The ‘Hoya Carnosa Compacta’ Beginner’s Guide

Let's grow together!

Hoya Carnosa Compacta is a stunning plant with unique features that make an excellent addition to any plant lover’s collection. It’s a draping succulent vine that produces attractive flower clusters, a distinctive characteristic of this unique plant.

This post will go over the dos and don’ts of caring for your Hoya Carnosa Compacta.

If you’re looking to buy one for yourself, we’ll discuss various options to check out. Read on to learn more about the exciting attributes of this special plant.

What Is Hoya Carnosa Compacta?

Today, Hoya Carnosa Compacta is a well-known perennial because of its waxy star-shaped flowers.

Commonly known as Hindu Rope Plant, Porcelain Flower, and Krinkle Kurl, it has solid green-colored and curly leaves, making it a beautiful décor for your home.

When Hoya Carnosa Compacta is grown indoors, it can be placed in a bathroom or kitchen. When raised outdoors, it should be in hardiness zones 10-12 to survive.

Origin And Family

Hindu Rope Plant originates from the Hoya genus, part of the Apocynaceae family. The rainforests of East Asia and Australia are home to this epiphytic plant. In recent years, Hindu Rope Plants have become a popular indoor plant, thriving in most households that give it plenty of humidity.

Robert Brown introduced this tropical plant in honor of his friend Thomas Hoy, the 18th-century botanist. It produces small pinkish-white flowers in early spring and summer.

Where To Buy

We have had tremendous experience buying Hoya Carnosa Compacta online. To browse and purchase plants from the comfort of your own home, check out Etsy.

The price tags for a Hoya Carnosa Compacta are usually very affordable, ranging from $10 for short or small plants to $30 for larger or more mature plants.

Hoya Carnosa Compacta Plant Size

Indoors, the Hoya Carnosa Compacta reaches a height of 12-20 feet. This Hoya grows slowly and beautifully thrives when placed in a bathroom or kitchen.

Hoya Carnosa Compacta Care Needs

Hoya Carnosa Compacta plants like a lot of humidity, but they need a lot of dry soil all year long. Summer is a good time to water your plant. After 2-3 inches of soil are dry, do so. Keep pouring when the water comes out of the drainage hole and the container itself. Empty the catch plate so that the roots don’t rot.

Make sure you read this more in-depth guide on caring for your plant, Hoya Carnosa Compacta!

Care Difficulty

Most people who grow plants in their homes say that the Porcelain Flower is easy to care for. This plant can be kept in good health with the right combination of well-draining soil and adequate light.

Look what bloomed in my absence! #Hoya carnosa ‘Compacta’ pic.twitter.com/DWfA4O3GI1

— 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧 𝐖. 𝐊𝐡𝐨𝐨 (@justinkhoo) February 7, 2022

Growth Rate

Indoors, the Krinkle Kurl grows 12-20 feet tall. Spring and summer heat up this plant’s growth spurt.

Hoya species are slow growers, including the Hindu Rope Hoya.

Potting

In terms of the size of the container, it is usually acceptable to use a medium container. Most potting materials, including plastic, terracotta, or hanging baskets, will work perfectly for this wax plant.

Hindu Rope Plant is susceptible to root rot. Make sure there are drainage holes in its pot.

Repotting

Your plant should be moved to a bigger pot when it grows. When the soil quickly dries out after you water it, you’ll know it’s time to move it.

This plant needs new soil every two to three years. When you move your plants, you should add some commercial potting soil to the ground you already have.

Soil

If you want your porcelain flower to stay healthy, you should use commercial potting soil, and this is an easy-to-care-for plant. Peat, charcoal, or orchid bark can be added to your own soil mix if you want to make your own mix.

Your Hoya will appreciate the soil being kept relatively dry at all times. Nonetheless, drainage and aeration are essential requirements for all soil types.

Here are some potting mixes we recommend:

pH

If you want to make this Krinkle Kurl healthy, you’ll need a soil pH of around 6.0-7.5. This is neutral to acidic. A simple pH meter can be bought online to check your soil’s pH level.

If the soil’s pH level is high, there are two ways to make it more acidic: add sulfur or aluminum sulfate and mix it in. The same thing can happen if the pH level in your soil is too low. You can add baking soda, calcitic lime, or wood ash to your ground if it’s down.

Water

The Hindu Rope Plant needs a lot of water to grow well. Your plants might not like it if you overwater them, which can hurt them, and they could get diseases like root rot, which is terrible. Your plant’s roots may dry out in hot weather if you don’t water them enough. In general, Hindu Rope Plant should grow in a medium that isn’t too wet.

It’s easy to see if your plant needs watering. You can test the soil by inserting a wooden skewer or a pencil into the pot. Or just feel dampness with your finger. After 2-3 inches of soil are dry, water your plant.

Overwatering can be reduced with permeable pots and aerated, chunky soil mixes.

Light

Hoya Carnosa Compacta prefers bright indirect sunlight for 6-8 hours per day. Remember, you’re trying to recreate its growing conditions in the rainforests of East Asia and Australia. This plant can be put in a bathroom or kitchen most of the time.

You’ll know your Hoya Carnosa Compacta is getting too much light when its leaves start turning yellow. If it doesn’t get enough light, its leaves might fall off.

Avoid putting your Hoya Carnosa Compacta in direct sunlight, as this could severely damage or even kill it.

Fertilizer

Feed your Porcelain Flower if you want to give it some extra nutrient boost. Use a water-soluble fertilizer every 2-3 months during its growing season in the spring and summer.

Here are some plant food options you can use:

In its resting phase, the winter months, when growth naturally slows down, you don’t need to fertilize.

Propagating Hoya Carnosa Compacta

There are different ways to propagate a Hoya Carnosa Compacta. Make sure you follow the steps we’ve laid out below for each unique method.

Got this hand painted evil eye pot for my Hoya Carnosa Compacta aka Hindu Rope #hoya #planttwitter #houseplant pic.twitter.com/HzL1qKAZRc

— 🌱Ciara 🌱 (@hella_hoya) March 27, 2022

Stem Cuttings In Soil

One primary method to grow a Hindu Rope Plant is directly planting stem cuttings into the soil. If you don’t already have this plant, you can buy one from Etsy or find one in your area on Facebook.

It is best to start growing plants in early spring or early summer so that your plant will be less stressed when it is moved.

1. Cut. With clean scissors, cut off a piece of the plant that is still alive and well. Three inches is a good height for a cutting, and also, it should have some leaves and nodes.

2. Plant. Soil should be moist under the stem’s nodes to prevent drying. A wooden skewer can be used to secure the dirt around the plant’s stem. If it moves frequently, it may have issues with root growth.

3. Maintain. Keep your container near a window with good light. Keep the soil wet.

4. Wait. New roots should appear in 2-3 weeks. A sprouting shoot indicates a successful rooting of your cutting!

Stem Cuttings In Water

Here are the steps in successfully developing Porcelain Flower cuttings in water:

1. Cut. A knife can cut the stem below a node. Make sure your cutting doesn’t have any flower stalks or lower leaves so it can put its energy into making roots.

2. Submerge. In an old glass bottle, cut a piece. Add water and shake it. Any part of the plant’s stem that isn’t above water should not have been left on it.

3. Maintain. Your new plant should be placed in a bright, airy window. Keep a humidifier near the leaves.

4. Refill. Check every 3–5 days to check if the water needs to be changed.

5. Transplant. Your cutting is ready to be potted when the roots are one inch or longer.

Humidity And Aeration

Hoya Carnosa Compacta is a popular perennial that loves high humidity. We recommend keeping the air humidity levels around 40%-60% for best results.

Your plant will also need water through its roots, but it will also need water from the air. When you want to keep your plant’s humidity high, you can keep bowls of water near it or buy a humidifier that does a better job of that.

Temperature

Generally, warm temperatures are best for your Krinkle Kurl plant, ranging between 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit. During the daytime, maintain the temperature of 70 F or above and 60-65 at night.

The most important aspect of this plant is that it does not change. Sudden temperature changes can do a lot of damage to the Krinkle Kurl. You can protect your plant from cold weather by shutting the windows and sealing all the gaps. Avoid heat vents that can dry out the plants and air conditioners that can damage them in the cold.

Flowers

If you can give your plant the best conditions and keep it happy, you might be able to see small pinkish-white star-shaped flowers that are important to the plant. Each flower has two stars – the inner star is the corona, and the outer lead is the corolla. The new buds appear in clusters known as umbels, and each plant can produce up to 40-50 flowers that last for 2 to 3 weeks. The beautiful flowers that bloom from the spurs (small leafless stems) come with a heavy and sweet fragrance.

Non-Toxic

Children and pets won’t be poisoned by Porcelain flowers. According to the ASPCA, ingesting it will not hurt dogs or cats, and there are no toxic components in the plant.

Pests, Diseases, And Other Problems

Is your Hoya Carnosa Compacta sick? Most people agree that this is not a resistant plant to pests, diseases, or anything else.

In the following sections, I’ve listed the most common problems this plant has. Help your Hoya by following these tips.

Spider Mites

There are a lot of spider mites out there, and Krinkle Kurl is especially vulnerable. Spider mite damage looks like tiny brown or yellow spots on the plant’s leaves. You might also see delicate, silky webs when the infestation is wrong.

It’s good to start by spraying down your Krinkle Kurl with water from a sink nozzle or a sprayer, which moves the spider mites away from the plant. If the first method doesn’t work, you can use an organic pyrethrin spray to get rid of bugs.

If you want a more natural way to get rid of spider mites in your indoor growing space, you can release ladybugs. There’s also a beetle called the “Spider Mite Destroyer,” which may be hard to get your hands on, but the name says it all!

Aphids

You’ll find a group of bugs on your Porcelain Flower most of the time. They could be green, red, brown, yellow, orange, or white. They proliferate and can weaken your plant in just a few days!

Aphids are drawn to young shoots, flower buds, and new development. They feed on the sap and leave unattractive black and white splotches.

Remove diseased plants from the group as soon as you notice them. Spray your plant vigorously to expel aphids, but cover the soil with plastic to collect any bugs or eggs that fall. Make sure the plastic doesn’t get in the way of your garden.

A spray of insecticide soap, neem oil, or horticultural oil can help, but you may need to do this many times to get rid of all the aphids.

Mealybugs

Mealybugs could get into your Krinkle Kurl. These parasites hurt the plant and can even kill it by taking nutrients from the plant! There is a chance that mealybugs will kill your Krinkle Kurl if they are not checked.

When you want to get rid of mealybugs, rubbing alcohol is your best weapon. It will kill mealybugs and turn them into a translucent brown color when it comes into contact with them, killing them. Mix the alcohol with water and spray it on the bugs.

Hoya Carnosa Compacta.
Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?

📷 plantannaplant pic.twitter.com/acPpFyn2XE

— Angel V. Shannon MS, CRNP, Chief Burnout Buster (@angelvshannon) June 21, 2019

Brown Leaf Tips

Occasionally, you might notice brown leaf tips on your Hindu Rope Plant. Typically, this indicates that your plant is underwatered or is quickly losing moisture from its leaves through the process of transpiration.

Improve the humidity levels in your indoor growing space, or water your plant as soon as the topsoil dries out.

Brown leaf tips might also point to an issue with the plant’s roots, so make sure your plant has a breathable, well-draining growing medium.

Drooping Leaves

The leaves of your Hoya Carnosa Compacta may droop if not given enough hydration and light. See our Water and Light sections above for recommended plant care strategies.

Low humidity can cause drooping leaves, so be sure the humidity levels in your location fit your plant’s needs.

Yellow Leaves

If you see yellowing on the cupped leaves of a Hindu Rope Plant, you might need to think about many things to figure out what’s going on. Is your plant getting enough or too much water? Light: Is your plant getting enough? Did you feed your plant recently? Weather changes quickly.

As you can see, bottom leaves that turn yellow can also mean that your plant is growing and the leaf’s energy has been used up. To help the plant produce new green leaves, you only need to remove the yellow ones.

 

Root Rot

Most of the time, the root of Krinkle Kurl dies because of root rot. Too much-compacted soil can make your plant’s roots rot, so you should ensure the soil is not too dense. Because this disease is hard to stop, prevention is the best way to deal with it.

When you water your Hoya, cut back on how much and how often. This is the best way to avoid root rot. First, make sure the first three inches of soil are dry. If not, your plant should be able to wait a little longer.

In terms of potting soil, porosity is a property that lets air pass through and dries the ground while also allowing excess water to go out. If you want to make something with many holes, you can make it out of clay, baked terracotta, unglazed pottery, or concrete. Drainage holes should be at the bottom, and make sure to pick one that does this!

Similar Plants

Love Hindu Rope Plant? Here are some other similar versatile plant options you should try:

Hoya Krimson Queen: – She’s all you’d ever want. She’s the kind you’d like to flaunt. She’s got style; she’s called grace. She’s a queen! If you haven’t caught on to the Hoya bug yet, this queen will change your mind.

Hoya Australis: – This sweet plant is also known as the Honey Plant – for a good reason! Her blooms’ aroma resembles chocolate and vanilla that’s headier in the evenings.

Conclusion

With its waxy star-shaped flowers, Hoya Carnosa Compacta is a tropical ornamental plant that looks stunning indoors. You’ll have no trouble growing even the other popular variegated plant version if you follow our good care guide!

Have you got a Hindu Rope Plant? We want to see it! Please submit photos to [email protected] so that we can share them on our blog.

Would you help us out? If you buy something from a link in this article, we get paid. We don’t take payment for good reviews– we only tell the truth!

Let's grow together!