Hoya Lisa - Spectacular Variegated Wax Plant with Fragrant Blooms
Absolutely captivating and incredibly rewarding to grow, the Hoya Lisa is one of the most sought-after variegated Hoyas in the plant world! This stunning cultivar of Hoya australis features smooth, glossy, almost-round leaves displaying vibrant splashed variegation in shades of cream, soft yellow, and rich green - but the real magic happens with new growth! Each new leaf emerges in striking shades of peach, coral red, and burgundy before gradually fading through pink to settle into those gorgeous cream and green patterns. It's like watching a watercolour painting come to life on every single leaf!
What makes the Hoya Lisa such an absolute winner for Australian plant lovers is its remarkable Australian heritage - discovered on the northeast coast of Australia way back in the 1700s, this beauty has proven itself perfectly suited to our growing conditions! As a semi-succulent epiphyte, it stores water in those thick, waxy leaves, making it wonderfully drought-tolerant and forgiving of occasional missed waterings. The vining growth habit means you can display it trailing beautifully from a hanging basket, climbing up a support, or cascading down from a high shelf. And when conditions are right, you'll be rewarded with spectacular clusters of fragrant white star-shaped flowers that smell absolutely divine - a sweet combination of chocolate and vanilla that's even stronger than the classic Hoya carnosa!
Why Choose Hoya Lisa for Your Collection?
- Stunning Colour-Changing Foliage: New leaves emerge in breathtaking shades of red, peach, and burgundy before transitioning through pink to cream and green - every new leaf is an exciting event!
- Fragrant Star-Shaped Flowers: Produces gorgeous clusters of up to 40 white flowers with pink-blushed centres and an incredible sweet fragrance that fills your home!
- Pet-Friendly Beauty: Unlike many houseplants, Hoya Lisa is non-toxic to cats, dogs, and children, making it perfect for family homes!
- Drought-Tolerant Semi-Succulent: Those thick, waxy leaves store water, making this an incredibly forgiving plant that tolerates occasional underwatering with ease!
- Easy Care Requirements: Low-maintenance and adaptable, this Hoya thrives with minimal fuss, perfect for beginners or busy plant parents!
- Versatile Display Options: Beautiful trailing from hanging baskets, climbing up supports, or cascading from shelves - the choice is yours!
Care Instructions for Australian Conditions
Light Requirements
Your Hoya Lisa will absolutely thrive in bright, indirect light where those gorgeous variegated leaves can really show off their stunning colours! The brighter the light (without direct harsh sun), the more pronounced the pink and red tones will be on new growth and the more cream variegation you'll see on mature leaves. An east-facing window is absolutely ideal, providing gentle morning sun and bright light throughout the day. A spot 1-2 metres back from a bright north or west-facing window works beautifully too! That said, this adaptable beauty will still grow happily in medium light conditions, though growth may be slower and variegation slightly less pronounced. Just protect it from harsh direct afternoon sun during our intense Australian summers, as this can scorch those beautiful leaves. If you notice new leaves coming in more green than pink, your plant is telling you it wants a bit more light! The wonderful thing about Hoyas is that they'll naturally lean towards the light source, so give your plant a quarter turn every week or so to encourage even, balanced growth all around!
Watering
It's important to only water when it suits the environment your plant is living in - everyone's home is different! Your Hoya Lisa is semi-succulent, storing water in those thick, glossy leaves, which means it's naturally drought-tolerant and much happier being slightly underwatered than overwatered! A good general approach is to allow the top 5cm of soil to dry out completely before watering again, then water thoroughly until water drains from the bottom of the pot. Depending on your home's conditions, this might mean watering every 10-14 days in summer and perhaps only every 2-3 weeks in winter! The frequency will vary dramatically based on temperature, humidity, light levels, and your potting medium. A chunky, well-draining mix (which we absolutely recommend!) will dry out faster than dense potting mix. Your Hoya will give you clear signals - slightly puckered or softer leaves indicate thirst, whilst yellowing leaves or a general droopiness often suggests overwatering. During our warm Australian summers (December through February), you might water weekly, whilst in our cooler winter months (June through August), extend the time between waterings significantly. Remember, Hoyas are epiphytes in nature, growing on trees where water drains away quickly - they really don't appreciate sitting in soggy soil!
Temperature
Being native to Australia's tropical regions, your Hoya Lisa absolutely loves warmth and thrives in typical Australian indoor temperatures! It's happiest between 15-26°C, which covers most Australian homes beautifully year-round! This is actually a quite cold-tolerant Hoya compared to many tropical species, which makes sense given its Australian heritage. During our summer months, normal indoor temperatures are absolutely perfect and will encourage vigorous growth. In winter, just keep your Hoya away from cold draughts, frosty windows on chilly nights, or the cold blast from air conditioning units. Whilst it can tolerate brief periods down to around 10°C without serious damage, it really doesn't appreciate prolonged cold and growth will slow considerably below 15°C. Avoid placing near heating vents or locations with dramatic temperature fluctuations throughout the day, as Hoyas appreciate consistency!
Humidity
Here's some brilliant news - your Hoya Lisa is perfectly content with average household humidity levels! Unlike many tropical plants, Hoyas have those thick, waxy leaves that help them retain moisture, so they're not demanding about humidity at all! Average household humidity of 30-50% works absolutely fine, though if you want to encourage those spectacular flowers and the most vibrant foliage colours, humidity levels around 50-60% are ideal. The easiest way to achieve this is by grouping your plants together - they create lovely natural humidity pockets that benefit all your green beauties simultaneously! This is far more effective than misting and creates that jungle microclimate naturally. During particularly dry periods or if you're running heating or air conditioning frequently, you might notice the leaf edges becoming slightly less glossy, which indicates the air is drier than ideal. A small humidifier nearby can work wonders if you notice this, though it's certainly not essential for this adaptable beauty to thrive!
Potting Medium
As an epiphyte that naturally grows on trees in the wild, your Hoya Lisa absolutely needs a very well-draining, chunky potting mix that allows plenty of air circulation around those roots! Standard indoor potting mix is far too dense and water-retentive for Hoyas. Instead, try our signature Ultimate Aroid Mix which works brilliantly for epiphytic Hoyas - combine premium orchid bark, perlite, coco coir, coco chips, vermiculite, and a handful of horticultural charcoal. This chunky, aerated mixture mimics the tree bark environment where Hoyas naturally grow, providing excellent drainage whilst still retaining appropriate moisture! A good ratio is roughly 50% orchid bark, 30% quality indoor mix or coco coir, and 20% perlite or pumice. The key is creating a mix that drains quickly but has enough organic matter to hold some moisture. Hoyas are particularly susceptible to root rot if kept too wet, so that drainage is absolutely crucial! When repotting (typically every 2-3 years), choose a pot just slightly larger - Hoyas actually prefer being slightly root-bound and often flower more readily in this condition! Always ensure your pot has drainage holes!
Fertilising
To encourage that stunning variegated foliage and those magnificent fragrant blooms, we absolutely recommend feeding with Growth Technology Foliage Focus during the active growing season! Use 3-5ml per litre of water at every watering for optimal results. This complete, balanced fertiliser contains all 12 essential minerals your Hoya needs to produce those gorgeous leaves and support flowering! Additionally, incorporate Growth Technology Rootzone every 2-4 weeks (1ml per litre of water) alongside your regular fertiliser to encourage a robust, healthy root system. For Hoyas specifically hoping to bloom, you want to ensure adequate phosphorus and potassium in your fertiliser regime - Growth Technology Foliage Focus provides this perfect balance! Feed consistently from early spring through late summer during active growth. During our cooler winter months (June through August) when growth naturally slows, you can reduce feeding to once monthly or even pause entirely if your plant goes into dormancy. The key to encouraging blooms is consistent feeding during the growing season combined with allowing your plant to become slightly pot-bound and giving it plenty of bright light!
Seasonal Care Adjustments
Spring (September-November): This is when your Hoya Lisa really comes alive! You'll see vigorous vine growth and frequent new leaves emerging in those stunning red and pink tones. Increase watering frequency as temperatures warm and growth accelerates. Resume regular fertilising if you paused over winter. This is an excellent time for repotting if needed or taking cuttings for propagation!
Summer (December-February): Active growth continues throughout our warm months! Your Hoya might produce those spectacular fragrant flowers during this period. Monitor soil moisture more closely as warmer temperatures mean faster drying. Maintain consistent fertilising to support all that gorgeous growth. Ensure adequate bright light but protect from harsh afternoon sun through windows!
Autumn (March-May): Growth will gradually slow as temperatures cool and daylight hours decrease. Begin reducing watering frequency slightly as the soil takes longer to dry. You might see your first flower clusters appearing as days shorten! Continue regular fertilising through early autumn, then reduce as winter approaches. This is often when mature Hoyas decide to bloom!
Winter (June-August): Growth slows considerably or may pause entirely during our cooler months, which is completely natural! Reduce watering significantly - your Hoya might only need water every 2-3 weeks or even longer. Reduce or pause fertilising during this rest period. Maintain warmth and protect from cold draughts. This dormancy period is actually beneficial and often encourages flowering when spring arrives!
Perfect For
- Pet-Friendly Homes: One of the few variegated trailing plants that's completely safe around cats, dogs, and children - collect with confidence!
- Hoya Collectors: An absolute must-have cultivar for any Hoya collection with its spectacular colour-changing foliage and gorgeous blooms!
- Hanging Displays: Those trailing vines look absolutely stunning cascading from hanging baskets or macramé hangers, showing off the variegation beautifully!
- Beginner Plant Parents: Wonderfully forgiving and low-maintenance with semi-succulent leaves that store water - perfect for building confidence!
- Fragrance Lovers: The sweet chocolate-vanilla scented blooms are absolutely divine and even more fragrant than the classic Hoya carnosa!
- Busy Professionals: Drought-tolerant and adaptable with minimal care requirements that suit hectic lifestyles whilst still providing stunning visual impact!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I encourage my Hoya Lisa to produce those gorgeous flowers?
Fantastic question! Hoyas typically bloom when they're mature (usually 2-3 years old), slightly root-bound, and receiving plenty of bright light. The key factors are consistent feeding during the growing season with Growth Technology Foliage Focus, allowing your plant to become snug in its pot rather than frequently repotting, providing bright indirect light, and experiencing a slight temperature drop or dry period (like our natural winter). Many Hoyas bloom in autumn as days shorten! Once your plant has bloomed, never remove the flower stems (peduncles) after flowers fade - Hoyas rebloom from the same stems year after year! With patience and proper care, you'll be rewarded with those spectacular fragrant flower clusters!
Why are my new leaves coming in more green than pink/red?
If your new growth is emerging green rather than those stunning red, pink, and peach tones, your Hoya Lisa is asking for more light! The intensity of those beautiful pink and red colours on new leaves is directly related to light levels. Move your plant to a brighter location with more indirect light, and future new growth should show much more vibrant colouration! The variegation will also be more pronounced with adequate light. Just remember to increase light gradually to avoid shock, and always protect from harsh direct sun which can burn the leaves!
Can I propagate my Hoya Lisa, and when's the best time?
Absolutely! Hoyas propagate beautifully from stem cuttings, and it's wonderfully rewarding! The best time is spring or summer during active growth. Take a cutting with at least 2-3 nodes (the bumps where leaves emerge) and a couple of leaves, cutting just below a node. Dip the cut end in Clonex Purple Rooting Gel for best results, then place in water or directly into a well-draining propagation mix. If using water, add Growth Technology Clonex Clone Solution at 5ml per litre to encourage rapid root development and prevent rot. Roots typically develop within 3-6 weeks, and once they're 5-8cm long, you can pot up your new plant! Keep your cuttings in bright, indirect light and maintain warmth for fastest rooting!
My Hoya Lisa has long vines without many leaves - is something wrong?
Not at all - this is completely natural Hoya behaviour! In nature, Hoyas send out long "searching vines" looking for support to climb. Once they find something to grab onto, they'll start producing leaves more densely along those vines. You have two options: either provide a support like a Grow Vertical Propstick or moss pole for your Hoya to climb (which often encourages more compact leaf growth), or simply be patient and the vine will eventually fill in with leaves! You can also prune back excessively long vines to encourage bushier growth and more branching. The cuttings from pruning make excellent propagation material!
Should I mist my Hoya Lisa's leaves?
Actually, no! Despite being tropical plants, Hoyas don't benefit from misting and in fact it can cause problems. Those thick, waxy leaves are designed to retain moisture, and misting can leave water sitting on the foliage which may encourage fungal issues or leaf spotting. Hoyas are perfectly happy with average household humidity levels. If you want to boost humidity (which isn't essential), grouping plants together is far more effective and safer than misting! You can occasionally wipe down the leaves with a damp cloth to remove dust and keep them glossy and photosynthesising efficiently, just make sure to dry them afterwards!
Every plant we offer is carefully selected from our premium nursery stock and personally inspected for quality and health before dispatch, ensuring you receive a beautiful specimen ready to thrive in your Australian collection!
Please Note: As living plants, each specimen is unique and may vary in size, leaf count, and exact appearance from the images shown. The photos are representative examples of the quality and characteristics you can expect, but natural variations in shape, colour, and growth patterns make every plant one-of-a-kind. This individuality is part of what makes growing plants so special!
If you are from a quarantine restricted state & would like to purchase this plant we recommend using Paradise Distributors concierge service, make sure to contact them prior to purchasing: info@rareplants.net.au
Shipping & Greenhouse Collection
Let's Talk About How Your Plants Get to You!
Alright, so here's the deal with shipping - we try our best to send all our plants potted and ready to go, but sometimes due to larger orders or when we're moving through some big changes, we'll send some plants semi-bare rooted. If you haven't come across this before, it basically means we carefully remove a bunch of the soil before packing them up. I know that might sound a bit scary if you've never ordered plants online before, but trust me, this is actually a really smart way to do it! The main reason we do this is because it creates so much more room in the box, which means we can fit way more plants in one shipment for you. More plants in one box = more green goodness arriving at your door at once! The plants honestly handle the journey better without all that heavy, wet soil sloshing around too. Just make sure you've got some fresh potting mix ready to go when your green babies arrive, because they'll want to get tucked into their new home pretty quickly!
Now, let's chat about what actually fits in our boxes. We can safely fit about 4-6 plants in one box, or if you're stocking up on supplies, one box can hold 3 bags of medium plus 1L of Growth Technology. We really don't recommend adding heavy items with your plants though - it just puts extra stress on your precious plants during transit and limits how many we can fit. If your order ends up being heavier than our standard box can handle, we'll reach out to you about additional postage fees. We're always transparent about costs, no sneaky surprises!
When Does Everything Ship Out?
Here's how our timeline works - we process and ship orders the week after you place them. So if you order on a Tuesday, your plants will get packed and sent out sometime the following week. We ship Monday through Friday (because let's be real, we all need weekends to recharge!), and we're aiming to get your order out within 4-6 business days of processing. Sometimes things take a tiny bit longer because we're a small but mighty team, and we take absolute care in making sure every single plant is packed perfectly. Like, we're talking individual attention for each plant here. We don't rush this stuff!
Once your order ships, you'll get an email with your tracking number. If you haven't received that tracking email, it just means we're still working on your order - it hasn't left us yet. Please be patient with us! We promise we're working as fast as we can while still making sure everything is done right. We pack orders in chronological order to keep things fair for everyone, so no one's getting special treatment or jumping the queue. First come, first served, that's how we roll!
The Journey to Your Doorstep
All our orders ship with Australia Post, and here's something cool - they operate 24/7! That means even if your order gets sent out on a Friday afternoon, it's still making its way to you over the weekend. The postal system doesn't sleep, and honestly, that's pretty amazing for getting plants to you quickly. You can generally expect your plants to arrive within 2-7 days after we ship them, depending on where you are in Australia. Metro areas tend to be quicker, regional spots might take the full week, but either way, your tracking number will keep you in the loop the whole time.
And here's the thing that always blows people's minds - our plants are absolute troopers. We've tested this extensively, and they can genuinely survive in their boxes for up to three weeks if needed. Obviously we don't want them sitting around that long, but life happens, mail gets delayed sometimes, and we want you to know that your plants are prepped and ready to handle whatever the postal system throws at them. While we do our best to avoid delays, occasional unforeseen circumstances may slightly impact delivery times, but rest assured, your plants are packed with extra care and are tougher than you think!
Quarantine States (WA, NT, TAS)
We currently only ship directly to non-quarantine states. Unfortunately, biosecurity restrictions make it pretty complicated to send plants to Western Australia, Northern Territory, and Tasmania. But don't worry, we've got a solution for you! If you're from a quarantine restricted state and would like to purchase plants from us, we recommend using Paradise Distributors' concierge service. They're absolute legends and can handle all the biosecurity paperwork and requirements for you. Make sure to contact them prior to purchasing so they can give you all the details and help you out: info@rareplants.net.au
Come Visit the Greenhouse! (Rockdale)
If you're local or just love the idea of picking up your order in person, we've got you covered! Greenhouse collection from our Rockdale location is available the same week you make your purchase. Our opening hours are always changing, so make sure to check booking availability on our 'Visit the Greenhouse' page before purchasing. After you've paid for your order, just head over and book a time slot that works for you. You'll get to pick up your plants AND have a wander through the greenhouse while you're here, which honestly is such a vibe. Just please wear a mask if you're feeling unwell - it's a small space and we want to keep everyone safe and healthy!
Catch Us at Markets!
We do regular markets around Sydney and would love to meet you in person! If you'd prefer to skip shipping altogether and grab your order at one of our market stalls, just email us at info@growinggroundsaustralia.com and we can arrange collection at an upcoming market. It's a great way to chat plants face-to-face, see what else we've got on the day, and save on postage!
Questions? We're Here for You!
If you've got any questions about shipping, tracking, or literally anything else, please don't hesitate to contact us at info@growinggroundsaustralia.com. We love chatting with you guys and we're always happy to help troubleshoot, answer questions, or just talk plants!
Much love from the GG's Team 🌱
