The Hoya family has endless varieties, each having different leaves and flowers. The long, succulent leaves and the multicolored flowers are the reason behind the popularity of Hoya Treubiana.
This plant is believed to be native to Sabah, Malaysia. According to some sources, this plant was previously sold as Hoya Meliflua ssp. Fraterna until June 2011.
Despite the resemblance, the leaves on this variety are larger compared to Hoya Meliflua. This fast grower is a lovely Hoya for hanging baskets.
This generous bloomer can flower 3-4 times from the same peduncle. The blooms are fragrant and have a lovely combination of warm and pastel shades.
The outer part of the flower is light pink, but as you move inwards, the color changes to burnt orange.
This variety is non-fussy, unlike some other Hoyas that are sensitive and dislike being moved.
This one handles transplant and movement very well. According to garden.org, this species has a succulent or cactus growth habit. Therefore, you can introduce plant care that is suitable for such plants.
If you like showy houseplants, keep reading because this article explores the beautiful Hoya Treubiana.
Table of Contents
Basic Plant Care Tips for Hoya Treubiana
Summary: This variety loves humidity, so keep the air moisture close to 60%. This plant prefers a gritty mix with perlite, sand, and orchid mix. Good lighting is very important for this species’ growth and blooming, give it bright filtered light.
Soil
If you want maximum drainage, I would suggest keeping your Hoya in a gritty mix. A gritty mix has three major components; a grit substance, a bark substance, and an aerator. You have to mix all these in equal parts.
You can create a custom mix with three easy ingredients; perlite (1 part), coarse sand (1 part), and orchid mix (1 part). You can also sprinkle some activated charcoal. Another recipe is to use potting soil, orchid bark, and perlite in a 1:1:1 ratio.
Avoid using compact soils for this Hoya since compact soil combined with improper drainage can increase the likelihood of root-rot. In addition to the well-draining properties of soil, your pot should also have excellent drainage.
If you want to cultivate this plant in an outdoor location, make sure you are situated in a USDA hardiness zone 10 onwards.
Watering
This plant is a perennial, evergreen, that means the foliage remains green in every season. But evergreen plants need plenty of water and nutrients to maintain their color.
You can water this plant regularly when it grows actively.
Avoid adding excessive water or frequent watering because anything more than required is harmful. In this case, the end result will be root-rot or yellow leaves.
In winter, Hoya Treubiana goes semi-dormant; therefore, I reduce the watering to once a month only. Avoid damp conditions in winter because this invites fungal infection and diseases.
The basic rule for watering a Hoya Treubiana is to water it only when the soil is dry (top half) and never let the roots suffocate by water-logged soil.
Allow the soil to reach a state of partial dryness before watering.
If your outdoor Hoya is getting plenty of water via rainfall in the summer season, make sure you do not add extra water. This leads to an overwatered Hoya Treubiana.
Light
Light is an important aspect of plant care. Maintaining optimum lighting conditions for indoor plants is slightly tricky because each household has different levels of sunlight.
As an indoor houseplant, Hoya Treubiana needs full sun to partial shade.
This means your plant can handle bright sunlight that reaches indirectly, or it can live under the partial shade where it is positioned in a shaded spot.
I would highly suggest that you protect your Hoya Treubiana from direct sun rays. These can ruin both the foliage and blooms.
For outdoor planting, this plant will thrive in filtered sunlight or partial shade (protected from the afternoon sun).
Temperature
This tropical plant will do much better in warm areas, so if you are situated in a cold area, make sure you maintain the necessary warmth for the growth of Hoya Treubiana.
This temperature tolerant plant can thrive in temperatures between 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit (20 to 25 degrees Celsius).
This species can handle freezing temperatures for a short period, but I would suggest avoiding that because frost damage is a major concern for most tropical species.
This plant should not be placed in temperatures lower than 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius).
Humidity
Being a tropical evergreen, this beauty prefers high humidity for maximum growth. In the resting month, this plant will not require high air moisture.
It would be great if you can maintain the humidity close to 60% during most part of the year.
Humidity is a major consideration for winter months when the indoor climate is very dry due to central heating.
If you want to keep this plant thriving and happy in winter, keep it in an atmosphere with lots of humidity.
I have kept mine in the bathroom window sill, where it gets all the necessary humidity without any extra effort.
Fertilizer
Fertilize this plant regularly in active seasons using an appropriate houseplant fertilizer. The only requirement is to dilute the fertilizer at ¼ or ½ strength.
You should strictly follow the instructions of the manufacturer to avoid fertilizer burns and soil toxicity.
These instructions precisely explain how many units of fertilizer are required for each gallon of water.
Liquid fertilizers are my top choice because their application is easy, and they can precisely reach the roots from where the plant can suck all the nutrients.
You should add the liquid fertilizer once a month in spring and summer.
If you are using granular fertilizer, ensure that you moisturize the soil well before fertilizing.
If you want your plant to have large, profuse blooms, apply a phosphate-rich fertilizer for about two months before the blooming season.
I would recommend using a fertilizer that is rich in phosphorus and potassium with low nitrogen.
I believe fertilizer with very high nitrogen content will not help this succulent plant as it will make the leaves very watery and soft.
I do not fertilize my Hoya Treubiana in winter because it leads to salt buildup. But if you feel feeding is required for your plant in winter as well, make sure you leach the potting soil.
Repotting
Repotting should be done every two years. But I would suggest refreshing the soil using light, airy mix because using the same mix for very long can lead to a compact mix.
Remember that Hoya Treubiana appreciates being root bound so avoid frequent repotting.
Pruning
Heavy pruning is not recommended for this plant; you can prune it lightly in early spring to keep it tidy. Trim yellow and brown leaves or any part of the plant that is decaying.
Wear protective gloves before you start pruning because the milky sap can cause skin irritation. Always wash your hands thoroughly after pruning.
Propagation
Leaf Cuttings
- Leaf cuttings or blades can be used to start new plants.
- These leaves can develop adventitious roots and shoots on the undersides in a moist growing medium.
- Simply take two or three healthy leaves from your plant.
- Take a clean knife or blade and make several slashes on the undersides of these leaves. Make sure you slice the leaf veins.
- Now take a small tray or pot and fill it with peat and perlite mix. Add water to moisten the soil well.
- Place these slashed leaves on top of the moist soil. This moisture will encourage growth on the lower sides of the leaves.
- New growth starts from the leaf veins at the base of the leaf. The wounds are responsible for all the new growth.
- This process will take several months to develop a new plant, but it is worth the wait.
Water Propagation
- You can do the propagation in an interesting way known as water propagation, which means growing your cutting in a liquid medium.
- All you need is a healthy cutting and a glass of water.
- Take a cutting with 1 or 2 leaf nodes and few leaves on it. The cutting should be 4-5 inches in length.
- Place your cutting in water by submerging the leaf nodes below water. All the leaves have to be above the water surface because if they stay in contact with water continuously, they will start rotting.
- You can use a string and a small wooden stick to help the leaves stay above water.
- The water jar should be positioned in indirect sunlight at a warm temperature. Direct sunlight is not good for this method because it promotes algae growth.
- You have to replace the water whenever it gets dirty or muddy.
- This method will take longer than soil propagation. But once you are satisfied with the roots, you can transplant this baby plant in a soil medium and continue caring for it as a young plant.
Blooms
This plant has very fascinating, multicolored flowers in shades of pink, red, orange, yellow, and white.
This plant blooms almost all year, in spring, summer, and early autumn.
These blooms even have a refreshing fragrance that will definitely lift your mood.
I would describe the fragrance as a sweet smell that resembles butterscotch.
The blooms have a fuzzy appearance; the texture resembles snowflakes.
The outer flower varies in shades of baby pink, orange, and yellow. Whereas the inner, small flower is star-shaped in white and red color.
Unlike some other Hoyas, this one will not make you wait for too long for the blooms.
The reflexed pink flowers are 0.5 inches (15mm) in size and last for about 1 week.
The flowers grow as umbels in a downward position; therefore, hanging this plant on a window sill, patio, or basket is the best way to show off its beauty. Each umbel has up to 20 flowers.
These colorful flowers produce red nectar that attracts butterflies in an outdoor garden.
Growth
This species gets one of the longest leaves in the Hoya genus.
The leaves have a smooth surface with a refreshing color. These impressive dark green leaves are succulent in nature with a rubbery texture.
The mature leaves are about 12 inches (30 cm) long and 5 inches (12 cm) wide.
The long leafy vines trail downwards, featuring the super succulent leaves.
The vines on Hoya Treubiana are actively looking for a trellis or any damp support to climb.
I would suggest installing damp vertical support to help this Hoya climb.
Toxicity
The plant itself is not toxic, but just like other Hoya species Treubiana also produces white sap that is considered toxic.
This sap can cause skin irritation and allergies for some individuals.
Always use protective gloves to avoid contact with the white, milky sap.
Keep this plant at a high location away from the reach of children or pets.
Because if they accidentally eat any leaves, they will have stomach issues.
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Common Problems for Hoya Treubiana
So far, aphids are the only issue with my Hoya Treubiana since this plant is highly susceptible to aphids.
Aphids always go after the new growth of Hoya plants. These soft-bodied, pear shape pests feed on plant juices to grow and multiply. The leaves start turning yellow, may even start dropping. New leaves on infected plants appear distorted due to a lack of nutrients.
These pests can even initiate a fungal attack; therefore, once infected, eradication is important to prevent further damage.
You can fight aphids on a houseplant with common pesticides or neem oil. You should also avoid nitrogen-based fertilizers because the new growth serves as more food for aphids.
I would also suggest releasing beneficial insects like lacewings, ladybugs to devour aphids.
Tips for Growing Hoya Treubiana
- Sometimes the flowers drip a sticky sap in summer; if you have placed this plant on a table or shelf, make sure you keep a cloth to protect the furniture from this sticky sap.
- Choose a potting mix that retains the moisture and is porous.
- The leaves on this species are thick, meaning this plant expects a dry period to start blooming.
- Provide at least one drainage hole because if the roots stay in damp soil for an extended time, they get lost and start rotting.
- In winter, keep this plant dry at most times but maintain good air circulation.
- This plant can tolerate outdoor weather in summer as long as it is given strongly filtered sunlight.
- Give your plant water more frequently if it is placed in bright light.
- During chilly winter times, keep this plant away from the cold windows or doors.
- Remove the dead/dying stems as soon as possible to protect other healthy parts from getting ill.
- Once you receive your shipped plant, avoid placing it in bright light for the first few days. This reduces transplant shock. Let your plant slowly acclimate to its new home.
- An overwatered Hoya Treubiana becomes swollen and has an untidy growth. Therefore add water only when the soil is dry.
Frequently Asked Questions on Hoya Treubiana
What is the difference between Hoya Treubiana and Hoya Meliflua?
These two varieties belong to the same section of the Hoya family, but they differ in leaf, bloom size, and color. The flowers on Treubiana are slightly bigger in size. The leaves are also longer and wider compared to Meliflua.
Can I keep this plant outdoor in the rainy season?
This plant enjoys the rainy season in a hanging basket. But make sure you withhold or reduce watering from your side as the plant is already getting plenty of water.
Can I keep Hoya Treubiana in low light?
Keeping your Hoya Treubiana in low light will not have any drastic side effects, but your plant might become weak as it produces leggy vines. It will produce fewer leaves and blooms in low sunlight. Therefore I would recommend you to provide at least a medium sun.
What is the maximum size the leaves on this plant can reach?
One of the leaves on my Hoya Treubiana measures about 23 inches (60 cm), so you can assume the leaves can get pretty large, but they rarely reach their maximum size.
Is this plant difficult to bloom?
Hoya Treubiana is one of the easiest and quickest Hoyas to bloom in my garden. This is true for several other gardeners. So I would say it is not a difficult bloomer.
Why is it important to train this plant for support before stems reach maturity?
It is extremely important to provide sturdy support to train the plant when it’s young to have rapid growth. This is because mature vines are difficult to bend.
Conclusion
The Hoya Treubiana is a great plant for anyone who is a beginner at Hoya gardening. This plant offers ease of care, beautiful succulent foliage, and colorful blooms.
When given the right care and attention, this Hoya repeatedly blooms, and that too within a short time period.
This terrific waxplant demands minimum care. I always try to create an ecosystem for my houseplants that’s close to their natural habitat; the same goes for growing a healthy Hoya Treubiana.
You have to create a tropical system to help this plant thrive. Also, ensure that your pets don’t ingest any part of this plant.
Check out our article about Hoya Meliflua care.
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.