Hoyas & Succulents
Hey y’all! This has been a subject I’ve seen brought up many times on the subreddit. Lots of different opinions and there doesn’t seem to be a general consensus as to how we should be caring for our Hoyas.
First off: Yes, SOME Hoyas are considered to be stem or leaf succulents. A succulent is a physical description for a plant that retains water in its leaves (jades), stems (cacti), or root systems (caudex/oaxalis). SOME Hoyas are considered to be succulents in this regard. Emphasis on some.
I think ultimately where the confusion lies is that we have conflicting opinions about care. Some will claim they need “drought-like” watering routines, while others will explain how they water that same plant weekly with dense soil and it seems to be thriving. I think the root of this confusion is that there are many different factors at play when caring for an indoor plant. What’s the soil mix/substrate? What’s the ambient temperature? What’s the relative humidity? Are there drafts? For example: I’m currently propping three rooted Hoya cuttings (from the same plant) in identical substrate and in identical sized shot glass plastic cups. One is under a grow light, one is on the south facing window-sill, and the last is on the shelf getting bright indirect. They all require DIFFERENT watering cycles because of the amount of light/heat they’re receiving changes how fast the substrate drys out. Because of this I wouldn’t suggest someone follow a strict watering cycle based off of the results of one cutting; I would suggest investigating what factors are at play and adjust my watering accordingly.
Therein lies to problem… broad and generalizing statements/advice that treat Hoyas monolithically instead of a more specific/nuanced approach to each situation. So yes it is true that some Hoyas are considered succulents, but even then the care is different from what the layman’s interpretation of succulents (drought-watering) aught to be.