Hoya Carnosa Compacta 'Hindu Rope'

The Hoya Carnosa Compacta 'Hindu Rope' is another member of the Hoya family of vining plants. Its common name was inspired by it's draping vines that resemble thick ropes once it reaches maturity. It is recognizable for its curly leaves that are either solid dark green or variegated and have an attractive glossy/waxy appearance. It also produces clusters of small star-shaped flowers that are often so waxy in appearance that they give the illusion of porcelain. The ‘Hindu Rope’ is easy to care for, interesting and one of the more popular Hoya varieties which we can totally understand. It does best in bright, indirect light but can tolerate lower light conditions. 

Ed's Plant Profile

• Botanical Name: Hoya Carnosa Compacta
• Pronunciation: HOY-yuh kar-NOE-suh kom-PAK-ta 
• Common Name: Hindu Rope, Krinkle Kurl
• Family: Apocynaceae 
• Native Range: Southern India

Ed's Care Guide

• Care Level: Moderate
• Light: 6-8 hours of bright, filtered light. Harsh light will burn the foliage.
• Water: Allow top 1-2 inches of soil to dry out between watering; avoid over-watering. Smaller, more frequent watering is often best. This plant is drought tolerant yet if allowed to dry out too much, the waxy leaves will begin to shrivel and yellow; this is a sign to increase your watering schedule. If allowed to stay too moist, this may cause bacteria and root rot to develop.
• Humidity: Average 50-75%;Tolerant of lower levels of humidity
• Temperature: 55–85F
• Pruning: Prune as needed to remove brown or dead leaves and control growth.
• Feeding: Use a general-purpose liquid houseplant fertilizer at half strength once every month during the spring and summer only. 
• Propagation: Cuttings
• Growth: Fast-growing compared to other Hoyas. Trailing, vining growth habit will often follow the light and can be trained to grow up a trellis, totem pole or wall for a vertical display. This plant also looks elegant trailing from a hanging basket planter.
• Soil: Use a well-draining, lightweight soil mix, such as commercially available cactus soil.
• Pests: Look out for aphids, spider mites, mealybugs and other scale insects
• Toxicity: Hoya are widely known to be non-toxic to humans and animals yet if ingested may cause reactions in certain individuals. More research is needed in this area. As with all plants, we recommend you exercise caution around children and pets and keep plants out of reach.