Temperature
60–85°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Wax plant
Hoya carnosa
Wax plant wants bright indirect light and water every 10 to 18 days, once the top two inches are dry. Non-toxic to cats and dogs. It climbs: without support its leaves stay small.
Light
Bright indirect
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
An east window, or within two feet of a south one. It will live in medium light but will not flower there.
Water
Every 10–18 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the top two inches are dry, not on a schedule.
Humidity
40% and up
Wants 60%. Struggles in dry winter air.
Difficulty
Easy
Scores 2 of 5: Scores 2 of 5: thick leaves make it drought-tolerant and it is happy pot-bound. Loses points because flowering needs bright light and patience measured in years.
Habit
Trailing
Needs a moss pole or board. Not decorative — leaves will not mature without one.
Non-toxic to cats and dogs
Eating a large amount of any plant can still cause mild stomach upset.
Detail for cats → Detail for dogs →
What each authority says
- ASPCA — entry for a cultivar of this species: Hoya carnosa 'krinkle kurl'
- Non-toxic to cats and dogs
- NC State Extension
- Entry exists and records no poison data.
Light
Bright indirect light. An east window, or within two feet of a south one. It will live in medium light but will not flower there.
Water
Every 10 to 18 days in a 6-inch pot, when the top two inches are dry.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | soak and dry |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | the top two inches are dry |
Soil and potting
One part potting soil, one part orchid bark, one part perlite.
Repot roughly every 3 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. Each links to a diagnosis page with the causes ranked for this species.
- Yellow leaves this week
- No flowers monitor
- Root rot act today
Pest and disease guidance for this species consulted at the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, checked 2026-09-11.
Pests
Recorded for this species. Each links to identification and treatment.
Propagation
Stem cutting in water or soil. Roots in 21 to 49 days.
A cutting without a node will not root. It may stay green in water for months and never produce a single root, because it has no growth point.
| Preferred method | stem cutting |
|---|---|
| Medium | water, soil |
| Time to root | 21–49 days |
| Node required | Yes |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Hoya carnosa 'krinkle kurl' Checked 2026-09-11.
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Hoya carnosa (consulted; entry exists and records no poison data.) Checked 2026-09-11.
- Wikidata entity Q134347 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Hoya carnosa Accepted name; family Apocynaceae. Checked 2026-09-11.
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — Hoya carnosa Pest and disease guidance. Checked 2026-09-11.
- Photograph: Yvan leduc, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 3.0.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02