Hoya Carnosa Tricolor Care & Buying Guide

Hoya Carnosa Tricolor: Overview

Hoya Tricolor (Hoya carnosa ‘Tricolor’) is a beautiful vining succulent plant, which means that it stores water in its stems and leaves, making it resilient to dry conditions. This Hoya Carnosa variety has colorful, variegated foliage, which is bright green in the middle and cream yellow with hints of pink on the leaf edges. It’s the reverse of Hoya Carnosa Exotica Tricolor, which boasts a cream middle framed by green edges. This tropical plant is native to Eastern Asia, and its vining growing habit makes Hoya ideal for a trellis or hanging basket.

Hoyas are flowering plants with clusters of star-shaped flowers that emit a honey-like fragrance. Hoya Carnosa Tricolor will flower indoors provided it gets sufficient light, and the flowers are usually light pink or cream-colored with a red center.

Hoya Tricolor can grow outdoors in USDA hardiness zones 10-12. A slow-growing and long-lasting plant, it often grows vines up to 4 ft. long when mature. The Hoya Tricolor plant enjoys bright, indirect sunlight, easily tolerating several hours of direct sunlight. It requires a good, well-lit location but is otherwise an amazingly easy-care plant. Hoya plants are pet-friendly and non-toxic.

Hoya Carnosa Tricolor symbolizes wealth and protection. This beautiful vining succulent is considered a good luck plant in Feng Shui, which makes it a popular gift plant for many occasions. 

Other amazing Hoya varieties include the whimsical, curly Hoya Hindu Rope Plant, the multi-colored Hoya Exotica Tricolor, and the cute heart-shaped Hoya Heart (Hoya kerrii).

Hoya Plant: Benefits

• A natural air purifier, it removes toxins, improving indoor air quality
• Lucky plant in Feng Shui, associated with wealth and protection
• With decorative, multi-colored foliage
• It’s easy to care for
• Produces sweetly scented flowers
• Non-toxic, pet-friendly houseplant  

Hoya Plants: Alternative Names

• Wax Plant
• Porcelain Flower
• Honey Plant
• Wax Vine

Hoya Tricolor: Care Guide

Hoya Carnosa Tricolor care is very straightforward even for beginners. Here’s what you need to know to keep your Tricolor Hoya looking its best:

Watering and Humidity

Allow the soil to dry thoroughly between waterings. Reduce watering during winter, letting the plant rest. Hoya Carnosa prefers medium to high humidity. You can increase indoor air humidity by placing your Hoya plant on a pebble tray, grouping it with other plants, or using an air humidifier.

Light and Temperature

One of the most important Hoya Tricolor care aspects, vital for good growth and blooming, is providing sufficient light for your plant’s needs. Hoyas thrive in bright but indirect light, but they can also adapt to several hours of direct sunlight, provided they are sheltered from midday sun.

Hoyas grow best in temperatures from 60°F to 80°F, and while not frost-tolerant, your Hoya Tricolor can tolerate short cold periods up to 50°F.

Soil, Feeding, and Repotting

Use well-draining, loamy soil for your Hoya Carnosa ‘Tricolor’. Feed your Hoya with a balanced liquid fertilizer every 4-6 weeks during the growing season. Let your plant rest during the winter months. Repot your plant when it gets rootbound or once in 2-3 years.

Propagation

Propagate your Hoya Carnosa Tricolor plant from stem cuttings. You can root them in both soil and water, are another type of growing medium like perlite or moss. Soil propagation is the preferred method, as it helps the new plant develop stronger roots.

Pruning, Cleaning, and Common Issues

Be careful when pruning your Hoya. Since new buds will form on the same stems year after year, trimming the stalks that had blooms on them, after they’re done flowering, will result in no blooms in the next season. Wipe the leaves occasionally with a damp cloth to remove dust. Because Hoyas are vining plants, grow your Hoya on a trellis or other types of support.

Common issues include soft, wilting leaves, which are a sign of overwatering. Watch out for pests like mealybugs or spider mites. Don’t move your Hoya Tricolor once flower buds have formed, as this can cause the buds to drop.

Hoya Carnosa Exotica Tricolor: Placement, Companion & Alternative Plants

There are many Hoya benefits like its air-purifying properties and great blooms. Moreover, Hoya Carnosa is ideal for a trellis or hanging container, making this plant the perfect addition to window plant displays.

Best Locations & Uses

• Perfect bedroom plant because of its air-improving qualities
• Great non-toxic choice for plant lovers with pets
• Amazing vining porch plant for warmer climates
• Suitable easy-care plant for offices or people with busy schedules
• Ideal plant for hanging baskets or growing along a wall

Companion Plants

Combine your Hoya Carnosa with other indoor plants to increase indoor humidity and create a stunning green corner to relax in:

• Variegated Sansevieria Laurentii (Sansevieria trifasciata 'Laurentii'): One of the easiest plants to care for, Variegated Sansevieria Laurentii is a beautiful, hardy snake plant with gorgeously patterned, sword-shaped leaves.
• Petra Croton (Codiaeum variegatum 'Petra'): With colorful rainbow-hued foliage, Croton Petra is a stunning, easy-care choice for any tropical plant lovers.
• Philodendron Vine (Lemon Lime) (Philodendron hederaceum): The glossy, light green leaves of the Philodendron Lemon Lime grow on long vines that look amazing when cascading from a hanging basket.

Alternative Plants

If you’re looking for a low-maintenance and drought-tolerant plant, take a look at our selection of succulent plants to fit any living space:

• String of Pearls Plant (Senecio rowleyanus): Resembling a pearl necklace, the String of Pearls Plant is a hardy, drought-tolerant succulent with an elegant and unusual look.
• Jade Plant (Crassula ovata): A popular succulent, the Jade Plant is a great addition to any indoor greenery collection, symbolizing prosperity and friendship.
• Hoya Pubicalyx 'Splash' (Hoya pubicalyx 'Splash'): Hoya Pubicalyx ‘Splash’ has elongated, glossy green leaves speckled with white, and its fragrant flowers range from pink to dark purple.

Order a Stunning Hoya Carnosa Tricolor Today 

Buy an enchanting Hoya Plant for sale from Lively Root and enjoy its easy-care, lush beauty and sweet-scented blooms!