Hoya Kerrii makes a great gift for a friend, mom, or other loved one because of its heart-shaped, succulent leaves. The heart leaf plant, also known as the porcelain flower, wax flower or little darling, is also easy to keep as a houseplant. The plant is often sold on the market as a single, heart-shaped leaf cutting in a small pot. This cute little offshoot will remain unchanged for months or even years, but if it gets comfortable it can eventually grow into a medium-sized hanging plant.
The plant is native to the tropics of Southeast Asia and thrives best indoors in Germany. However, it can be grown outdoors in warm, mild climates. If you love succulents, you can keep a Hoya Kerrii as a houseplant. It is watered about every two weeks and also shows itself when it needs water - the leaves become wrinkled.
Important information about the heart leaf plant at a glance
Botanical name:Hoya Kerrii (syn. Hoya obovata var. Kerry)
Common local names:Heart leaf plant, heart plant, little darling
Temperature:It can be grown anywhere as a houseplant. Grows best outdoors in mild climates with a minimum temperature of around 15.6 degrees Celsius. Some experts claim that large plants are hardy to temperatures below freezing.
Water requirements:Low to moderate (water only when soil is dry); thrives in well-drained soil
Light requirement:Full sun to partial shade; avoid direct sunlight
Size:In tropical climates, the plants can grow up to 3.5 meters high or higher. They often remain much smaller when grown as pot plants.
Advantages and positive properties:As with other houseplants, the Hoya plant can improve air quality.
Foliage and flowers:Evergreen foliage. When the plant reaches maturity, it produces small white flowers with brown stamens.
Which location is suitable for cultivation?
The sweetheart leaves thrive indoorsPlants in full sunor in partial shade. For example, near a sunny window behind a sheer curtain. They can tolerate less indirect light, but small plants (or leaf cuttings) will grow even slower this way.
Avoid placing the plant in direct sunlight, e.g. B. on a south-facing window in a hot apartment. This can cause the fleshy leaves to burn.
How to stage the plant
Heart leaf cuttings look very cute combined with small, sun-loving succulents. For a good plant arrangement you can have a group of five or moresmall succulents(e.g. echeverias), a Haworthia, a pea plant and one or two Hoya Kerrii plants. These look great along the mantel or on a wall shelf.
Hoyas grow very slowly and develop into hanging plants. However, they retain the heart-shaped leaves. With a suitable climbing aid you can train the potted plant into a small sculpture.
Outdoors in warm climates, Hoyas can reach heights of over 12 feet and are often draped along a fence or wall. In summer the plants produce beautiful white flowers with brown stamens.
This type of plant is suitable for those who want to give something other than a bouquet of flowers. If the gift recipient is already a Hoya fan, try the colorful cultivar Hoya Kerrii 'Variegata'. It has the same heart-shaped green leaves, but they are edged with a creamy white stripe.
Plant care tips
The heart leaf plant thrives in well-drained soil (sandy to loamy) and requires relatively little care. With a layer of expanded clay at the bottom of the pot you ensure optimal drainage. Plan to water your plants about every two weeks to allow the soil to dry completely in between. In winter, the plants can even survive for long periods without water. Similar to succulents, Hoya Kerrii has fleshy leaves that store water.
The Hoya leaf cuttings (heart-shaped leaves stuck in pots) grow very slowly, as mentioned. You can speed up this process a little by adding some water-soluble fertilizer to the irrigation water in spring and summer. Large Hoya plants will also grow faster and produce more leaves if fertilized during the growing season. You can also occasionally wipe the fleshy leaves with a damp cloth.
How can the plant be propagated?
A young plant actually develops from a leaf cutting. So if you have a large plant with lots of leaves, you can grow multiple plants from cuttings. This is how it works:
1. Using a sharp, clean knife, cut off a leaf and stem.
2. Place the cut leaf in a place out of direct sunlight and allow the cut surface to dry and form a thick skin - usually takes a few days.
3. Plant the leaf in a small container of cactus and succulent soil. Insert the heart-shaped leaf vertically, stem side down, into the soil.
4.Water sparingly every week or every two weeks.
Note that it can take forever for Hoya cuttings to start showing growth. If the cutting turns yellow or shrivels after being potted, it probably didn't survive. If the small heart-shaped leaf remains green and appears basically unchanged, it hastook root. After a year or more, it can form new shoots and leaves, growing into a young plant.
If you want to have a lush trailing plant instead of growing a heart-shaped leaf in a pot, it's best to look for a semi-mature plant when purchasing. As already mentioned, you can wait a long time for the small heart-shaped cuttings.
