Parasitica Hoya AH006 Plant Care

With over 500 species of Hoya, the Hoya parasitica AH006 is definitely for you. Still, please do not confuse it with the Hoya parasitica Black Margin as there is a huge difference in the leaves. Yet, both are excellent additions to the home.

Furthermore, these epiphytes adapt well to indoor and outdoor environments depending on where you live.

More About Hoya Parasitica AH006

Hoya parasitica AH006 Big Leaves looks similar to the Hoya parasitica Black Margin. The only difference is the color of the leaves. The AH006 is native to Southeast Asia and has found its way into many homes.

Some familiar names are waxplant, as the leaves are waxy and thick to help retain water during dry spells. The epiphyte is an excellent climber when provided with a trellis. Furthermore, it has oval parachute leaves without the black margins found on the Hoya parasitica Black Margin.

Another highlight when growing under the right conditions is that it blooms star-shaped flowers in different shades with a fragrant scent.

Hoya Parasitica AH006 Care Tips

flowering hoya parasitica AH006 with green, shiny foliage

The Hoya vines in its native habitat around trees and provide it with a moss pole and trellis helps. While some say it is a low-maintenance plant, it still takes patience to care for most other plants. One thing is for sure these cultivars bring a jungle feel to your home as it is a vining succulent.

The Best Potting Soil To Prevent Root Rot

One thing to remember with any Hoya is that it prefers to dry out before watering again. Hence it needs well-draining soil that allows excess water to drain fast. Such soil also helps prevent root rot resulting from overwatering.

well-draining succulent potting mix

For this reason, we recommend a pre-mixed succulent or cactus soil as the best soil, or you can mix one of your own. For example, mix 50% potting soil with 40% pumice/perlite and 10% sand. These ingredients help hold moisture, allow excess water to drain, and prevent compaction.

The potting medium will allow oxygen to reach the roots providing them with the nutrients it needs to thrive.

Light Requirements For Hoya Parasitica

Now, when you think that the Hoya parasitica AH006 plant is a succulent, you think it would love the sun. Yet, it is the opposite as succulents flourish in the direct sun while the Hoya prefers indirect light.

When the plant grows in Southeast Asia, it grows beneath trees reaching up to the light. So, avoid direct sun and keep your plant friend in bright indirect light to thrive. Your plant will receive direct sun in the morning with shade in the afternoon so as not to burn those gorgeous leaves.

If your plant’s leaves turn yellow, it is receiving too much light and needs a spot with less light. So, find a place in the middle of a room at a south or west-facing window to get enough sunlight.

During the winter, the sun can be lower during the day, and your plant can receive less sunlight. Hence, it helps to move your plant for more sunlight exposure during the dark months.

Watering Hoya Parasitica

green plant watering jug

When providing your Hoya parasitica with a pot, it helps to provide it with ample drainage. Your plant outdoors can grow in moisture, but it must not stand in water as it prefers that the roots breathe.

So, you need not overwater your plant as it is semi-succulent with waxy leaves that conserve and retain water. During spring to summer, you can water your plant once a week and every two weeks in winter.

Still, we recommend checking to see if the top two inches of the soil are dry before watering. Neither do you want to leave your plant completely dry! During winter, your plant also goes into dormancy and needs less watering.

Temperature & Humidity

The Hoya parasitica is a hardy plant and can survive in different temperature and humidity conditions. Nevertheless, it loves warm climates compared to cold. Therefore, the best is to bring your plant indoors when the temperatures drop below 50°F.

plant humidifier

A suitable USDA growing zone is 10 to 11 for growing outside. The same applies to humidity as it flourishes in warm conditions with a lot of moisture. But the thick leaves can tolerate a lower humidity at 40%.

But if you detect the air dry, we suggest grouping it with other humidity-loving plants, investing in a humidifier, or making a pebble tray with water to place underneath your plant.

Fertilizer For Hoya Parasitica

You can feed your plant once a month or every two weeks in spring and summer with a water-soluble fertilizer. You need not often fertilize as your Hoyas are not heavy feeders. A formulation of 15-15-15 at half strength is ideally mixed with water.

With the nitrogen, it will encourage foliage growth. Refrain from feeding in late fall and winter as your plant rests at this time. But if you live in a tropical climate, you can fertilize your plant as it will grow throughout the year.

Repotting and Pruning The Hoya Parasitica

If you are lucky, plant flowers indoors under the right conditions with sunlight. But it rarely happens indoors. Furthermore, you will need to repot your plant when the roots become root bound by providing a bigger pot size.

Another task is pruning your Hoya parasitica, but you must not prune the peduncles where the flowers bloom even if it fades. If you are lucky to see your plant flower, never deadhead it after it is done blooming.

The reason is that other flowers will emerge from the old peduncles. You only need to trim when you notice excessive growth or want to remove damaged or dead leaves.

Propagation of Hoya Parasitica

The easiest way to propagate your Hoya parasitica is to take stem cuttings.

  1. Use sterile scissors to cut a healthy stem with up to three or more leaves.

  2. The cutting must be about six inches long to place in water or soil.

  3. For water propagation, you can fill a glass with water and place the cut end inside the water. But remove the bottom leaves to not end up in the water. Please put it in bright indirect light and avoid direct sun until you notice new growth.

  4. For placing in soil, prepare a container with moistened, well-draining soil and plant it in the soil. Keep it moist and place it in bright indirect light.

Hoya Parasitica Similar Plants

In the Hoya parasitica you can find different varieties to place inside the home. Here are two of our favorites.

  • Hoya parasitica “Green”

The plant is fast-growing with thick green leaves and a pale-green corolla with a white and red ring corona. The flowers produce a lot of nectar, and it has a sweet fragrance.

  • Hoya parasitica’ Black Margin’

The Hoya parasitica Black Margin is another trailing houseplant with glossy thick green oval leaves and pointed tips. You also see a black margin on the foliage. It produces waxy ball clusters in white and yellow with reddish-purple centers. The Hoya parasitica Black Margin looks fabulous in hanging baskets or vining along a support pole.

Hoya Parasitica AH006 Common Diseases And Pests

Common pest problems are mealybugs that attack your Hoya parasitica as they love the waxy foliage. The sap-sucking insects steal nutrients and water and can cause significant damage. Then you can also find scale insects to spider mites visiting your plant.

The two common diseases are root rot and leaf disease to keep an eye on. It results from too much moisture, and it is best to water at the base of the plant and not over the leaves. Soggy soil can also attract other pests known as fungus gnats.

Hence, it is important to leave the soil dry between watering.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Hoyas are climbing plants that will easily vine up a support pole, but they can grow in baskets with the vines hanging over the side.

We do not recommend misting the leaves of the Hoya but group them with other humid-loving plants. The wet foliage can lead to leaf diseases in your plant.

To keep your plant blooming, it helps to provide them with bright indirect lights and not to prune the peduncles where the flowers form.

The Hoya parasitica AH006 is not as rare as the Hoya macrophylla known as the Large Leaved Hoya.

With proper care, your Hoyas can live up to 30 years.

If you have searched high and low for this fantastic succulent plant, you can find it available with us here at Plantly.

Whether you want to buy, sell, or simply reach out to other plant enthusiasts, Plantly is the right place to be!

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