Hoya Kerrii/Heart Leaf care and details: Beautiful leafed succulents

Image Source: Mokkie, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Image Cropped)

Heart Leaf are succulent plants mostly sought after because of their heart shaped leaves. Heart Leaf care is easy to maintain and a single leaf can survive for a very long time. They are climbers with white colored leaves clustered together. The vines can be difficult to train.

Quick Details of Heart Leaf Care

Other Common Names	Sweetheart Hoya,Heart Leaf,
Type	Indoor/outdoor plant
Maintenance	Low
Flowering	Summer
Light	Can survive any condition.
Water	When the soil is dry
Temperature	Warm conditions
Soil	Well drained sandy soil
Fertilizer	Any liquid cacti fertilizer
Habitat	Hoya (south- east Asia)
Toxicity	No
Common Diseases	Root rot
Scientific name	Hoya kerrii

Heart Leaf Buying Instructions

• Buy a single leaf plant for gift purpose.
• Plant grows very slow and may not grow very much in home conditions.
• Heart Leaf care is very easy which makes it a perfect choice for you succulent garden.

Overview of Heart Leaf

Heart Leaf are evergreen succulents belonging to the family of Apocynaceae. They are native to Hoya, a place in southeast Asia.

They are vines in natural habitat and can grow and spread up to 4-meter height. The leaves are flat, thick and fleshy. The stem is thick and woody. Most of the hoya plants available are single leafed plants.

Heart Leaf can either develop into a vine or remain as it is. They are not toxic to humans or animals. They flower annually during summer. White flowers are formed in clusters with a ball of nectar at the center.

Special features: Heart Leaf is a perfect Valentine day gift plant

Usage and Advantage of Heart Leaf

• They are grown as an ornamental plant.
• The plants are one of the most sought after plants during valentine’s day due to the heart shaped leaves.

Heart Leaf Care – General Tips

Special Care:

Yet Heart Leaf care is very easy but they are slow growers. Mature plants with leaves can be re-potted in a year. The young plants need not be re-potted. They are climbers and hence can be trained to grow as a vine. A string or a rope can be used to help it grow on a support. The vines can become thick and difficult to bend ones they mature. Under watering the plant can help loosen the vines a bit. But care should be taken not to break or damage them while shaping the plant.

Soil:

Heart Leaf prefer well drained well aerated soil. any cacti or succulent mix can be used. A mix of potting soil, perlite and peat in the ratio of 2:1:1 can be used.

Water:

Heart Leaf are drought resistant and can survive without watering for a very long time. They can be watered when the soil is dry. During winters the plants require very little water. Over watering can cause root rot.

Light:

Heart Leaf are not particular about the sunlight. The plant can be placed anywhere where there is bright direct to partial indirect sunlight. They can thrive in any light conditions. The plant should not be placed in dark or shady places for long.

Temperature and humidity:

Perfect temperature is very much required for Heart Leaf care. Heart Leaf prefer a warmer climate. They can tolerate excess heat but during winters the plant can seize to grow. The humidity does not affect the plant

Growth rate and flowering:

The growth rate of Heart Leaf plant is very slow. They almost stop growing during winters and when the plant is blooming. The single heart shaped cutting that is available can take years to develop into a proper vine. Some of the cuttings might not develop into a full grown plant. The mature plant blooms annually during summer. They are star shaped and present as clusters.

Fertilizer:

Heart Leaf do not require much feeding. The plants can be fed once or twice a year mostly during the tip of their growth. In case of new shoots growing from the main stem then they can be fertilized ones in a month during the growing period.

Pests and other problems for Heart Leaf

Heart leaf plants are not prone to any diseases. Over watering can cause Root Rot.

The plants can face many problems due to change in conditions. Some of them include:

Shrivelling leaves caused due to underwatering the plants.

The new leaves may lose variegation while the vine grows. This is usual and aids the plant in photosynthesis.

Propagation of Heart Leaf

Propagation of heart leaf is done through cutting.

A healthy tip can be cut and left to dry for a day or two. Once the cut is covered, the tip can be dipped in rooting hormone and submerged in water and placed in bright indirect sunlight. The water should be changed  once a week. The cuttings can be re-potted into soil once the roots start to merge from the cutting. To grow into a vine, the cuttings require a part of the stem with a node.

The cutting can take a very long time to develop into a new plant. They will develop into a plant only if the cuttings do not turn yellow or wrinkle.