Wondering how to care for your new Hoya Macrophylla? It’s important to remember what types of climate these plants are found in. Hoyas in general are from the south eastern pacific regions such as Malaysia, the Phillipines, and even into southern parts of China and India. These tropical areas offer a fair amount of humidity, and these plants definitely enjoy it. Hoya Macrophylla are under the epiphyte category, meaning they will create non-parasitic relationships with other plants and grow with them to receive nutrients from the organic matter nearby. They are living in a dense jungle environment, and also tend to climb nearby trees or other objects to reach for more light, which is another feature of epiphytes. The additional light it receives from climbing helps them to produce larger leaves in time.
To support healthy indoor growth, it is recommended that it’s kept within 2ft of a window to maximize its daily light source. Water only when dry as these plants will overwater very easily indoors. It can be placed outdoors in the summertime, and prefers a bright, but shady spot ideally getting both morning and evening light when the rays aren’t as strong. It will grow quite readily with regular rain watering, but they may need supplemental water if it’s drying out before the next rain.
During winter in hardiness zones 10b and below it is suggested to bring the plants in from the cold weather. In the change of the seasons the sun is lower in the sky, so it would be optimal to place your hoya near a south-facing window, as the light will be able to stretch further through during winter. It is likely your plant will slow its growth during winter to account for less light, so you may find yourself watering it less through the colder months.
Feeding schedules are pretty easy with these plants, early spring it will need more fertilizer than it was getting in the winter, especially if it’s brought outside for the summer. Typically for hoyas, we are all looking for their elusive flowers. Personally, I’ve had success in using tomato fertilizer at half-strength to encourage flowering. I will typically do this within a week of bringing the plants outside for summer (between late March and early May). After their first feed in the spring, I’ll do another feeding in late July with regular growth fertilizer if it starts slowing down. Winter doesn’t get as much fertilizer, however I will also sometimes do a third feeding about 1 week before bringing them in for the winter (around late September) and that will take them through the winter.