Hoya is a genus name for 200-300 flowering plant species in Apocynaceae’s family (the dogbane family). Some species are cultivated as houseplants in temperate regions for their intense scented flowers and attractive foliage.
These tropical plants are native to Asia (India, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Polynesia, New Guinea Indonesia and species are also in Australia.
Toxic or safe to cats?
People with pets will be glad to know that hoya, also known as waxplant, waxflower, or waxvine is not toxic or poisonous to cats, dogs, or even horses.
Therefore, the various hoya species like Hoya carnosa, Hoya linearis, Hoya kerrii (wax hearts, valentine hoya, or lucky-heart), Hoya linearis, H. australis (common waxflower), H. bilobate, H. macgillivrayi, H. megalaster, among many other are cat friendly.
While hoya is cat safe, ensure your cat doesn’t overeat as with any other safe plant material. They may vomit, diarrhea, or have stomach upsets since they cannot handle much plant material, being strict carnivores.
Excessive plant material eating may be a sign of boredom, nutritional imbalances, or other causes of feline pica (eating of non-food material).
Finally, besides the attractive foliage and flowers, hoya helps cleaning your house from various contaminants, i.e., it will help remove all the five VOCs (volatile organic compounds) often found in the air.
Growth requirements
Since hoya houseplants are not poisonous to cats, we guess you may want to cultivate them. It is not so complicated, and you will love their semi-succulent to succulent with waxy leaves, with some having fuzzy leaves.
Also, most of them are trailing vines, making them perfect for handing in baskets or putting them on shelves. Here are the growth requirements:
- Lighting: They prefer indirect bright light but can tolerate low light (but may not bloom often). Avoid direct intense sunlight, especially during midday, as it may scorch hoya’s leaves.
- Watering: From spring all through to summer, water them thoroughly but ensure your pot has drainage holes and wait until the topsoil is dried before watering again or after at least two weeks.
- Humidity: Like any other plants that grow in the tropics, they prefer humid conditions. Mist them, have a humidifier, or place the pot on a saucer with gravel and water.
- Soil: Rich, well-drained and aerated mixes like potting soil, succulent and cactus mix, or compost
- Fertilizers: Feed them with liquid fertilizers once a month during their growing months and cut it during cold months as they will be dormant.
Finally, you can propagate them via air layering or stems and avoid pruning their tendrils since flowers and leaving from these tendrils.
Other safe plants
Besides hoya, there are many cat-friendly houseplants you can buy that includes the following:
- Kentia, parlor, areca, Chinese fan palm among other true palms
- Calathea or pray plants like peacock and rattlesnake plants
- Cast iron plant
- Aluminum plant
- African violets
- Haworthia zebra
- Lipstick plant
- Boston ferns
- Christmas cactus