Hi All,

I have hoya that I have been keeping on the windowsill ledge of my shower for about six months. It appeared to be thriving, but over the last week or so (maybe longer), it's started to develop yellow leaves and necrotic gray growths. The plant gets ample, indirect light, and I don't feel like I've changed my watering habits. I've attached a few pictures showing the backside of the plant (which gets the most direct light), the front side which is starting to turn at the top of the "rope", a closeup of the ropes stem which appears to possibly have some growths (little specs all over - is this normal?), and finally a picture of the plant on the sill to give you a better idea of where it's sitting.

This is my first post here, and I admittedly started this account because I really don't want to loose this plant. Whatever is causing this issue, the discoloration appears to be spreading more rapidly...

Thanks in advance any help you can give!!!

Hi mbuehl,

To my old eyes, the soil of your Hindu Rope Hoya (Hoya carnosa 'Compacta') looks quite dry, which may be the cause of the yellowing leaves. I can't see the little specks along the stem clearly enough to tell what they might be but my first thought is either scale insects or mealybugs. Do they move at all? If you gently scrape one with a fingernail, can it be removed? I haven't grown that hoya in years but mine would get infestations of mealybugs that were difficult to control due to all of the nooks and crannies of the twisty leaves. Hopefully others with better eyesight will be able to tell what they are and can offer advice.

In your first picture on the green leaf right behind the yellow one on the right side of your plant, I see a little white mass, and think I see others here and there. It is most likely mealy bugs. Google them if you don't know what to look for. You will find pictures to help you with ID. I would like to see you post this on the Hoya forum, because they will have more advice for you, but as Lin said, this hoya is prone to mealy bugs and it's hard to eradicate because of all the places they can hide in. For some insurance if you do loose the plant, I think I would cut off the one long stem, remove the part of the stem with bad leaves and attempt to root the rest, Again the Hoya forum will give good tips on rooting. Some growers like soil, some like water. Soil is more reliable. Hydrogen peroxide on a qtip will kill off the bugs you see. Just touch them, they will die and remove them. I am not sure your best bet would not be to dip the plant in a solution of a percentage of peroxide and water to insure you get everywhere. I believe you can drench the soil with it as well, because mealys can move into the soil as well. Good luck.

Thank you for your responses! I went to the plant store with these same pictures last week and showed the associate to try and get at little information. It wasn't until I showed the picture of the specs on the rope that the employee said she suspected it was some sort of fungus/infestation. I've been treating with Neem oil for just over a week now and it feels like the sickening of leaves might be slowing?

The only reason i'm hesitant to say that these are mealy bugs is because I've looked pretty closely at the plant (especially now) and don't really see those distinct furry little pests (based off what I've seen online).

I have however started to notice small black circles on the leaves, though I'm unsure if these are distinct markings or just general decay. Googling shows several different potential causes - Botrytis fungal infection, Erwinia carotovora bacterial leaf spot disease, or shoreflies. It's kind of overwhelming trying to consider all the different options.

I will definitely try cross posting this to the Hoya forum to see if they have any extra advice.

Thank you again for your assistance and let me know if you have any other suggestions!!