The Hoya Burtoniae (also known as the Hoya Burtoni, Hoya Tsangi, and the Hoya DS 70) is an epiphytic plant that grows as a vine in its natural environment.
Native to the Philippines, this plant is a member of the Apocynaceae family of plants and sports shiny, bright green leaves. During the Spring season, the plant blooms flowers of an incredibly sweet scent which makes it a great selection for an indoor houseplant.
The Main Characteristics of the Hoya Burtoniae
Foliage
The Hoya Burtoniae has fuzzy, dark green leaves. The newer leaves are completely brown in colour and slowly turn green as time passes by.
Flowers
The flowers are composed of several blooms that are clustered in an umbel and might be dangling or erect. The heart of the blooms is yellow & pink, while the blossoms are red. They’re star-shaped and have a wax-like texture, and they’re found in clusters.
The base of the flower is coated with microscopic hairs that give it a fuzzy look. They have a strong fragrance and may generate too much nectar, which pours from the blossoms.
Toxicity
The Sap of the Hoya Burtoniae is known to be toxic to humans and animals. You should only consider getting this plant if you do not have babies/ pets in the house who might potentially nibble on the plant.
Growth
Generally, the Hoya Burtoniae (if properly cared for inside homes) will grow up to a height of 2 or 3 meters in height and 0.5 – 0.7 meters in the spread.
Hoya Burtoniae – Best Caring Tips
Watering
The Hoya Burtoniae thrives just fine in relatively dry soil. So, you only need to water this plant sparingly. To be more specific, you will need to water it approximately once a week, once in 10 days.
Of course, you should never blindly follow such instructions. The actual water requirements of your plant will depend on its unique needs as well as the growing conditions it is being raised in. So, keep an eye out for any signals your plant might try to send you.
Lighting
The Hoya Burtoniae typically needs a lot of sunlight to grow properly. Without its lighting needs being met, you will notice your plant will begin dropping its leaves.
Make sure, though, that your plant does not get exposed to the direct heat of the sun. Keeping your plant in a partial shade where it receives ample amounts of indirect sunlight is probably the best way to meet its lighting needs.
Fertilizing
You will probably not need to make use of any fertilizers for the growth of this plant since most potting soils are already equipped with the necessary nutrients which these plants need for their optimal growth.
However, if you feel the need to replenish the nutritional composition of the soil, there is absolutely no reason you should shy away from making use of fertilizers. After all, every gardener knows how effective fertilizers can be in boosting up a plant’s growth.
Soil
Your Hoya burtoniae will grow best when it is kept in well-draining soil. Additionally, your soil must be composed of a lot of organic matter like perlite and vermiculite. Mixing these ingredients with some store-bought potting mix will do just fine.
Humidity
These plants are pretty rigid. So, for the most part, you will not need to go out of your way to meet its survival needs. The Hoya Burtoniae will grow just fine with a surrounding humidity level of 50%. However, the plant will perform better as this level goes higher.
If you cannot provide this plant with high levels of natural humidity, you should invest in a humidifier to artificially create the optimal growing environment for this plant.
How to propagate a Hoya Burtoniae Plant Indoors
Now that we know how you can take care of your Hoya Burtoniae plant, it is time to discuss the different ways you can propagate this plant inside your home. Generally, there are 4 ways you can propagate this plant:
- Propagation via leaf cuttings
- Propagation via Stem Cuttings
- Propagation via Seeds
- The Layering Method of Propagation
For our discussion, though, we will only discuss the most popular of these methods, namely the stem cutting method and the leaf-cutting method.
Propagation Via Leaf Cuttings
Here are the steps you need to follow to successfully propagate your Hoya Burtoniae plant inside your home. Keep in mind that this method usually requires some patience before you finally get to see your results.
- Begin by cutting away a couple of the plan’s beautiful, green leaves.
- Dip these cuttings in a rooting hormone for a higher success rate.
- Next, put at least 5 to 6 of these leaves in the container you want your plant to grow in. (the leaves should be kept such that their tips are just buried under the soil so that their roots can develop).
- In the pot in which you have placed your leaves, make sure each leaf is appropriately spaced away from the other.
- Keep taking care of the cuttings using the caring tips we’ve outlined above.
- In about 5 weeks, you should observe roots beginning to form.
Now, let us look at the stem cutting method of propagating this plant.
Propagation Via Stem Cuttings
Here are the steps:
- Begin by removing all the leaves you find towards the bottom of the stem.
- Then, make a suitable soil mix to bury the lower end of your stem cutting into.
- Before you bury your stem cutting into the potting mix, though, make sure your soil is kept moist.
- You should notice roots beginning to form within a month.
- Keep taking good care of your plant the way we’ve outlined above, and your plant should grow out in no time.
Use whichever method suits you best, but you should know that all methods of propagating this plant will require a decent amount of patience and consistent effort from your side to work properly.
A Quick Summary
The Hoya Burtoniae is a beautiful house plant with pretty-looking foliage and a lovely, honey-like smell. This plant is pretty rigid, which means that it requires minimal caring and oversight for its proper growth indoors.
There are 4 main ways of propagating a Hoya Burtoniae plant; namely, these are:
- Propagation by leaf cuttings
- Propagation by Stem cuttings
- Propagation by seeds
- Propagation by layering