Hoya Hindu Rope

You might have seen the Mile Marker boards that parents create for their children – they highlight things like the height, weight, likes, and dislikes of their child at various stages of life. We at Nick’s Garden Center think Plant Parents should have something like this for their Plant Babies as well! Our Plant Parent Chalkboard Photos and blogs will provide you with an overview of what each plant needs in order to “grow up” happy and healthy!

Hoya Hindu Rope is an epiphytic semi-succulent with very curiously shaped leaves and incredible clusters of pink and white star-shaped flowers. Native to East Asia and Australia, the Hoya Hindu Rope (or Hoya Carnosa Compacta) is both drought-tolerant and humidity-friendly. The succulent aspect of the plant enjoys dry soil and stores its water in its leaves like other succulents. Keep its roots dry to avoid root rot! The epiphytic (air plant) aspect of the plant likes to absorb some of its moisture through its leaves, so it appreciates some humidity (think a humidifier, tray of pebbles and water, or misting).

Another of its many unique and fun traits is its growth habit. Hoya Hindu Rope is a vining plant, but it will also trail. It does well in a hanging pot, or climbing up a pole, and can even be trained around strong shaped wire. This plant loves bright, indirect sunshine but will tolerate low light as well. This means that Hoya Hindu Rope will not die from lower light conditions, but you will likely not see its incredible flowers unless it’s in bright indirect light. It also does well with artificial light if you do not have a sunny spot for it.

Plant Hoya Hindu Rope in a smallish pot as it prefers to be slightly root bound, and is even known to be more likely to bloom if its roots are nice and snug. Use a lightweight and very well-draining soil. Remember, these plants would simply grab onto a tree or another plant with their roots in the wild. Water Hindu Hoya Rope when the soil is completely dry to the touch. You can also use the “squish test” with this semi-succulent to see if the plant needs water. (Succulents store their water in their leaves rather than drinking it only from the soil as they need it, so if the leaves are soft and give when you gently squish them, they are no longer full of water and could probably use some.) When watering Hoya Hindu Rope, drench the plant with running water for a few minutes and then make sure it’s not sitting in any standing water before you put it back in its home. If your pot doesn’t have any drainage, take extra care to not over-water, and use a Moisture Meter to see if the soil at the bottom of the pot is dry.

Hoya Hindu Rope is said to be air cleaning, and is pet safe, so options for placement are great for this plant. Because it likes a bit of humidity, it would do well in a bathroom or with a humidifier or tray of pebbles and water nearby. Overall the plant is really quite easy to care for, so we consider Hoya Hindu Rope to be great for beginners.

Happy Plant Parenting!