The Hoya linearis is similar in appearance to the Ceropegia Linearis or ‘String of Needles’, but a little easier to grow. This wax vine is one of the more sought-after Hoya plants and is occasionally a little more difficult to find. We try to keep this favorite in stock, as wax vines are some of our favorite vining house plants.
When considering adding a Hoya linearis to your collection, please first make sure that you have ample light and good air flow. These wax vines go perfectly in the same area as Snake Plants and Ponytail palms. Due to the fragile nature of the roots, you will not have to worry about transplanting this plant or having it become rootbound! It is truly an easy-to-grow houseplant!
Hoya lineris also looks elegant trailing from a hanging basket planter! It is also known to be pet friendly!
Ed's Plant Profile
- Botanical Name: Hoya linearis
- Common Names: Wax plant, Wax Vine, and Porcelain Vine.
- Family: Apocynaceae
- Native Range: Eastern Asia and Australia
Ed's Care Guide
- Care Level: Moderate
- Light: Medium to bright, filtered light. Harsh light will burn the foliage.
- Water: Allow the 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 to 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. the Hoya linearis has a trailing, vining growth habit, and will often follow the light and can be trained to grow up a trellis, totem pole or wall for a vertical display.
- 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 linearis is 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.
Check out some of our other Hoyas here!
