Hello, I just bought my first hoyas, a hoya carnosa tricolor and a hoya carnosa krimson queen . I received them by mail yesterday and I'm wondering whether I should pot them in terracotta pots. I've seen a lot of contradicting opinions about this topic. Some say that carnosas like terracotta and some say that you should NEVER plant hoyas in terracotta, so I'm kinda confused. Does anyone have experience with planting hoyas in terracotta?

I'll be interested in what others say, as I have very little experience with hoya. I have read they like it dry.
But the pot material is only one part of a whole system that includes the size of plant and pot, the type of potting mix, and the environment. which may contribute to the contradictory statements you've found.
Looking for a site:edu should give some assurance of good info such as
http://gardeningsolutions.ifas...

It says nothing about type of pot material.

I have planted hoyas in just about every sort of container there is including terra-cotta. The container is not so important as the potting substrate that is used and the watering practice.

I agree with Gina that there is no one best type of pot. That said, I suggest that you leave them undisturbed in the pots they are now in. There is nothing to be gained by repotting and potentially much to be lost.

I have a hoya carnosa and it has been in the same terracotta pot for 20 years in the same north window(zone 5 Indiana ) and blooms freely several times a year .

before that it spent 12 years just rooted in water , less blooms but grew like crazy in a west window. (zone 4 Michigan )

The plant was a two leaf cutting given to me by a family friend in 1972

I think they are friendly easy plants

Cora, what pretty Hoya's!

I agree, the type of pot doesn't matter. If you have a heavy hand at watering, terra cotta may be best because it dries out more quickly than plastic but I tend to agree with WillC that if a plant is happy and healthy in it's original nursery pot, there is really no good reason for repotting which can cause undue stress. I also would advise repotting at this time of year, if repotting is absolutely necessary, it's better to do it in late spring or early summer after the weather has warmed up. If you don't like the looks of the plastic pot they came in, you can use more decorative containers as cache pots ... just be sure not to allow any standing water in the bottom of the cache pot, always empty it out after watering.

Your plant on the left appears to be:
Krimson Princess Hoya (Hoya carnosa 'Rubra')
which has cream, white or pink variegation in the center of the leaves and green margins.

Your plant on the right appears to be:
Krimson Queen Hoya (Hoya carnosa 'Tricolor')
which has green in the center of the leaves and cream to white margins.

This is the worst time of year to do anything, even in Florida. Day length is shorter, and the roller coaster dips in temps are here....we are getting one night of 56 tonight then back up to the high 60's to 70 nights as this potential tropical depression rolls in. Poor Mexico Beach it looks like its going there. We are supposed to have wind gusts potentially up to 40 mph tomorrow/Saturday and a lot of rain.
I still fertilize weekly until December because November is always warm enough and things are still growing, but do not do anything like repot, divide, or try to start cuttings or rhizomes until March.

I thought the rumor about Hoyas and terra cotta, was that their roots would latch on to the porous material that terra cotta is. It always sounded a little far-fetched to me, but I've never owned a Hoya and know almost nothing about them.

Well they will but that's not a bad thing since they are actually epiphytes.

Some people feared it could badly injure their Hoyas when repotting. Anyway, they seem like interesting plants, but I lack the light to grow them. I just observe from a distance.

They take up a lot of space once they get going. Almost all of them will eventually need some sort of trellis. I envy people who can make them look great indoors. Some of mine just sprawl everywhere in the GH and run around like they own the place. But other that are more slow growing (like Pachyclada, Rigida and Loyceandrewsiana) are very well mannered LOL

Wow, a plant that can run the place even with your monsteras and philodendrons running around? They must really be crazy plants! I like the 'Krinkle 8' purely because I enjoy touching it.

I've thought about planting a couple of mine in the ground and letting them climb the trees.

They totally will. I had darwinii and loyceandrewsiana climbing the trees. Obovata took over almost an entire wall about 20 linear feet of space.

LOL, I just need to get it done and although we still have a couple of months probably before any real threat of cold weather, I'll probably wait until spring to plant them out; that way they'll have all year to take hold and do their thing.

We plant things like gingers and palms and other perennials until about December, they get to root in and get going without the extreme heat stress of summer and early fall. Then if they get frost nipped its still no big deal. I have a friend here who is experimenting with Monstera adansonii outdoors climbing up a tree this winter in a relatively unprotected location. He lived 6 miles from me, but he lived in a densely packed older neighborhood with concrete sidewalks, asphalt roads and lots of other houses that hold heat more than what I have, which is 5 acres of woods. But I think it will go unless we get the Arctic Express. If his works and if my Philodendrons I have had out for 2 years make it again I am going to put some out too. I am also experimenting with Plumeria in the ground. That is a bit iffy here. But so many of my plumeria in the GH were really, REALLY tall, I was able to take cuttings that were already the size of small trees on some. That will give my trees in the GH a chance to branch and rebloom again more at eye level.

I have been doing a lot of reading on Hoya lately, and have read the same recommendation in several different articles, and books as Cora brings up.
I have potted one of my hoya in terracotta, and two in plastic. All are doing well, I do water the one in terracotta more. but I think the plant appreciates drying out so quickly too. For those who tend to overwater, the terracotta would probably be helpful.

lauriebasler said:For those who tend to overwater, the terracotta would probably be helpful.

Most definitely!

I have had hoyas for almost a decade. I have most of them in terracotta that has been glazed on the outside. A couple were glazed inside as well but all of them have a drainage hole. For mine that seems to be most important. Most of their life I lived in zone 9a. But I've moved and believe I'm now in 9b but very close to the Indian river. We've been here about a year and they are perfectly happy but I believe its because both homes the porch they are sitting in is north facing, all of these have bloomed at some point.

That being said one of them has lived in a plastic pot its whole life. It has lived but never bloomed and seems to go through more changes through the year than the others, I dont think its happy but there is always another chore that keeps me from finding it another home. Your question has made me realize what might be the difference for him verses the others. Always thought it was just the variety. None of them have had to be repotted after all these years.

@MardieJane, Yes, both Rockledge and Riverview, Florida are zone 9b. If you upload photos, we might be able to identify which Hoyas you have.

My Hoyas are pretty much all sporadic bloomers, due to me being so lax about remembering to feed them. When I do remember to fertilize in spring/summer, I use an orchid bloom booster plant food. That being said, I do have a Wax Plant (Hoya pubicalyx) that blooms a couple of times a year.

My first Hoya was a very small (2 inch pot) of Krimson Princess Hoya (Hoya carnosa 'Rubra') that was given to me by a co-worker in 1976. It grew huge over the years and eventually reverted back to solid green. I had that Krimson Princess for 38 years!


At one time I had more than 50 Hoyas but I've downsized a few times over the past eight years and gave away lots of Hoyas as well as other plants. I still grow a few Hoyas and mine stay outside year round (except for the tiny Wax Plant (Hoya heuschkeliana) that lives in a bathroom.

I don't think it matters what type of pot Hoyas are grown in, the important thing is good aeration and adequate drainage, to prevent root rot. My Hoyas have always been grown in plastic pots.