Hoya Rosita takes the cake in the ‘easy to grow’ department. A hybrid of Hoya wayetii and Hoya tsangii, this plant is characterized by shiny green and oval leaves that have a maroon edge.
With enough sunlight, the green leaves turn bronze and red for a more breath-taking display.
| Botanical Name | Hoya Rosita |
| Common Name | Hoya |
| Plant Type | Perennial |
| Flower Color | Small and bright red blooms with yellow tips |
| Size When Mature | 36 inches |
| Bloom Time | Year-round |
| Sun Requirements | Bright indirect sunlight |
| USDA Hardiness Zones | 10 to 11 |
| Soil PH Range | 6.1 to 6.5 |
| Soil Type | Well-draining with organic matter |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Native Area | Southeast Asia |
What you Need to Know About Hoya Rosita
Hoya Rosita is non-toxic to pets and a great addition to your outdoor garden or indoors. Once it matures, you can look forward to bright red flowers with a curious yellow tinge blooming throughout the year.
How to Care for Hoya Rosita
Here’s everything you need to know about growing and caring for a thriving Hoya Rosita
Light
Hoya Rosita can tolerate full sun, and most growers tend to favor it slightly stressed in order to bring out its unusual changing of leaf colors. However, there’s a danger in overexposure as it can quickly turn those gorgeous leaves into a burnt mess.
If you want to have your Hoya live for a long time, then it’s best to position it where it gets bright indirect light. Over time and as the plant matures it will start producing flowers consistently in a growing season.
Hoya Rosita can definitely live indoors as long as it’s well taken care of. An east-facing window is best as it gets morning sunlight. Avoid putting it in low-light conditions as it won’t likely flower or stay healthy for long.
Rotating the plant for even growth with a Hoya Rosita is not needed.
Water and Soil Needs
Put your Hoya in the best position to be successful by having the right soil from the start. Most Hoya varieties don’t like their roots wet for too long, and the same goes for Rosita.
Therefore, you should have a lightweight and well-draining soil medium and a bed or container that has adequate drainage holes.
Hoya Rosita owners should amend their potting soil with perlite or a cactus and succulent mix in order to allow for better air circulation. In addition, you can add charcoal or compost to give it texture and for the soil not to get compacted.
Hoya rosita’s leaves act the same as a succulent in that they store water for later use and when drought comes. This means you don’t have to water them as often as your other plants.
As a general rule, it’s better to underwater Hoya rather than overwater them. If you’re trying to determine the last time you watered it and are reaching for the can, it may be better to hold off and wait a few more days.
When watering time does come, pour until excess liquid comes out the drainage. Water more during hot days and less during dormancy and cold weather.
Temperature Requirements
Hoya Rosita thrives in warm and humid climates. In the US, this Hoya variety won’t have too much trouble in zones 10 and 11.
Optimal temperature range for growth is somewhere between 65 to 85 degrees F. If you’re fortunate enough to live in USDA zone 10 or 11, you can leave your Hoya outside even when winter comes. Otherwise, it’s best to bring it indoors until the danger of frost passes.
Avoid positioning it near open windows and main door entrances to avoid cold drafts. The same goes for air-conditioned rooms and where there are furnaces or heaters. In the winter you don’t need to water as much since it’s in a state of rest.
Fertilizer
The best fertilizer to use on a Hoya Rosita is a general purpose type. The hybrid plant isn’t too picky about fertilizer as long as it’s getting nutrients.
It’s worth noting that Hoyas are light feeders, so you should probably give them doses at half strength and in long intervals. You wouldn’t want to go overboard since the Rosita’s roots can be damaged this way.
Only apply balanced liquid or solid fertilizer during its growing season, which is from spring to mid-fall on a monthly basis. If you wish to see more blooms then it’s recommended that you go with a bloom booster instead of the regular variety.
Common Diseases
Mealybugs are the single greatest enemy of the Hoya Rosita. It’s characterized by small and cotton-like bugs on leaves that feed on sap and leaves the plant in a weakened state. Hoya owners are advised to react as soon as they see the tiny bugs and treat them as fast as possible.
You can dislodge them off the plant with a spray of water, or kill them using horticultural spray and neem oil.
Root disease is a common condition in Hoyas as well. This happens when the soil is constantly damp or moist and when the plant itself is in a dark environment. Hold off on watering until the soil is dry and make sure that both the soil and container are draining water well.
Root rot can be prevented by digging up the plant, inspecting the roots and repotting in fresh soil.
Hoya Rosita Propagation
Propagating Hoya Rosita is easy enough as stem cuttings can take root and grow to be an adult plant.
To start, pick a healthy stem with the length of anywhere between 4 to 6 inches. It has to have several pairs of leaf nodes. Take out the lower leaves and put the cutting in a glass of water that submerges the exposed nodes.
Leave the glass where it can get bright and indirect light for around 4 to 6 weeks. Check every now and then to see roots growing out the nodes. When it’s about 2 to 3 inches long then you can go ahead and transplant to a new container.
How to Prune Hoya Rosita
Hoya Rosita growers should know where and what to prune to get the best results. Deadheading, or the act of removing spent flowers doesn’t work the same way with this Hoya as compared to the rest.
The reason for this is that the flowers grow on peduncles, and if you accidentally cut them then it may take more time for new blooms.
Hoya Rosita doesn’t grow as much, although the stems can dangle down and out. If you enjoy this feature then you should put the plant up on hanging baskets or pots where the vines grow in an elegant downward style. Trimming is not needed for this low-maintenance plant.
Related Article: Hoya Pubicalyx Growth and Care Guide