How to Grow a Hoya Heart Into a Plant
I’ve always been fascinated by the Hoya Heart Plant. This is why I made sure I was the first one to pre-book a 4″ pot of the variegated Hoya Kerrii (aka Hoya Sweetheart) in an coming special shipment at the fancy plant shop downtown.
My excitement at pick-up time quickly faded when I saw the miserable plant the shop handed over to me.
I am not one for arguments, so I left the store with the sad looking Hoya Kerrii, thinking that it was probably stressed by the shipment and that once settled into our home, she would be fine.
But that was not the case. The plant started loosing one leaf after another within three days. I had documented the whole process with pictures, so I decided to email the plant shop. You see, these plants are tough to find, and because of that, they tend to be pricey. While I don’t like confrontation, I also dislike being ripped off.
The plant shop was kind enough to tell me that some of the plants did not rehydrate properly, and they offered to replace it with a new Hoya Sweetheart. Unfortunately, even the second plant was a dud. After having two consecutive heartbreaks, I concluded that I will never buy a plant from the same store again and that I was not destined for Hoya Kerriis.
This is the variegated Hoya Kerrii on the day I brought it home from the plant shop. Doesn’t it look unhealthy?
However, it seems like destiny had a different plan for me and Hoya Kerriis…
Around Valentine’s Day, I visited a greenhouse, (clearly, a different one!), and I encountered an army of the cutest green hearts in small pots.
It didn’t take me long to realize they were Hoya Kerrii leaves, marketed and sold as Hoya Hearts for Valentine’s Day.
I immediately purchased one for my daughter, thinking about her collection of differently shaped succulents. I also fell for the brilliant marketing ploy of selling heart shaped plants for Valentine’s.
However, I couldn’t stop thinking about where these hearts came from and questioned my feelings about it.
Upon returning home and doing some research, I realized that I had essentially bought an over-priced individual leaf, propped in a pot with dirt solely for its appearance. The leaf didn’t even have roots and was only meant to survive a couple of months!
Here we go again…the Hoya Kerrii got me once more!
Only this time I was determined to make it thrive!
I am skilled with plants.
I have successfully propagated many plants, including several succulents.
I can do this.
Even though the statistics suggest that the chances of these Hoya Hearts rooting are low, I was determined to give it a try!
And that’s how I learned how to grow a lovely Hoya Heart into a healthy plant!
Before delving into the Hoya Heart care, I want to express the discontent with the practice of selling individual leaves as holidays novelties.
Consider this; how many plants loose their leaves to pot so many hearts? Isn’t it sad???
So, my advice is to buy as many hearts as you can find and root them all!! ✌🏻☮️
Hoya Hearts on display during the Valentine’s season. None of these leaves have roots.
hoya heart ideal light
The Hoya Kerrii is a tropical succulent vine that thrives in bright light. Depending on which side of the house you keep your heart-shaped leaf, exposure to direct sunlight varies.
Ideally, you should place your plant by a South facing window, where it can enjoy a few hours of direct sunlight without scorching.
If you, like me, have it by a West facing window, it’s best to protect it from the harsh direct sun rays, especially in summer, with a sheer curtain.
Don’t despair if you only have East and North facing windows available for your Hoya Heart. As long as it is exposed to as much as natural light as possible, your plant will be fine!
Make sure your plant is away from any drafts, whether they are from heating or air conditioning vents or doors.
hoya heart watering
This lovely heart-shaped leaf, and eventually plant, is a semi-drought tolerant species. Proper watering is critical for its success.
As a rule of thumb, allow its soil to dry out between waterings.
However, proper watering depends on the plant’s pot size and material, as well as on your plant’s location.
For example, I keep my plant in a small terracotta pot by a West facing window, so I water it once a week.
All the literature on Hoya Hearts you find out there will tell you to water it every tow to three weeks. Yet, I do it once a week, and I was able to grow a plant from a leaf.
Why, you may ask?
First of all, my Hoya Heart is in a small pot because this plant has small roots, or none at all when I first purchased it, so there is no point to have it into a big pot of soil that can be too damp, risking to rot the leaf. The smaller the pot, the less amount of soil, and the faster it will dry out.
Second, I keep most of my indoor plants, including this leaf, into terracotta pots, which are porous, allowing the soil to breathe and dry out faster than in plastic pots.
Last, but not least, my plant is placed by a West facing window with access to sunlight, which allows the soil to dry out faster.
Hence, I water my Hoya Heart once a week. However, I can stretch it to two weeks when we are away on vacation without seeing any negative consequences for the plant.
The Hoya Heart I purchased for my daughter. This is the leaf I rooted and grew into a plant.
hoya heart repotting
As mentioned before, the Hoya Heart has small roots, none when you first bring it home from the store.
It most likely comes in a plastic pot or in a decorative pot without drainage holes.
Even if the plastic pot has drainage holes, I highly recommend repotting your plant after a couple of weeks of acclimatization to your home, not before.
Make sure the pot is not much larger than its original one for the reasons I explained in the previous section on watering. Click here to learn more about repotting indoor plants.
Use a well draining soil. A cactus/succulent mix is great, and a generic potting soil mixed with some perlite to add drainage is great too, (1 part perlite to 4 parts soil).
After this initial repotting, you won’t need to repot your plant for a long time, other than its maintenance soil replacement, to replace the nutrient-depleted soil with some fresh.
Once the leaf start developing roots and growing a new stem with new leaves, consider repotting into a bigger pot.
At that point, you will only need to go one size up. Don’t got too big, or you’ll risk drowning the roots.
Hey Plant Loving Woman!
Are you a middle age mom?
Do you constantly feel overwhelmed and anxious?
Do you believe in the healing power of nature?
To reveal your #1 Personal Houseplant that best
helps you reduce your anxiety.
Tlc, persitence & consistency, patience & time
Almost two years went by before I noticed the little sprout poking through the dirt next to the original leaf.
That’s right, two years of love, patience, and persistence finally led to seeing the results!
I can’t even tell you how much joy I felt when I saw that little sprout poking through. I experienced a great sense of pride, satisfaction, and gratitude for the reward this tiny leaf gave me.
All you have to do to root your Hoya Heart is to follow the light, watering and repotting tips I just shared. But you must be patient!
It might take your Hoya Heart a shorter or longer time to root and grow a stem. However, with consistent care, you’ll see results. I promise.
Don’t panic if your Hoya drops the first tiny leaf it grows; it’s ok.
A new one will soon follow.
My Hoya Heart showing its tiny stem and leaf two years after bringing it home and caring for it.
Hoya Heart three years after coming home.
The plant has lost a couple of leaves along the way, but it has continued to grow new and healthy leaves.
hoya heart maintenance
Your Hoya Heart maintenance won’t change drastically once the stem and other leaves have developed.
The key is to maintain consistency and TLC, of course.
Keep your Hoya Kerrii in the same bright spot where you had your leaf originally and water it only when the soil has dried out.
It is beneficial to feed your plant with a liquid plant food once a month from Spring to Fall.
Since its growth is quite slow, try to save repotting for Spring and Summer, and always remember to use a draining terracotta pot with well draining soil.
Four years have passed since coming home as an individual heart-shaped leaf.
I hope you found this guide to growing your adorable Hoya Heart into a thriving plant both helpful and useful.
It was a lengthy but rewarding journey for me, and I wish you the same joy I felt when I first noticed that little sprout poking through the dirt! 🌱😊
Disclosure: This Blog contains affiliate links, which means I will make a commission at no cost to you, if you make a purchase after clicking my link.
Hey Plant Loving Woman!
Are you a middle age mom?
Do you constantly feel overwhelmed and anxious?
Do you believe in the healing power of nature?
To reveal your #1 Personal Houseplant that best
helps you reduce your anxiety.