The easiest way to propagate a Hoya is a stem cutting with at least one node, rooted in water, sphagnum moss, or a light soil mix. Hoya root readily from these cuttings, and because they are wax plants that store water in their leaves, the cuttings are forgiving and slow to fail.
Here is the method we use in the nursery, plus how to give the cutting the best start.
What You Need and When to Do It
Take Hoya cuttings in spring or summer when the plant is actively growing; cuttings taken in winter root slowly if at all. You will need clean scissors or secateurs, a healthy vine, and one of three rooting mediums: a jar of water, damp sphagnum moss, or a free-draining mix. The key is the node, the small bump on the stem where leaves and roots emerge. No node, no roots.
Take the Cutting
Choose a healthy section of vine and cut just below a node, leaving two or three leaves on the cutting. A cutting with two nodes gives you a spare. Pull off the lowest leaf so that bottom node is bare, since that is where roots will form and you do not want a leaf sitting in water or damp moss. Where you can, keep any tiny growth stubs at the nodes, as those old flower spurs are where next year's blooms come from.
Root in Water, Moss or Soil
All three work well for Hoya, so pick what suits you.
- Water: sit the bare node in a jar of water with the leaves above the surface. Refresh the water weekly. Roots usually show in two to four weeks.
- Sphagnum moss: nestle the node into damp (not soaking) moss in a small pot or bag. Moss holds steady moisture and air, and the roots that form transfer to soil more easily than water roots.
- Soil or leca: push the node into a light, open mix and keep it just barely moist. Coco based media work nicely, and you can use our coco coir or clay aggregate for semi-hydro.
Keep the cutting warm and in bright, indirect light. We do not recommend misting; it does little for humidity and can encourage rot on a fresh cutting. If you want to raise humidity around it, a clear cover or propagation box is far more effective.
Aftercare and Timing
Once water or moss roots reach 3 to 5cm, pot the cutting into a small container of free-draining mix and water sparingly for the first few weeks while it settles. Do not be alarmed if a Hoya cutting sits still for a while before rooting; they take their time. From cutting to established young plant is usually a couple of months in the growing season. Our note on how long propagation takes sets expectations for other plants too.
Related Questions Worth Knowing
If you would rather skip water rooting altogether, read whether you can propagate houseplants directly in soil, and what to do if your cuttings keep rotting in water. For more cuttings to practise on, browse our Hoya collection, including the needle-leaved Hoya linearis and the ruby-edged Hoya wayetii, or read the full Hoya care guide. Everything you need to pot up rooted cuttings is in our propagation range.