The Hoya curtisii plant, which is commonly known as the Fung Wax Flower, Porcelain Flower, and Hoya Aloha plant, is a small trailing succulent native to Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines region. The Fung Wax Flower plant is a slow-growing perennial plant known for its beautiful trailing branches and leaves. This trailing or cascading habit of the Fung Wax Flower creates a beautiful shape and that is why this plant is grown and used worldwide as an ornamental plant.
The Fung Wax Flower belongs to a plant family known as the Apocynaceae; most members of its family are native to the Eastern Asian region. It is a succulent plant but it does not grow in the middle of a desert, instead, it grows in the middle tropical rainforest region of Asia. This plant can be grown in any part of the world because it has a lot of adaptations according to different climates in the world. Being succulent, it can survive in the harsh desert areas, and being a plant from a tropical region helps it survive in the cold and wet regions as well. Based on these abilities, it is also known as one of the most unique plants in the world.
| Common Name | The Fung Wax Flower, |
| Scientific Name | Hoya curtisii |
| Genus, Family | Hoya, Apocynaceae |
| Size, Type | Small, cascading, or trailing plant. |
| Color of stem, leaves, and flowers | Dark green stem, Dark green with spots, Yellowish-green flowers. |
| Flowering Season | Spring, late spring in cold regions. |
| Perennial/Annual | Perennial |
| Hardiness | USDA hardiness zones above 10 |
| Temperature range | Moderate to high thrives in moderate temperatures. |
| Sunlight | Full sunlight for most of the day |
| Growth Rate | Slow growing plant |
Lineage
The Fung Wax Flower belongs to the Hoya genus of plants, known for its survivability in harsh climates. It is a member of the Apocynaceae family native to the tropical rainforest region of Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. The Apocynaceae family is a family of tropical succulent plants. The Fung Wax Flower is a small plant but most other members of its family are trees and shrubs of large size.
appearance
The Hoya curtisii or Fung Wax Flower plant is known to have a beautiful cascading appearance. It has vines that spread all across the stem and cover the plant pot it is placed in. some of its branches may also fall off the pot and create a cascading look. The Fung Wax Flower plant is known for its beautiful leaves. Its leaves are heart-shaped and are arranged on opposite sides. Leaves are thick and green. Smaller leaves have fewer spots on their surface while larger leaves have more. Branches spread from the main stem in all directions. Each branch can be 2 feet long. It can only grow 3 to 4 feet high and 2 feet wide at max, average plants only reach 1-foot width. During the spring season, it grows greenish-yellow flowers. Flowers usually grow on the edges of the branches and form a cluster.
Flowering
The Hoya Aloha or Fung Wax Flower plant is a flowering plant and it grows small clusters of flowers during the spring season. These flowers have a yellow-green color. Flowering mostly happens during the early spring but in cold areas, it is a late bloomer. Sunlight can also impact its bloom as well, that is why it should be kept in a bright place or a place where sunlight can directly reach the plant. These flowers do not last long and wilt within days. Also, they do not change into fruit or seeds.
Natural Habitat
The Hoya curtisii plant is a succulent plant but unlike most other succulents it grows in rainforests. It is native to Malaysia, the Philippines, and the Thailand region. It has several adaptations that help it survive in the rainforests. Its roots are stronger than most of the other succulents, this helps this Fung Wax Flower plant to survive in this high humidity area. These adaptations make it suitable for almost all kinds of environments, being succulent it can survive in harsh environments during the summer. But as it is native to rainforest areas, it can also survive frequent rain and cold better than most of the succulents.
fun FACTS
- This plant is native to the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand. One of the only few succulents that are native to this region.
- This is a succulent plant but it grows in a rainforest.
- It is a cascading or trailing succulent plant, which means it does not grow upwards, instead, it grows around its stem.
- The Hoya curtisii plant is not an invasive species or a poisonous plant species.
- It has multiple adaptations that help it survive in different climates where most other succulents may not.
GROWING Requirements FOR Hoya curtisii – Fung Wax Flower
| Soil | Slightly Acidic to Neutral, well-draining, and full of nutrients, add pumice and perlite to make it porous and compost to provide nutrients, |
| Sun | Full sunlight exposure for most of the day, keep it in a bright place to avoid late bloom and other problems. |
| Water | Regulated water supply, once every ten days during the summer and once every 20 days during the winter. |
| Fertilizer | Balanced amount of nutrients mixed in the water. |
| Temperature | This plant thrives in high-temperature zones but requires protection from snow and extreme cold conditions. |
Soil Requirements
The Fung Wax Flower plant is a succulent plant and has similar soil requirements to most other succulent plants. It can grow in slightly acidic to neutral soil, that is full of nutrients and is also well-draining. Such soil can be bought from different stores online and offline, or you can create your potting soil for the Fung Wax Flower plant as well. All you need is sand, compost, soil, fertilizer, pumice, or perlite.
These elements help make your soil porous and allow it to quickly drain water. This helps the roots of this plant survive the effects of overwatering. If the soil is not well-draining, it would trap water and this water would impact the roots of the Fung Wax Flower. This can result in the death of the plant as well. That is why it is very important to make sure that you are using the right type of soil for the plantation of Hoya curtisii.
Sunlight Requirements
Like most other succulents, this Fung Wax Flower plant also needs plenty of sunlight to grow and thrive. Low sunlight exposure can induce multiple adverse effects on the health of the plant. For example, low light exposure can delay the flowering process, can make the flowers wilt quickly, and can also cause the leaves to change color. If your Fung Wax Flower plant is having any of these symptoms keep it somewhere bright and it will return to its normal state. If you have a window in your home that opens east, it is the best place to keep the Fung Wax Flower plants. You can also grow the Fung Wax Flower plant outdoors as it can survive the sunlight for most of the day.
Temperature Requirements
The Fung Wax Flower plant grows in a tropical rainforest region, which means it is capable of surviving hot and humid conditions for most of the year. According to the USDA guidelines, this plant can be grown in zones that are above 11. It thrives when the temperatures are slightly higher than normal room temperature. It can also be grown in cold regions but it requires protection from extreme cold conditions and snowfall. It cannot be grown outdoors in cold areas. Snow and extremely cold conditions impact its growth badly and sometimes the Fung Wax Flower plant can die as well. That is why it is important to protect it from the cold and snow. You can keep them indoors to protect them from cold and snow, but make sure to place them away from the fireplace.
Water Requirements
Similar to most other succulent plants, the Hoya curtisii plant also requires a controlled water supply. It is better to prepare a watering schedule for the Fung Wax Flower plant as soon as you plant it and keep watering it accordingly. It is a succulent plant and has thick leaves that can store water, so it can survive without water for more time, but overwatering and dampness in the soil can quickly kill this plant. That is why you should only water this plant once the upper layer of the potting soil has become completely dry. Watering once every 10 days during the summer and once every 20 days during the winter would be enough, but these numbers can change depending upon your location, environmental temperature, and other factors.
Fertilizers Requirements
The Fung Wax Flower plant requires nutrient-rich soil to grow and thrive, if the soil has a deficiency of nutrients, you would not be able to witness the plant reach its maximum spread. Nutrient deficiency can also cause other problems such as the death of the leaves, and flowers, and discoloration of the leaves. To overcome this deficiency in the soil, you can provide fertilizer to the Fung Wax Flower plant. Fertilizers contain all the nutrients that the Fung Wax Flower plant needs. These nutrients help the plant grow properly and reach its potential spread. You can mix these nutrients into the water and feed this water to your plant.
Repotting
It is very important to replant the Fung Wax Flower plant once it outgrows the current pot it is already in. replanting helps the plant reach its potential spread faster, as a bigger plant pot provides more space for the roots to grow and spread. Repotting is usually done before or after the spring season. To re-pot or replant, you will first have to prepare a bigger pot using soil and all other required materials. After that pot has been prepared, you will have to uproot and transfer the Fung Wax Flower plant from the older pot to the new one. While doing so, you should make sure that you cause no damage to the roots of the Fung Wax Flower plant. Because the root damage can kill the plant.
Pruning
The Fung Wax Flower requires pruning once every year. The basic purpose of pruning the leaves, branches, and flowers is to maintain the look of the Fung Wax Flower plant. Although it is a slow-growing plant, still, it grows a lot of leaves, flowers, and branches throughout the year. If these extra branches, dead leaves, and flowers are not pruned, the look of your Fung Wax Flower plant will get destroyed. That is why you must prune your plant regularly to maintain its look.
Problems
The Hoya curtisii or Fung Wax Flower plant can be attacked by a lot of plant pathogens, these include Spider mites, Fungi, Mealybugs, and Aphids. You can use pesticides or home remedies to get rid of these problems.
Propagation
The Hoya curtisii or Fung Wax Flower plant is a succulent plant and like most other succulent plants is also propagated using the cuttings. It is also propagated using the seeds. To collect the seeds, you will have to let the pods become dry and then detach them from the plant’s branches. You can store the seeds and plant them during the spring season. To take cuttings, you will need a sterile, sharp knife and a mature stem to take cuttings from. Then you can keep these cuttings into the rooting hormone for a few days. Once the roots start to grow, you can transfer them to new pots.
