Hoya Gracilis (Hoya Memoria)
Welcome to our guide to the Hoya Gracilis, covering care and propagation. The key is to let the soil dry out before watering it and keep it in a chunky orchid-bark based mix, and give it plenty of light to encourage blooming...
Hoya Gracilis Care Summary
| Light needs: | Bright indirect sunlight. |
| Watering needs: | Check soil weekly, only water it if the soil is totally dry. |
| Fertilizer: | A balanced feed monthly in spring and summer. |
| Soil: | A mix of cactus compost, orchid bark and perlite is ideal. |
| Humidity: | 60%. |
| Temperature: | 15-35°C (59-95°F). |
| Where to buy: | Try our list of Rare Plant Shops or Etsy. |
| Other names: | Hoya Memoria. |
| Common issues: | Overwatering. |
Introduction
The Hoya Gracilis (a.k.a. Hoya Memoria) is a beautiful vining epiphytic hoya with silver speckled leaves and raspberry colored leaves, native to Indonesia. They are relatively easy to care for, and moderately easy to bloom.
See also: Hoya Sunrise, Hoya Callistophylla Care, Hoya Chelsea, Hoya Curtisii, Hoya Burtoniae, Hoya Krohniana, Hoya Bilobata, Hoya Elliptica, Hoya Finlaysonii, Hoya Fitchii, Hoya Wayetii.
Tip: we recommend Etsy for buying plants. Look for the best rated seller you can, and try to buy as close to your home as possible so the plant does not travel too far.
A note about affiliate links: when you buy a plant, pots, soil, or other goods through links on this article we sometimes earn a commission. It doesn’t cost you anything, but it really helps us out if you do use them. Thanks a lot! An example of this is if you buy a plant on Etsy using this link. Read our privacy policy for more information. Thanks again.
Light Needs
Bright indirect sunlight is ideal, they will be ok in medium too, but you want it as bright as possible to encourage blooming. No direct midday sun, but they can be ok with some direct early morning or late afternoon sun, a little bit of direct sun can help to encourage flowering.
How Often To Water
Check the soil each week but only water it if the soil is dry or almost dry. They really do not want to sit in wet soil, root rot is the biggest killer of hoyas. They have not developed to grow in soil, they grow in tree bark int he wild, so planting them in normal soil can lead to root rot very quickly if you water it too much.
Tip: if you have your plant inside another pot, make sure to tip out any excess water from the external pot about 5 minutes after watering. The soil must not be allowed to get water logged as they hoyas can get root rot easily. Remember they grow in tree bark in the wild and do not like to sit in wet soil.
Fertilizer
Feed them a balanced feed monthly in the spring and summer to encourage growth.
Soil
They need a mix suitable for epiphytes – the y do not grow in soil in the wild but in tree bark. A mix of cactus compost, orchid bark and perlite is ideal, see our guide here: Hoya Soil.
When to Repot
They will not need repotting every year, but check the roots in spring time and repot them to a bigger size if needed.
Humidity
60% is best, they thrive in humid air. They are used to living in rain forests in the wild. They will be fine in lower humidity, but the higher the better to encourage flowering.
Temperature
In the daytime 15-35°C (59-95°F) is a good range, and down to 5°C (41°F) at night.
How to Propagate Hoya Gracilis
Propagate hoya gracilis by taking stem cuttings, you can cut off a whole branch and then chop that into smaller sections that have at least 2 leaves and at least one more node that you can strip the leaves from. This will be under the soil. Put the cuttings n soil with the naked nodes pushed in to the medium, then cover it with a plastic bag to up the humidity. Leave the bag a bit open to allow air to circulate. Keep it in indirect sunlight or a couple of months while it roots. You’ll know when it has rooted well as the cuttings will start to put out new growth from the top of the plant.
Hoya Gracilis Flower
The have downward facing raspberry colored circular groups of blooms that smell of caramel (they will smell more in the evening and mornings).
Is Hoya Gracilis Toxic To Cats?
They are not toxic to pets.
hoya gracilis USDA Zone
Zones 9b-11.
Is Hoya Gracilis The Same As Hoya Memoria?
They are the same plants the Hoya Gracilis was renamed as Hoya Memoria.
Hoya Gracilis Leaves Turning Yellow
Overwatering is a common issue with hoyas which causes yellowing leaves – make sure you let the soil dry out completely before watering it again.
Is Hoya Gracilis Poisonous?
It is non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Hoya Gracilis Vs Pubicalyx
These similar hoyas can be told apart by their flowers, the pubicalyx has all raspberry colored leaves, but the gracilis has more light ink and yellow coloring as well as raspberry.
Other Names
Hoya Memoria
Where To Buy
Try our list of Rare Plant Shops or Etsy.
FAQs and Common Problems
Overwatering is a big issue, you must make sure the plant is in chunky orchid bark and perlite to keep it well draining, and only water it when the medium has completely dried out from the time before.
Additional Resources
Links:
- More info on the Kew Gardens plant page.
- More info on the RHS plant page.
Other Articles You Might Like
There you have it, here ends our guide to this beautiful plant. You might also like our other articles:
Hoya Sunrise, Hoya Callistophylla Care, Hoya Chelsea, Hoya Curtisii, Hoya Burtoniae, Hoya Krohniana.
Please follow us on Instagram and Pinterest for regular plant updates and occasional plant giveaways.
