Hoya Wibergiae Plant Care

Last Updated on April 14, 2022 by Admin

The Hoya Wibergiae is a climbing plant with long vines. This makes it perfect for hanging baskets as well as filling up a trellis.

The plant features stunning speckled leaves with slight pink or purple hues. This makes its leaves very unique since you won’t see other plants with this feature.

That said, the Hoya Wibergiae is also known for its beautiful blooms. These are smaller than other hoya varieties. But they make up for their lack of size in number.

Each umbel can contain as many as 70 flowers giving you small, white flowers with pink/purple centers.

The plant is native to the tropical regions of Asia which explains its love for warm weather.

How do you care for the Hoya Wibergiae? It needs bright, indirect light to maintain its lovely foliage and produce flowers. Low light is not recommended if you want it to flower.

Avoid overwatering as well since the plant is prone to root rot. Use well-draining soil and a pot with drainage. Also, keep the plant slightly root bound to increase the odds of flowering.

Table of Contents

Light Requirements

The Hoya Wibergiae enjoys medium to bright indirect light. This will allow it to grow and maintain its beautiful leaf colors.

More importantly, it needs the plenty of light in order to bloom.

Since its flowers are a big part of why many growers get the plant, this is something that’s very important to remember.

Another thing is that many online resources mention that the Hoya Wibergiae or hoya plant in general is a succulent.

Well, that’s not entirely true. It’s a hoya.

Although, it does look like and have features similar to succulent.

I mention this because you should not treat your Hoya Wibergiae like a succulent.

One important reason is that you could end up burning or scorching its leaves. Unlike succulents, the Hoya Wibergiae cannot tolerate strong, intense light. Therefore, avoid too much direct sunlight.

In fact, don’t leave it right beside a south facing window.

At best, the excess exposure will turn its leaves yellow. At worse, it will burn its leaves.

Instead, give the plant medium to bright, indirect light.

That’s because hoyas are gap plants in the forest. That is, they get light from the gaps in the trees, branches and leaves.

This means that they light they receive is either filtered, dappled or indirect.

And this is the kind of light that the Hoya Wibergiae thrives in.

As mentioned, try to avoid low light as well since this will reduce the chances of blooming.

Temperature

The Hoya Wibergiae enjoys warm weather. In contrast, it is not a fan of the cold.

This is due to its native habitat which are the tropical forests of Asia.

Therefore, the plant enjoys temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. And it thrives during spring and summer.

Not only is this the time when the plant will grow the most, it is also when it is likely to flower. Therefore, you want to make sure that the Hoya Wibergiae gets proper light, water, fertilizer and humidity during this time.

If you like taking your plant outdoors, this is also the time to do so.

On the other hand, the plant has problems with the cold

That’s because the tropical parts of Asia don’t experience cold weather much less snow. Therefore, avoid temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit as much as possible.

Also, don’t leave the plant outdoors during late fall and through winter as it cannot stand the cold.

Indoors, avoid any cold spots.

It is also worth noting that in cooler temperatures hoyas may go dormant. And such is the case for the Hoya Wibergiae.

If this happens, just take care of the plant and keep it in a warm spot. Cut back of water significantly because it won’t need much of it.

Once the warm spring weather arrives, it will come back alive.

Humidity

The Hoya Wibergiae thrives in good humidity, ideally between 50% and 75%. But it won’t mind with regular room humidity.

Therefore, you can keep in most homes without any issues.

However, if you live somewhere with dry air like the dessert, try to monitor the plant for the first month you get it home.

If you notice it struggle and its leaf tips start drying up or turning brown, then it needs more humidity. Otherwise, it means that the plant is fine with your home’s humidity.

In case the former happens, you can mist the plant a few times a week.

Remember, don’t overdo the misting as getting the leaves too wet can increase fungal infections.

Also, one thing I’ve noticed in the years I’ve grown hoyas is don’t mist the plant when it is flowering. This is detrimental so just let it be during this time or use other less direct methods to increase humidity.

How Often to Water Hoya Wibergiae

The Hoya Wibergiae has semi-succulent leaves. This means that it stores water.

Therefore, the plant does need need a lot of water.

Additionally, it is an epiphyte.

In the forest, it climbs up and clings onto trees. As such, its roots are not buried under ground.

The result is that they get a lot of air circulation. So, when they get wet, the roots quickly dry due to the abundance of light and the good airflow.

What does this mean for you?

It means that you don’t want to water the plant too frequently as it is easily susceptible to overwatering. The combination of its thick leaves retaining moisture and its roots not liking to stay wet for prolonged periods of time mean you want to be careful with watering.

Instead, wait until the surface of the soil has dried before you add water.

Avoid doing so when the soil is still wet or moist. This will lead to overwatering which can kill your Hoya Wibergiae.

By waiting for the top inch or so of the soil to dry between waterings, you’ll prevent overwatering.

Hoya Wibergiae Potting Soil

The Hoya Wibergiae needs light, airy, well-draining soil mix. This will allow its epiphytic roots to get the oxygen they want.

At the same time, the good drainage will keep these roots from sitting too long in water.

In doing so, it helps reduce the risk of root rot and waterlogging.

Using the right kind of potting mix is very important for the Hoya Wibergiae as it can negate your proper watering schedule.

If the soil is too heavy, it will retain too much moisture which ends up possibly killing the roots and eventually your plant as well.

This is why you should not use regular potting soil on its own. Instead, always make sure to add something that will increase drainage.

A simple potting mix recipe I like for the Hoya Wibergiae combines:

30% coco coir
40% potting mix
30% perlite

This gives you some moisture retention along with lots of drainage and aeration.

If you prefer just picking up a bag of soil from your local nursery, then African Violet Mix is a good option.

I know quite a few hoya growers who use this with great success.

Fertilizer

The Hoya Wibergiae can grow well without fertilizer. So, if you’re on a budget, you can skip it. This lets you use the extra savings on essentials.

That said, because most growers get this plant for its flowers just as its overall looks, then fertilizer becomes more important.

For blooming purposes, light and fertilizer are two very important factors.

And giving the plant sufficient plant food will allow it to bloom its lovely flowers.

Here, you have a few options.

You can use a balanced fertilizer which ensures your Hoya Wibergiae gets all the nutrients it needs and avoids any deficiencies.

Or you can go with a high phosphorus fertilizer which encourages blooming.

High phosphorus fertilizers have higher middle numbers in their N-P-K. This increases the likelihood of flowering.

Of course, you can use a combination as well.

This means using a balanced formulation most of the time. But once you see the plant starting to bloom, switch to a high phosphorus blend.

Whichever option you decide to go with, always remember.

The Hoya Wibergiae only needs fertilizer during spring and summer. Stop feeding in fall and winter.

Flowers / Blooms

The Hoya Wibergiae produces beautiful clusters of flowers when it blooms.

These look like white balls as they are composed of many small white flowers with pink-purple centers. Each cluster can have as many as 60 or 70 flowers at one time.

As with other hoya varieties, the Hoya Wibergiae’s flowers are fragrant. Its smell is a combination of fruity and spicy.

It also blooms a few times a year with proper care. Each time, the flowers will stay around for about 7 or so days.

As mentioned, good lighting is very important here.

So, make sure you give the plant bright, indirect light. It also enjoys warm weather and high humidity, both of which increase the possibility of flowering.

Pruning

With proper care, the Hoya Wibergiae is a fast grower. Therefore, you will see it produce many leaves.

Additionally, it in a vining plant which means that its stems will get long over time.

That said, these stems will be filled with beautiful leaves that are about 3 to 4.5 inches long.

In most cases, you’ll either see the Hoya Wibergiae growing in a hanging basket or climbing up a shaped wire or trellis.

That’s because it likes to climb. However, many it looks amazing when you let it trail down as well.

Therefore, you have a few options here.

As it gets longer you may need to prune some of its leaves to shape the plant and keep it looking neat and tidy.

But that’s just about it.

Other than that, just remove the old, dying, discolored or damaged foliage.

How to Propagate Hoya Wibergiae

As with other hoya varieties, the Hoya Wibergiae is easy to propagate. That’s because it responds well to stem cuttings.

Additionally, it grows lots of stems and very long ones at that as well.

Therefore, you can take a stem tip cutting. Or you can get a longer stem and separate it into multiple cuttings.

That’s really up to you.

However, what’s very important is that each cutting you get should have at least 1-2 nodes. This is your bare minimum.

Additionally make sure it has a few leaves. But there should be no flowers on these stems.

Once you’ve chosen these stems:

Make angled cuts just below a node for each of the cuttings you want to take.
Then, dip the cut end of each stem in rooting hormone. This is an optional step so don’t stress if you don’t have it. Just skip this step in that case.
Now you have a couple of options. You can propagate the Hoya Wibergiae in water or in soil.
To propagate in water, place the cuttings in a transparent container filled with water. Submerge the nodes in the water but remove any leaves that end up in the liquid.
To propagate in soil, prepare a pot and fill it with well-draining potting mix and plant the cuttings there. Again, bury the nodes in soil but not the leaves.
In both methods, you’ll want to keep the containers in medium to bright indirect light. Ideally in a warm location with good humidity.

It takes about 3-5 weeks for the roots to develop.

With soil propagation, you don’t have to move the cuttings until they’ve outgrown the container. Then repot.

However, with water propagation, once the roots reach about 2 inches in length or longer, transfer them into a pot with well-draining soil mix.

How to Repot or Transplant Hoya Wibergiae

The Hoya Wibergiae is low maintenance when it comes to repotting. This is in part to its epiphytic roots which don’t require a whole lot of space.

As such, takes about 2 or 3 years before the plant needs repotting.

While it grows between moderate to fast depending on the environment and care you give it, the plant will take a while before you need to move it to a bigger plant.

In most cases, you’ll need to maintain its vines a bit more as they get longer much faster.

After a while, those can get tangled.

However, once you see roots coming out of the bottom holes of your pot, it means it is time to repot the plant.

Is It Toxic/Poisonous to Humans, Cats & Dogs

This hoya plant is not toxic. Although, you do still want to be careful with it around dogs, cats and even young children.

That’s because its milky sap can cause irritation. And it is not meant to be ingested.

Therefore, if they happen to consumer or swallow part of the plant, it will release the sap which can cause issues.

Hoya Wibergiae Problems & Troubleshooting

Pests

Mealybugs, spider mites and thrips are common pests that the Hoya Wibergiae. However, the plant is not a magnet for bugs or insects.

Still, you need to watch out for these pests as they can do damage the plant.

Additionally, they have short lifespans allowing them to lay eggs withing a few weeks time. Given that they lay many eggs at ones, it only takes a few days for their number to grow.

Thus, try to catch the pests early before they can do heavy damage.

You can do this with regular inspection.

Diseases

The Hoya Wibergiae is prone overwatering which can easily lead to root rot. This is due to the combination of its thick leaves that store moisture and its epiphytic roots.

As such, you want to be careful when watering to make sure you don’t do it too frequently.

Additionally, using well-draining soil ensures you avoid waterlogging.

Hoya Wibergiae Plant Care – Complete Guide