. Extra nutrients can sometimes cause toxicity and leaf-spotting.

 

Repotting

The Hoya Danumensisplant has a moderate to fast growth rate. However, repotting it often is not essential because it does not grow humongous overnight.

There are a few reasons to repot a Danumensis plant. If your plant is growing much slower than usual, not growing at all, or drying out quicker than usual, it is time to repot it.

Choosing an enormous pot does not work well for the Hoya Danumensis plants.

Instead, pick a container that is only a few inches larger than the previous one.

This will minimize the root-bounding probability and simultaneously give the plant’s roots sufficient space to develop and flourish.

Please make sure that the plant’s new container is larger than the former and has good drainage and ventilation.

I suggest opting for a plastic nursery container with drainage holes at the bottom.

This prevents water from accumulating, and the container can be easily hidden in a fancy decorative pot.

The Danumensis plant mostly grows during the summer till early fall. Therefore, repot your Hoya Danumensisplant during these seasons, preferably.

 

Pruning

The Hoys plants do not give much trouble when it comes to pruning. They frequently form vines that are regular and do not require much manual setting.

However, you may feel like cutting off a vine or two for purposes such as aesthetics, disease-control, or just because there is only limited space available for the plant.

Yellow leaves can often disrupt a plant’s appearance. If you wish to remove the old or yellow leaves on your Hoya Danumensisplant, carefully remove them with pruning shears or scissors.

Some houseplant owners may prefer their Hoya Danumensisplant small or growing within a limited space.

In such a case, get your hands on a pair of pruning scissors and cautiously chop off a few vines. Remember not to cut or damage any healthy, fine-looking foliage.

Another essential reason is to minimize the spread of disease. If a leaf or vine looks diseased to you, I recommend you cut it off.

This will limit the transmission of infection and most likely remove the fungal or bacterial infection altogether.

Please make sure that before each use, all your gardening tools and equipment are clean and sterilized.

 

Propagation

Although not the most challenging, the Hoya Danumensisplant is a little hard work to propagate. You can use the stem cuttings method for its propagation.

Follow the steps below to propagate via the stem cuttings method:

• Initially, cut off a 2 to 3 inches long piece from the Danumensis plant’s stem with a knife’s help. The cutting can have a few nodes or leaves.
• Next, fill up a pot with the appropriate soil mix and water approximately an inch below the rim.
• To get rid of any chlorine in the water, leave the container overnight before putting the stem cutting in it.
• Put the stem cutting in the container. Please ensure that at least one or two nodes are submerged in the water. If possible, keep two or three leaves above the water surface.
• This is followed by moving the container with the stem cutting into a humid, bright room. Now leave the cutting to grow.
• Please change the plantlet’s water every two to three days.
• When you notice some roots growing, move the plant into a bigger container.
• If you want to propagate the cutting in ground-soil, prepare a suitable soil mix and transfer the cutting in this when it is mature enough. Please maintain the optimum growing conditions throughout.
• Water and feed the baby Danumensisplant whenever necessary.
• When it develops more roots, transfer it to a bigger pot, so it develops fully.

The plantlet’s roots typically grow within 2 to 3 weeks. After 2 to 4 months, the Danumensisplant usually matures enough to be shifted to a larger pot. Now, treat it like a regular, mature Hoya Danumensisplant.

 

Blooms

The Hoya Danumensis plant gives rise to beautiful fragrant flowers that are white, cup-shaped with white coronas.

They grow up to 1.5 inches (4 centimeters) when fully open. Each umbel holds about 10 to 15 flowers.

The flowers last for about five days and produce little to no nectar.

The opening of the flowers is variable. Some flowers open only slightly, while others form perfect shallow cups with folded edges.

 

Growth

The Hoya Danumensis plant is a fast grower. It grows best in USDA hardiness zone 10.

The leaves are green, broad, and leathery. They look lovely on thin, wiry stems on the Danumensis plant, adding to its vigor as a proficient climber.

Moreover, the leaves are 3.1 to 5.1 inches(8 to 13 centimeters) long and 1.2 to 2.3 inches (3 to 6 centimeters) wide, with prominent veins underneath.

Some leaves also bear silver flecks, which further enhances the Danumensis plant’s beauty.

The Hoya Danumensis plant also produces white, shiny, cupped blossoms that appear in clusters.

 

Common Problems for Hoya Danumensis

Yellow Leaves

The leaves of a Hoya Danumensisplant may turn yellow and fall off due to a wide variety of reasons. However, the most common causes are a nutrient deficiency and overwatering.

Overwatering a Hoya Danumensisplant leads to increased leaf-turgidity, which eventually causes the yellowing of leaves.

The other cause of nutrient deficiency may occur because of inadequate feeding or inefficient nutrient absorption.

Fortunately, both the problems are reversible, and the solutions are pretty simple.

Withhold the water till the Danumensis plant’s soil’s top few inches are slightly dry.

Feed the plant with good-quality fertilizer at least once a week and apply the feed on moist soil to aid in absorption.

 

Pests

Unfortunately, bugs and pests are a common problem for almost all Hoya plants.

To check whether pests infest your Hoya Danumensis, check the plant’s leaves’ undersides or leaf axils for any webbing.

If you see any, your Danumensis plant is infested by spider mites.

To eliminate them, spray the plant thoroughly with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Furthermore, monitor the moisture levels.

If your Hoya Danumensis plant’s soil is excessively wet, it may fall prey to fungal gnats.

Please avoid over-watering the plant to avoid gnats and other similar pests.

 

Wilting

Another frequent problem for Hoya plants, including Danumensis, is wilting. Just like for yellow leaves, the causes of wilting are numerous.

However, one major cause is under-watering. Maintaining a balance between the two extremes of overwatering and under-watering is necessary for the Danumensis plant’s healthy growth.

The fix to this, water the plant thoroughly when its top few inches are dry. Please do not withhold overwater for long periods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tips to Keep Your Hoya Danumensis Problem-free

• Place in partial sunlight.
• Do not repot frequently.
• Use balanced good-quality fertilizers.

 

Frequently Asked Questions about Hoya Danumensis

 

How do I keep my Hoya Danumensis plant healthy?

Keep your Danumensis plant in bright, dappled sunlight, water when the top 2 inches of soil are dry, and feed it with high-quality fertilizer. Additionally, maintain ideal moisture levels.

 

How often should I repot my Hoya Danumensis plant?

Repot it approximately after two years or when the roots outgrow the pot completely.

 

When should I fertilize my Hoya Danumensis plant?

Fertilize it during the growing seasons of summer and spring.

Conclusion

The Hoya Danumensis is an exotic plant with unique clock-shaped flowers, which will fill your house with a light yet pleasant fragrance.

This beauty also has an easy-care guide. It is a non-toxic species; however, please keep it away from children and your furry friends.