Hoya Rosita is a lesser-known hoya species, but it is beautiful, fun, and blooms with bright colors. Like other hoyas, it is possible to grow a healthy Hoya Rosita indoor or outdoor depending on what you want, but you do have to know how to give it the optimal amount of light as well as other care techniques.
This article includes:
- What a Hoya Rosita is and what it looks like
- How to care for it properly with the right amount of light, water, and other factors
- Common problems and what to do when you encounter them
Let’s begin!
Table of Contents
What is Hoya Rosita?
Hoya Rosita is a magnificent hoya hybrid that is created by crossing Hoya Wayetii with Hoya Tsangii.
This combination gives Hoya Rosita the best of both parent species so that it has long leaves that have a maroon tint around the tips with a shading of green to red towards the edges, giving it a perimeter of color around a deep green.
It is a climber with long vines that expand around the room. It is common to keep it in hanging baskets so that the lovely vines and leaves display properly. It can be grown both indoor and outdoor as long as you get the lighting and other conditions right.
The Hoya Rosita plant is also flowering with red and yellow blooms that remain throughout the growing season. The flowers are circular and red with yellow centers due to the nectaries.
They are small, bright, and attractive because they grow in tight groups.
The flowers compliment the color of the leaves and the groups are not as close-knit as other hoyas so it provides a bouquet that many people say looks like a parachute. Flowers will first bloom around 1.5 to 2 years of growth.
Check out this video to learn more about the flowering aspects of hoyas and which hoya species flower the most:
How to Care for Hoya Rosita
To get a Hoya Rosita to bloom properly and to stay green, healthy, and expansive, you will need to provide it with a healthy environment.
While they are not known for being difficult to care for, you will need to ensure the right amount of light, water, and soil conditions to promote healthy growth and development. Let’s check out each of the main factors.
Light
Hoya Rosita plants need indirect sunlight that is bright and consistent for a few hours each day. A little extra light can turn more of the leaves reddish-brown and keeping it that way is fine as long as you don’t burn the leaves.
It adds to the unique appearance without compromising growth and its ability to bloom.
Direct sunlight, especially for a prolonged period, will burn the leaves and turn them brown and brittle. It is best to place your Hoya Rosita near an East facing window or on a porch in the East or West direction that also offers partial or full shade throughout the day.
The main thing to keep in mind is that you don’t want any direct sun hitting the plant during the later morning or afternoon.
Read More >> The Best Way to Care for Peperomia Cubensis
Temperature and Humidity
Hoya Rosita growth depends on moderate temperatures. It works best in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and 11 if you plan on keeping it outdoors, but requires 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year regardless.
However, a lot of people keep it outside during the Spring and Summer and then bring it inside once the temperature drops to around 50 degrees regularly.
As a tropical plant, it also likes a lot of humidity. The leaves store water so you don’t need as constant humidity as some other tropical plants. It can tolerate low humidity, but when there is a consistent lack of moisture, that is when the plant may begin to suffer.
It does best in humidity around 40 to 60%. If you live in an abnormally dry climate, then you may have to utilize humidifiers or other methods to keep the humidity high enough.
Water
Since the leaves of the Hoya Rosita will suck up some water, it is quite resilient even during dry conditions, but only for so long.
It is great for the owner who occasionally forgets to water their plants though because they will not be too susceptible to death from sporadic periods without additional moisture.
During Summer the plant is growing and will require more water than other times throughout the year. This is especially true if it is getting more sunlight that dries out the soil.
Regardless, you want the soil to dry before adding any more water to avoid excessive moisture that can contribute to root rot and other diseases or pests.
Try to water when the top 1 to 2 inches of soil dry out completely. Do not water enough for any moisture to rest on top of the soil. Just ensure that the soil is thoroughly moist all the way through.
This is plenty of water for Hoya Rosita plants and then you can check to make sure it does not dry out rapidly in the next couple of days. If that happens then it is likely that the leaves weren’t holding enough water because of dry conditions recently.
Read More >> How To Plant and Care For White Wax Flower
Soil and Fertilizer
Hoya Rositas need lightweight soil that drains easily. Since they are more likely to be unhealthy due to too much water and not too little water, the soil must drain excess moisture away from the root systems.
You don’t want the roots sitting in water for more than 10 to 20 minutes at a time. The soil should also be airy so that oxygen circulates and gets to the roots and other portions of the plant.
One soil combination that works well is 1 part perlite and 2 parts peat moss. You can also try using 1 part potting soil and 1 part cactus and succulent mix. You should also add some compost and charcoal to stimulate growth and give it room to expand.
Hoya Rositas like fertilizer, especially if you want it to bloom. However, the type of fertilizer is not specific and it will do well with most kinds.
What you do want to consider is that Hoya Rosita plants are light feeders, so you don’t want to over-fertilize. Doing so can damage the roots.
Try to fertilize only during the growing season from Spring to early Fall using liquid fertilizer once every month for a month and a half.
Also, dilute the fertilizer to half of the recommended strength. Prior to blooming, you can use a bloom booster as well.
Pruning
Hoya Rositas will require very little if any, pruning and you never want to cut the peduncles after the blooms begin to fade. This is because flowers will grow on old peduncles and pruning them will prevent blooming the next growing season.
That’s not good if you want to see the beautiful red and yellow flowers!
The stems of the Hoya Rosita are known for growing quite long and often grow outward too much for homeowners who keep the plant inside. It is best kept in a hanging pot or basket so that you don’t have to cut anything while enjoying the splendor.
The only pruning is occasional to trim some of the foliage when it is getting too large and expansive.
How to Propagate or Repot Hoya Rosita
Hoya Rosita plants are quite easy to propagate with stem cuttings. This is the method that you should use because it is not only the easiest, but works the best.
You will need to use a healthy stem about 3 inches to 6 inches in length with a few leaves still attached. Remove the leaves to expose the nodes and place them in water with indirect sunlight, humidity, and moderate temperature.
The roots will grow in 3 to 6 weeks and then move it to a pot when they are 1 to 2 inches long.
You may have to repot a Hoya Rosita every few years and they do not need too much room, but it is not hard to do when it does get too large for the container that it is currently in.
You will know it is time to repot when the roots start coming out of the bottom of the vessel. When doing so you want to make sure there are no pests or existence of root balls, root rot, or other irregularities.
Common Problems with Hoya Rosita
There are some common issues that you may encounter while growing your Hoya Rosita. Let’s look at the main issues and what you can do about them including pests, diseases, browning leaves, and the inability to bloom.
Pests
The most common pests for Hoya Rositas are mealybugs which are tiny bugs that look like cotton. They will remove the sap from the plant but are easy to spot because of the white appearance.
You can spray them off the leaves with water, but make sure to get the eggs because the population will grow quickly. If water doesn’t eradicate the problem, then use neem oil or horticultural oil spray products.
Diseases
Stem and root diseases aren’t very common when it comes to Hoya Rosita, but they can occur sometimes. These are usually fixed by reducing the amount of water you give the plant.
You can often prevent it from ever occurring by avoiding excessive water, but if it does happen you want to repot with fresh, dry soil and cut off any smelly, black, or mushy roots.
Not Blooming
When Hoya Rosita plants do not bloom, it is usually due to poor lighting. Too little light can reduce the likelihood of flowering.
If this is the case, then you want to make sure that it is getting indirect sunlight for a few hours each day, preferably in the morning.
Brown Brittle Leaves
Too much sun can cause Hoya Rosita leaves to turn brown and brittle. This is caused by afternoon or direct sunlight that burns the leaves and dries them out.
If this is the case, then you may want to move the plant to the East and ensure shade between 10 am and 4 pm when the sunlight is potentially the most damaging.
Final Thoughts on Hoya Rosita
Hoya Rosita plants are gorgeous and are not too hard to care for since the leaves hold water. The most important thing is to avoid overwatering or too much sunlight. It is a great hybrid hoya species that you will love for years to come!