With its white or red flower balls, composed of countless waxy star blossoms, the porcelain flower spreads a tropical flair on the windowsill. The floral splendor is accompanied by heart-shaped, oval or elongated, leathery leaves. Behind the exotic silhouette is an easy-care, climbing houseplant. You can read about the importance of the flower and foliage plant in cultivation here in the answers to frequently asked questions.
How do I properly care for a porcelain flower?
The porcelain flower (Hoya) is an exotic houseplant that thrives in a bright, warm location, well-drained substrate and adequate climbing support. It requires moderate watering, regular spraying, occasional liquid fertilizer and protection from direct sun.
Care tips
To successfully care for a wax flower, it is enough if you have basic gardening knowledge to fall back on. The basic requirement is a bright, warm location in combination with a well-drained substrate, such as orchid soil. Furthermore, adequate climbing aid should be available for climbing Hoya. Alternatively, the exotic plant can let its shoots dangle gracefully from the hanging basket. Given these general conditions, care for the porcelain flower as follows:
- Watere moderately with lime-free water from April to October
- From November to March, water only enough to prevent the soil from drying out
- Spray gently with soft water every 1-2 days
- Administer a potassium-rich liquid fertilizer every 3-4 weeks from May to September
- Break out or cut off withered flowers along with the flower stem
Do not expose the wax flower to cold drafts. Only cut shoots that are too long if there is no alternative. The tropical grace is grateful for a cooler winter at 14-16 degrees Celsius in order to gather strength for another flower festival.
Which location is suitable?
The wax flower prefers a bright, warm location with average temperatures of 18-25 degrees Celsius and the highest possible humidity. The houseplant is protected from direct sunlight by a curtain or shading in the winter garden. During the winter break, the tropical flower beauty wants a slightly cooler place at 14-16 degrees Celsius.read more
What soil does the plant need?
Porcelain flowers sold in garden centers and flower shops are usually in normal potting soil enriched with expanded clay or polystyrene beads. This substrate is of course only the second choice. If you want to offer your wax flower perfect conditions, cultivate the exotic plant in orchid soil, coconut fibers or seramis. The roots are well supplied with oxygen and do not rot so quickly. Savings hunters use standard soil or azalea substrate and add perlite breathing flakes, lava granules or polystyrene beads.
When is flowering time?
From May to October, the wax flower on the windowsill competes with the flowering perennials in the garden. Depending on the species and variety, they emit an intoxicating scent that - depending on the nectar flow - can be very intense. To ensure that the porcelain flower presents its most magnificent blooms throughout the summer, clean out withered flower heads regularly. To do this, break the umbels including the flower stem from the stem or tendril with your thumb and forefinger.
Cut the porcelain flower correctly
Cut off the withered flowers along with the flower stalk or break them out with your fingers. However, you should not attack the stems and tendrils with scissors. Every year you develop numerous new flowers, the plants of which would be removed during pruning. Therefore, if possible, do not shorten shoots that are too long, but if in doubt, install an additional climbing aid.
Watering porcelain flower
The wax flower creates a sufficient supply of moisture in its succulent leaves. Therefore, water your Hoya only moderately with soft water. If the surface of the substrate dries, only water until the first drops run into the saucer. After 15 minutes at the latest, pour out the water collected in it so that no waterlogging can form. Pamper the tropical porcelain flower every few days with a gentle mist of soft water from the hand sprayer.
Fertilize porcelain flowers properly
The nutrient supply is limited to the main flowering period from May to September. During this period, administer a liquid fertilizer (€14.00 on Amazon) for flowering plants every 3-4 weeks. Preferably choose a potassium-stressed product that is tailored to the desire for acidic soil value.
Pests
The wax flower is susceptible to infestation by mealybugs and mealybugs. If the cotton ball-like webs appear on the leaves, combat them with a neem oil preparation. Alternatively, you can combat the pests with cotton swabs that have been soaked in high-percentage alcohol or spirit.
Wintering
From October onwards, the abundance of flowers decreases significantly as the wax flower prepares for the coming dormant period. This is how the porcelain flower gets through the cold season he althy and happy:
- Stop nutrient intake from October to March
- Water only enough so that the soil doesn't dry out
- Continue spraying every few days with lime-free water
- Set up in a bright place in cooler temperatures of 14-16 degrees Celsius
At the end of the winter break, repot the wax flower in fresh substrate. Now the temperatures can rise again, so you should adjust the amount of watering proportionally. If the nutrient reserves in the pre-fertilized substrate are used up after 4-6 weeks, apply a lime-free liquid fertilizer every 3-4 weeks until September.
Propagate porcelain flower
Two methods have proven to be ideal for breeding additional porcelain flowers. On climbing Hoya species, lower a vital shoot into an adjacent flower pot with lean substrate. Lightly scratch the fabric with a razor blade and secure the sinker with a stone. If an independent root system has formed, separate the offshoot and mother plant with a smooth cut.
Propagation from cuttings is just as uncomplicated. To do this, cut off shoots with 3-4 leaves just below a leaf node in March/April. When planted in peat-sand in a warm, humid microclimate under a plastic cover, rooting progresses quickly in a warm, partially shaded location. Keep the soil slightly moist with soft water. After 6-8 weeks the cover can be removed so that you can repot your young ones into substrate for an adult wax flower.read more
How do I transplant correctly?
Do not repot an adult wax flower until the roots have already grown out of the opening in the ground or are pushing through the substrate. The best time for this measure is in early spring, when the winter break is coming to an end. How to do it right:
- The new pot is a maximum of 2-3 cm larger in diameter
- Place one or more potsherds over the water drain as drainage
- Pour a first layer of substrate on top
- First unpot the wax flower now to shake off the worn-out soil
Insert the porcelain flower in such a way that the previous planting depth is maintained. Water just a little until the water runs out of the bottom opening. The Hoya can recover from stress in the partially shaded, warm window seat. If the procedure takes too much of your wax flower, this year's flowers may fail. Don't let this irritate you, but continue the usual care protocol unchanged. The flower will put on its graceful floral dress again in the following year at the latest.
Is porcelain flower poisonous?
As the toxicologists at the University of Zurich found out, the wax flower poses no danger to humans. In contrast, the plant is highly toxic to birds. Even consuming small amounts has fatal consequences. You should also exercise caution when cultivating within the reach of dogs, cats or rodents. Do not let your pets near a porcelain flower, as ingesting the flowers and leaves can cause unpleasant symptoms of poisoning.read more
Porcelain flower does not bloom
If the longed-for flowering does not occur, various triggers are responsible for the dilemma. Below we have put together the most common causes for you with tips on how to fix them:
- Lack of light: Place the wax flower in a bright location with 10-12 hours of daylight
- Cold: During the growth and flowering period, pay attention to warm temperatures of 18-25 degrees Celsius
- Waterlogging: All Hoya species should only be watered moderately and preferably sprayed more frequently with soft water
- Overfertilization: Apply the first liquid fertilizer to the pre-fertilized substrate after 6 weeks at the earliest
- Pruning mistakes: If possible, avoid cutting a porcelain flower because it keeps blooming on its tendrils
- Change of location: Avoid carrying the plant back and forth or turning it frequently
- Lack of hibernation: from October to March keep it cooler at 14-16 degrees Celsius, water less and do not fertilize
A bud drop is particularly devastating because the flower already seemed close enough to touch. The trigger for this misery is a place in full sunlight. At least a close-meshed curtain should protect the wax flower from the midday sun.read more
Brown leaves
When we see brown leaves on a wax flower, we usually suspect drought stress. In fact, the porcelain flower reacts with this damage to waterlogging and root rot. Immediately repot the Hoya into dry substrate and from now on only water moderately.
Yellow leaves
Yellow leaves are a classic symptom of leaf chlorosis. Wax flowers show this damage if they are watered with hard water or kept in a calcareous substrate. Since all Hoya species require an acidic pH value, too high a lime content depletes important nutrients in the substrate, such as iron and magnesium. Switch the water supply to soft rainwater or decalcified tap water. Use ericaceous or rhododendron soil, orchid substrate or standard soil as a substrate.
Beautiful varieties
- Red Button: Spherical flowers with numerous dark red individual flowers rise above silver-speckled leaves
- Mathilde: Beautiful wax flower, whose white starry petals are decorated with a purple corona over oval leaves
- Krimson Princess: Cream-colored, green-edged decorative leaves underline pink flower balls
- Hawaiian Purple: Umbel-like spherical flowers in rich dark red are enthroned above leaves up to 12 cm long
- Stargazer: A floral jewel with white-red flowers, an intoxicating honey scent and powerful, leathery leaves
- Hoya bella: Compact wax flower with upright, later overhanging shoots and white-red flowers
