The wax plant is also known as the hoya plant is one of the most popular houseplants. Knowing Your wax plant light requirements is the first step toward successful growing.
In this article, I will discuss how much light a wax plant needs. And where to place your hoya in order to get the optimal lighting.
But before diving deep into the details I will put the answer for our main question as simple as this: How much light a wax plant needs? A wax plant will thrive in bright indirect sunlight. Although it can grow well under grow light. But it will not tolerate direct sunlight nor low light.
Keep reading to know why wax plant needs light. And the best locations for hoya both indoors and outdoors.
Why wax plant needs sunlight
A wax plant needs light in order to produce its food through a process called photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis is the process of turning water and carbon dioxide into a plant’s food (sugar). Such a process requires energy to be conducted. And the energy came from the light rays.
But the intensity of the light needed differs from one plant to another. In the case of the wax plant, it evolved throughout thousands of years to cope with the kind of light it gets in its natural habitat.
A wax plant aka the hoya plant is native to the rainforests. In the rainforests, they grow under the shade of tall trees.
How much light a wax plant needs
A wax plant will thrive and bloom well in an environment that gets bright but indirect sunlight.
If you want to grow your wax plant indoors you can locate it in a north-facing windowsill. This is the sweetest spot for your hoya when it came to lighting.
Because of such windowsill has bright indirect sunlight during the day.
The second-best indoor spot for your hoya is an east-facing window.
In the east-facing window, there is one to two hours of morning direct sunlight. While it is guarded against the afternoon direct sunlight.
You may now be confused because I said hoya do not tolerate direct sunlight and now am saying put in a place that gets some kind of direct sunlight!
The very early morning direct sunlight is an exception. Actually, it is great for your hoya plant growth.
Avoid putting your wax plant in a south-facing window. Because such a window has too much direct sunlight.
But you can put it there as long as there enough space between the window and the pot. A three feet space is enough for your plant to be guarded against direct sunlight.
Can wax plants take direct sunlight?
Direct sunlight will scorch the wax plant leaves and cause leaves to yellow. Therefore keep your wax plant away from direct sunlight.
But the are two exceptions to this rule. First, you can expose your wax plant to one to two hours of direct early morning sunlight.
Second, if you live in a place that has very weak sunshine during the winter, you can expose your plant to such direct sunlight.
Otherwise, keep your wax plant away from direct sunlight.
Can a wax plant grow in low light?
A wax plant will not tolerate low light. A wax plant that grows in a low light spot will grow leggy, which will make it less appealing.
The plant grows leggy as a survival mechanism. It tries to grow tall in order to reach a brighter spot.
Also, a wax plant that grows in a low light place will develop fewer leaves, and it will not bloom.
Believe me, you don’t want to miss the wax plant’s blooms. Because they are beautiful.
What I do if I don’t have a bright spot
If you don’t have a spot that gets bright indirect sunlight for your wax plant you can use grow light. Grow light will be as effective as the bright indirect sunlight.
And not only your hoya plant will love you for it. Instead, all your other indoor plants will do. Because most houseplants thrive best in bright indirect light.
In conclusion
In this article, I hope I answered one of my readers’ most asked questions: “how much light do wax plants need”. Simply a wax plant needs bright indirect sunlight.
Direct sunlight will scorch the plant foliage. While low light will make the plant weak and grow leggy with fewer leaves.
Give your plant the right lighting and you will enjoy its beautiful foliage and blooms.
