The wax flower (or Hoya) is famous for those stunning, ball-shaped flower clusters that look like they’re made of tiny, intricate porcelain stars. If you’ve already got a Hoya brightening up your living room, I totally get why you’d want to add a few more to your collection. The good news? They are actually pretty easy to propagate! Here are the best ways to grow your Hoya family.
Using Cuttings
By far the easiest way to get more wax flowers is by taking cuttings. I recommend doing this in the spring. Not only does this give the new babies all summer to establish themselves, but spring is also when Hoyas go through a major growth spurt. You’ll probably notice a few wild vines shooting off in awkward directions anyway!
Pruning for Propagation
Since you’ll likely need to trim back those unruly vines to keep your plant looking tidy, you might as well put those clippings to good use. Snip off a piece about four inches long, making the cut right below a leaf node (that’s the little bump where the leaf meets the stem). To keep them from drying out, pop them immediately into a glass of rainwater—trust me, they love it—or some moist potting mix. It usually takes about six to eight weeks for roots to form. You’ll know you’ve been successful when you see tiny new leaves starting to sprout!
Growing Hoyas from Seed
If you’re up for a challenge, you can try growing wax flowers from seed, though I’ll be honest: this route is a bit more work. Indoor Hoyas don’t often produce viable seeds, and finding them at your local garden center can be like a scavenger hunt. But if you do get lucky and harvest some seeds from your own plant, plant them immediately in a fresh mix of peat and sand. They lose their viability fast! Some of the best varieties to try this with include:
- Hoya carnosa
- Hoya bella
- Hoya australis
