Is Hoya Kentiana Rare?

The Hoya Kentiana is a somewhat rare succulent vine. Even more uncommon is the Hoya Kentiana Variegata cultivar. It’s common for Hoyas to be misidentified, so bear the rarity of a Hoya Kentiana in mind when acquiring one.

Don’t be fooled by the name “Kentiana” into thinking it is the same as the commonly available Hoya Kentiana, which is a different plant.

The Hoya Kentiana Variegata cultivar however is a terrestrial (ground-root) variety. If you find this plant at your local nursery, it will be misidentified to the point that most people won’t realize what they have purchased.

Is Hoya Kentiana the same as Wayetii?

Hoyas are notoriously difficult to distinguish—even professionals can get it wrong! At first look, the Kentiana and Wayetii may appear to be practically similar, particularly after poring over innumerable photographs online. Both feature spear-shaped leaves, similar blooms, and similar green and maroon-colored patterns.

However, you are more likely to encounter a Hoya Wayetii than a Kentiana. Thus, what distinguishes Hoya Kentiana from Hoya Wayetii? Although the Hoya Kentiana has longer leaves than the Hoya Wayetii, this advantage is most helpful when both plants are completely grown.

The tiny distinction between Kentiana and Wayetii is nearly often the color of their pedicel and peduncle. To refresh your memory, the pedicel and peduncle are the stem segments that bear the blooms. Hoya Kentiana has a pink pedicel, whilst Wayetii have a green pedicel.

Additionally, the Hoya Kentiana blooms have a lighter fascia color, albeit this is dependent on the quantity of sunshine it receives. Neither my Kentiana nor my Wayetii have bloomed—but comparing them side by side, it’s very obvious they are distinct plants.

Where is the Hoya Kentiana from?

Hoya Kentiana, like many other Hoyas, originated in Southeast Asia. It is abundant in the Philippines’ jungles. Tropical rainforests provide the ideal growth habitat for the Hoya Kentiana: they are humid, warm, and have an abundance of trees to climb.

What makes the Hoya Kentiana so distinctive is that they bloom at night, which means they are often pollinated by insects. Bats and moths, on the other hand, do, which is where their delicious butterscotch scent comes in useful.

How do you care for a Hoya Kentiana?

In terms of Hoya plant care, the Kentiana is a pretty low-maintenance plant. It is not as needy as, say, an Orchid or African Violet. To keep it alive ensures the following aspects;

Soil

The optimal soil for Hoya Kentiana is a peat-based potting mix. A soil mixture of one part peat moss and one part perlite is ideal for your plant. If you do not have access to peat moss, any chunkier, bark-rich soil mix would suffice.

If you’ve already read one of our “custom created” soil mix instructions, you’ll know that one part perlite, one part orchid bark, and one part ordinary growers mix is optimal for succulent-like plants and the majority of Hoyas.

It provides a well-draining, aerated growth medium for your plant, preventing water logging or root rot.

Light

We would suggest avoiding purchasing a Hoya Kentiana if you live in a poorly lit environment with no artificial growing light. They really like strong indirect light and will thrive if given a couple of hours of direct morning or evening sunshine.

Take care not to expose it to direct sunlight for an extended period of time during the day. This may cause the leaves to burn, resulting in irreversible damage. A location in dappled shade and with adequate light will provide the greatest conditions for your Hoya Kentiana to thrive.

Watering

Watering your Hoya Kentiana in the same manner as you would any other Hoya or succulent. It prefers that its soil dries up little between watering. This is advantageous since it eliminates the need to constantly monitor it and water it.

Its requirements do alter during the season, and you will need to adjust the amount of water it receives based on the activity of your plant at the time. Throughout the growth season, irrigate your Hoya when the soil becomes dry.

Humidity

Hoya Kentiana are tropical plants, which means they require higher humidity levels. However, frequent misting or a humidity tray can suffice in lieu of the excess of a humidity dome or terrarium.

Temperature

Temperatures between 65 and 80°F (18 and 26°C) are optimal for your Hoya Kentiana. This temperature will be great for it during the spring and summer. During the winter, try to maintain it between 55 and 60°F (13 and 15°C), but no lower than 45°F (7°C).

These temperatures will promote flowering in the following growing season’s late spring and early summer. Avoid exposing it to freezing conditions; it is not a hardy plant and will suffer frost damage or perhaps die.

This implies that if you reside in a temperate location where winter temperatures are substantially lower, you should store it away from doors, windows, and drafts.

Propagation

While propagating this plant is neither simple nor straightforward, it is completely achievable and there is no reason why you should not give it a try. I’ll discuss heat mats and rooting hormones, but don’t let that frighten you.

Fertilizer

If you prefer the convenience of synthetic fertilizers, you may use them once a month during the spring and summer growing seasons. After watering, dilute it to half strength and fertilize your Hoya Kentiana the next day.

What is Hoya Kentiana?

Hoya Kentiana is a tropical perennial that produces the most adorable tiny blooms with a butterscotch scent. It features spear-shaped, pointed evergreen leaves—one variegated variation even has vivid red-tipped foliage.

The foliage is dark green, elongated, and sharp, and the blooms are burgundy crimson with a golden crown when in bloom. The foliage is waxy and dense, which is why they are frequently referred to as Wax plants.

How fast does Hoya Kentiana grow?

The Hoya Kentiana is not well-known for its rapid growth—in fact, just the reverse is true. They can reach a height of two feet (when ascending) if provided with appropriate light, water, and humidity, although this may take several years. Pruning the Hoya Kentiana will not result in increased growth.

Due to its sluggish growth rate, repotting is not required frequently, which is quite handy. If the container is too tiny, the plant’s development may be stifled. However, this Hoya is picky about repotted plants, so proceed with caution. Repotting will induce a period of dormancy in the plant that may last many weeks.

How do you repot a Hoya Kentiana?

We would suggest repotting it every two to three years. In this case, your best bet is to divide the root ball into two sections and plant half in a new pot. If your plant has grown too large for the pot, you can use this opportunity to throw away its old container and get a new one.

Your Hoya Kentiana may outgrow its pot if you begin to notice the edges of its leaves turning brown due to over-watering. It also needs repotting if you notice new leaves emerging from the center of the plant.

The best way to repot your Hoya Kentiana is to make sure it’s completely dry before you do so. This will prevent damage to it and ensure that you water the new soil immediately afterwards.

Make sure the soil is evenly moist, if it isn’t wet enough, mix in some more soil or sand. You can measure this with a spoon or a knife. To avoid damaging the roots of your Hoya Kentiana, never use a stem or stem cuttings as rootstock.

How do you propagate Hoya Kentiana?

Hoya Kentiana plant is not simple to propagate, but it is absolutely feasible and you should give it a shot. Don’t be scared by heat mats and rooting hormones.

The easiest technique to propagate Hoya Kentiana is through herbaceous stems. Pick non-flowering stems with at least 2 nodes and some leaves early in the summer for best results. Let’s take it step by step:

Choose and cut. Always start with healthy, pest- and disease-free cuttings. Decide if you want one or more and make sure the mother plant survives.

Cut below two nodes. Dip your cutting’s stem in rooting hormone. Any nursery or garden shop sells this. A rooting hormone is not required since Hoya Kentiana is one of the succulent Hoya species.

In the case of Hoya Kentiana, it requires high heat and moisture to push out roots. Heat and moisture promote rot, especially in soil-rooted cuttings. So, to keep these young plants healthy, we should maintain them in these settings as little as possible.

Rooting hormone soaked stem ready to pot. Pot it in a soil mix with more organic matter than a mature plant’s soil mix to keep the nodes wet.

Make it hot and humid. Here’s how to accomplish it. I needed a propagation box for many plants that needed these conditions.

You can do it too, simply get a large plastic container or Tupperware, add a glass or two of water for humidity, and store it somewhere warm.

Throughout the day, aim for 70°F – 21°C or above. Don’t worry if you can’t do it naturally. Heat mats have long been used by growers and gardeners worldwide.

You may find them cheaply on Amazon or in your local garden shop or nursery.

Mist, mist, mist! Don’t forget to spray your fresh cuttings daily. I rarely or never water my propagation box cuttings since the misting performs the job well.

Your goal is to establish a mini-tropical forest with fast-rooting cuttings! After three to four weeks, repot your Hoya Kentiana cuttings into a standard pot.

Put them in a light, warm location and continuously misting them. The shift in humidity and temperature will take time for the cuttings to acclimatize. Give them time and affection and they will soon wake up.

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How often do I water my Hoya Kentiana?

The Hoya Kentiana requires only a little to moderate quantity of water. As a result, there is no need to water the plant regularly.

Watering should be adjusted according to the season. Your Hoya requires a moderate amount of water from late spring to early summer (spring and summer). During warmer seasons, plants rapidly lose moisture. It is considered the plant’s growing season, which is why water is most needed.

On the other hand, the plant should receive less water throughout the fall and winter seasons. During these seasons, the plant is dormant. They do not require so much water to live throughout the winter months.

To avoid further difficulties, avoid submerging or overwatering your Hoya. It is critical to allow the soil to dry completely before watering the plant again.

How do I get my Hoya Kentiana to bloom?

If you’ve been taking good care of your Hoya Kentiana, you could get lucky and see it bloom. Its star-shaped blooms will appear in groups and, like other Hoya blooms, will smell like butterscotch.

Its pedicels will be a creamy pink tint, and the blooms will be a deep wine red with yellow centers, as previously stated. These blooms will lack the hairs that many other Hoya flowers have, but they will be waxy and juicy in appearance, attracting several bugs that I will discuss later. The most crucial fact here is that Hoya Kentiana blossoms from spurs.

These grow from the stem and may take some time to bud, so don’t chop them off when you first notice them. Because they have the capacity to blossom numerous times from the same spur, don’t take the stems away once the flowers have died back a week or two after budding, or even at the end of the season.

In keeping with the plant’s reputation as a drama queen, any movement or stress during the blossoming period will cause it to drop all of its blossoms.

The aroma of the bloom, like that of other Hoyas, will be strongest in the early evenings and nights because its pollinators in nature are nocturnal creatures that travel, dine, and hunt at night.

Why my Hoya Kentiana is drying?

Perhaps the container you have chosen for a Hoya Kentiana is too small. They aggressively grow dependent on how much sunlight they get. This rapid growth may also cause drying issues with your plant. Additionally, try watering this kind of Hoya less, especially when it’s in a small pot.

Finding a perfect pot for your Hoya Kentiana may be hard since this kind of succulent species grows very fast, so doesn’t just put it into any container without taking measurements first.

Make sure to water it only enough water to give it a drink, not too much. Otherwise your plant may even die.

Do not put them under direct sunlight in the summertime because it may lead to sunburn, and you do not want that. Misting your plants as often as possible will help with this issue.

The potting soil you are using might be too dry for a Hoya Kentiana. For example, when growing them from cuttings, it is more common for the stems of the plant to dry out easily if your soil is too dry for a Hoya Kentiana.

Why my Hoya Kentiana leaves turning yellow?

There are seven most common causes for your Hoya plant’s leaves to become yellow.

Overwatering

Overwatering is the most common cause of yellow leaves in Hoya plants. This is most likely to occur if you are new to plant care. We overwater because we naturally think that all plants require a lot of moisture to develop. If you use too much of the valuable liquid, your Hoya leaves will turn yellow.

Underwatering

Another typical cause is a lack of irrigation. Although Hoya plants may endure longer periods of dryness, this does not guarantee that the plant will not suffer as a result. Both a lack of water and an overabundance of water can cause the leaves to become yellow.

Poor soil drainage

Hoya plants require good soil drainage since they do not like to hold too much rainwater between watering. Even if you are sufficiently watering the plant, its leaves might become yellow if the soil does not drain correctly. Repair this by purchasing a well-draining soil or creating your own mixture.

When it comes to pots, make sure they have well-positioned drainage holes that are large enough not to become blocked. Overwatering and inadequate drainage cause root rot, which is difficult to treat since it is not immediately spotted.

Fortunately, the answer to a container’s inadequate drainage is simple. To improve drainage, either expand the holes or set the pot on some stones. That is how you will solve one of the Hoya plant issues.

Inadequate lighting

The wax plant thrives in both direct and indirect sunshine, as well as warm temperatures. If you set your plant in a too shady location, the leaves may turn yellow.

If the side of the plant closest to the light source is green, but the side further away from the light source is pale green or yellow, this is the problem. Tropical plants prefer indirect light, therefore do not place them in direct sunlight.

The remedy to any Hoya plant issues caused by poor illumination is easier than you would think. Simply rotate the plant every now and again to ensure that each side receives enough sunlight to create chlorophyll, the chemical that gives the leaf its green color.

Cold and drafts

Another characteristic shared by all tropical is a dislike of cold air and drafts. When they are chilly, their foliage turns yellow, so keep the plant away from drafty locations or air conditioners. Also, if you live in a four-season location, make sure that the temperatures in the rooms do not go below 50°F (10°C).

Inadequate nutrition

A lack of nitrogen and potassium might cause your plant’s bottom leaves to turn yellow and finally fall off. Chlorosis is the medical term for this illness. This is not only one of the most common Hoya plant diseases, but it also affects other plants. Inadequate nourishment causes Hoya leaves to yellow and fall.

Age

Aging is a natural process that all living things go through. Plants are no different. And as our hair greys with age, so do the leaves.

How much light does Hoya Kentiana needs?

The Hoya Kentiana requires a lot of indirect light. Higher light, however, does not always imply more growth, especially in tropical plants. They aren’t used to the sun’s direct, intense beams.

In fact, excessive sunshine will burn the leaves and form brown areas on the leaves. The Hoya Kentiana will require a few hours of direct sunshine in the early morning or late evening.

A good place for the Hoya Kentiana is near a window that gets lots of sunshine for a few hours each day, such as a south or east-facing window. The stems will get leggy and the leaves will lose their bright hues if not given adequate light.

Does Hoya Kentiana need humidity?

Hoya Kentiana are tropical plants, which means they require higher humidity levels. However, frequent misting or a humidity tray can suffice in lieu of the excess of a humidity dome or terrarium.

A humidity tray is an inexpensive do-it-yourself method of increasing the humidity surrounding your plants. You lay your pot on a saucer filled with pebbles and water, so that the water does not come into direct touch with the pot’s bottom due to the stones.

This method, the water is not absorbed by the roots but evaporates, increasing the relative humidity around your plant.

This is possible if you place your plant on a window sill or shelf, but I recommend purchasing a humidifier if you choose to hang it. Avoid placing it near heating equipment or vents, since they produce dry air and will harm your plant.