Hoya Australis Lisa – Ultimate Beginners Care Guide

When it comes to plants that play it close to our hearts, the Hoya Australis Lisa is one that strikes very close. We are, after all, a team based in Australia, so featuring one of our own local varieties always gets us excited.

The Lisa Hoya Australis is a magnificent specimen that displays brilliantly variegated shades of yellow and deep green on its leaves.

Much like many of the other Hoyas, it is perfectly comfortable to drape its vines from an indoor hanging basket OR trained on a trellis or some rope from a planter container.

In this care guide, you can expect to learn:

• the origins of the Hoya Australis Lisa,
• how to successfully care for your plant,
• how to propagate more plants from cuttings, and
• answers to all your frequently asked questions.

So if you are ready, put on your gardening hat and let’s get into it.

What is Hoya Australis Lisa

Okay then, in this section we are going to get up close and personal with the Hoya Australis Lisa.

Name Guide

At the Garden Bench Top, we always like to refer to plants by their botanical names. In this case, the Hoya Australis Lisa is a shorter version of its true scientific name, Hoya australis ssp. tenuipes ‘Lisa’.

Other (common) names this beautiful plant can be referred to as are:

• Hoya Lisa
• wax plant Lisa,
• porcelain flower,
• Australian wax plant,
• waxvine, or
• waxflower.

Unfortunately, common names like waxvine and waxflower are often attributed to other Hoya plants like the Hoya Sunrise and Hoya Rebecca. So, as you can appreciate, using common names can be quite confusing, even to seasoned green thumbs like us.

Appearance

What we think makes this particular Hoya a standout are the variegated patterns on the leaves. The Hoya Australis Lisa sports predominantly yellow, cream and green mottled colors on its leaves, with hints of rose and crimson shades on some leaves giving it a unique appearance. On top of the many colors this plant displays, each leaf seems to have its own unique design, almost like a leaf fingerprint.

Being a member of the Hoya family, the Australis Lisa also develops vines which can be trained to climb. This is fantastic for those that want to develop a vining showpiece for indoors and bring in some height to their indoor plant collection.

Alternatively, the Lisa Australis looks just as stunning when allowed to overgrow the edges of a hanging basket in a well lit position.

The final surprise this beautiful plant can produce are small clusters of dainty little white blossoms – the Hoya Australis Lisa flower. They are particularly fragrant and can deliver a spring – like ambience to your indoor setting when in bloom.

Origin of Hoya Australis Lisa

If it isn’t already obvious from the name, the Hoya Australis Lisa lives natively in the tropical regions of Australia. If you want to see these delightful vines in their natural environment, you will likely find them in the North-east regions of Australia growing on rocky ledges, or climbing trees in the tropical forests.

Australia is a large continent with varying climates and environments. Believe us when we say, in some parts of the country we can experience four seasons in one day (which makes it very hard to dress appropriately!). Our point is, you will generally find Hoya Australis Lisa thriving in areas that are sunny, warm and humid. And it is this climate that you should try to replicate in your space if you want to maintain a happy, healthy plant.

That being said, many indoor plants have been cultivated over the years to adapt to modified climates, and as long as you try to mimic a plants natural environment to the best of your abilities, you should experience a rewarding journey.

So, without further ado, let’s get into the Care Tips for your Hoya Australis Lisa.

Guide for Hoya Australis Lisa Care

In this section we have put together a comprehensive care guide for the Hoya Australis Lisa. This guide is for all levels of experience to use and enjoy.

For those that are beginning their indoor plant journey, we have included some links to other parts of the Garden Bench Top to expand on concepts that may need some further explanation.

Is the Hoya Australis Lisa Difficult to Care for?

We are happy to report the Hoya Australis Lisa falls into the easy to care for category for indoor plants. Once you have established a nicely lit position for your plant, the rest is smooth sailing.

The Hoya Australis Lisa is an easy plant to care for and is perfect for beginners and novices.

It really is a low maintenance plant, only requiring the usual watering and occasional feeding of an all-purpose fertilizer.

We do need to preface our claim that it is an easy plant to care for, with the proviso that you do follow the care instructions below relating to providing enough light and environment.

Let’s take a closer look at how and where to position your plant.

Lighting

Originating from a tropical environment with plenty of natural light, the Hoya Australis Lisa will enjoy a light position that receives plenty of indirect light.

We understand finding the perfect position for indoor plants is a stressful and difficult task for some. So if your Australis Lisa Hoya receives some directly sunlight in the morning or late evening, your plant will be fine.

Temperature & Humidity

Tropical climates are generally hot and humid. And the Hoya Lisa Australis’ preferences do align to these conditions.

But what happens if you don’t live in these types of climates? Do not worry – your Lisa will still survive.

We did mention earlier, that many species have been acclimatized to indoor conditions over the years of cultivation and have become tolerant of cooler conditions.

So, if you are able to keep the plant at temperatures between 60-80° F (or 15-26° C as we say it down under), then your plant will still be content.

Lisa Hoya plants also like humidity – ideally 60-80%. Again, we understand not everyone can achieve these levels of humidity. The obvious solution is to buy a humidifier and run it until you reach these levels. However, those not used to these conditions, living in humid conditions can actually be unbearable.

There are other solutions you can try, like leaving some open containers of water around your plants. The evaporation from the open sources of water will help maintain humidity and keep your plant content.

Water Requirements

There are two things that will generally determine your indoor plant’s survival. Water and the soil you use – and they are related to one another.

Hoya Australis Lisa plants like to have a ready source of water available. But they will not appreciate overwatering. Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it?

Hoyas have succulent-like leaves, so they have the ability to retain water. This means they can tolerate short periods of dryness between watering. So we recommend you allow the soil to feel on the dryer side before topping it up with some water.

Watering your indoor plants is one of the trickiest things to master, but once you do, your life will be that much easier. We always recommend our readers to learn how to employ the soil finger test method for determining when your plants require water. It is a quick, effective method that has not let us down.

When you combine the finger test with the perfect growing medium, you will eliminate a lot of the watering guesswork involved with indoor plants. Let’s take a look at what soil you should be using.

Growing Medium & Supplements

Hoya plants love light, aerated soil that has good water retention properties – and the Lisa Australis is no exception.

A good potting soil mix of coco coir or peat moss, perlite and vermiculite is ideal for growing Hoya Australis Lisa plants. Read about our recipe for indoor plant potting mix to create your very own loamy Hoya soil (which really isn’t soil!).

Like most other indoor plants, we do recommend mixing through slow release fertilizer for your Hoya Australis Lisa to help provide the necessary nutrients and minerals for your plant. We would also recommend increasing your supplemental feeds during the growing seasons of the Hoya Australis Lisa.

General Maintenance

As we mentioned earlier, ongoing maintenance is relatively easy for the Australis Lisa Hoya.

Generally speaking, when it comes to roots and repotting, Hoya plants like crowded containers. Which is absolutely fine with us – we think the less interference the better!

However, if you notice roots protruding out from the bottom of the pot, then it may be time to repot into a larger container. At this point, we would also recommend changing the soil mixture with fresh materials.

Hoya Australis Lisa Propagation

To propagate your Hoya Lisa Australis we recommend following along with our Hoya propagation techinque. It involves creating new plants using cuttings from your main plant. Now let’s get into the fun stuff.

Required Materials Checklist

• Hoya Cutting
• Sterilized Knife/Blade
• Rooting Hormone (or agent)
• Glass Jar
• Distilled Water
• Loamy Soil (refer to growing medium section above)

How to Propagate your Hoya Rebecca

1. Find a healthy vine. To begin you will need to find yourself a healthy cutting from your main plant with 3-4 leaves (or nodes). Take your sterilized knife, and cut the healthy vine as close to the main plant as possible. You need a sterilized knife to avoid transferring any diseases or bacteria to the cutting AND your main plant. Leave your cutting out on a bench to dry for 24-48 hours.
2. Fill the jar with distilled water. While your cutting is drying, fill a jar with distilled water and leave out on the bench near the cutting. This way, the water acclimates to room temperature, and there is less of a chance of shocking the cutting. We use distilled water to eliminate any unwanted bacteria or nasties that may sneak in. Ultimately, this will give your cutting the best opportunity to successfully take and grow. If you do not have distilled water available, tap water should be okay.
3. Rooting Time. When the wound has sealed over, dip the stem into the rooting hormone and insert it into the jar of water. Place the cutting and jar near your mother plant in a brightly lit position. To prevent the water from becoming stale, we recommend changing the water every 2-3 days.
4. Root Maturing. This is the exciting part. You should see tiny roots beginning to form where you made the cutting. Leave them in the water to grow into strong, mature roots, while continuing to refresh the water every few days.
5. Transplanting Your Cutting. Once the mature roots have appeared, it is time to transfer your cutting to a more soil based growing medium. Fill a small container with a mixture of damp peat or sphagnum moss. Make sure the roots are covered entirely to give them the best opportunity to catch and grow in the new medium.
6. Continued Maintenance. From this point on, just take care of your cuttings as you do your mother plant.

Frequently Asked Questions

In this section we attempt to answer all your ‘other’ questions that may not be addressed in the care guide.

If you don’t find an answer to your question, please send us a message via our CONTACT page. We will endeavor to respond with a timely answer, and include it in our growing FAQ section below.

Is Hoya Australis Lisa Rare?

If you are considering adding a Hoya Australis Lisa to your collection, they are not typically considered to be a rare specimen within the species. This means they are a prolific grower in their native environments. That said, they are not the most common indoor plant available in parts of the world. If you do happen to come across one in your local nursery, we would recommend jumping at the opportunity of owning this beautiful plant.

Is a Hoya Australis the same as the Hoya Australis Lisa?

Are they the same – NO.

Are they similar? That would be a YES. The Lisa is actually a variegated version of the Hoya Australis with beautiful splashes of yellow and cream throughout their leaves. We much prefer the variegation of the Lisa, as it presents much nicer and adds another layer to the scenery when placed within a collection.

My Hoya Australis Lisa has droopy leaves – what should I do?

Droopy leaves are a sign that your plant is not receiving enough water. We recommend checking your plants soil using the soil finger test to see if it requires a top-up.

My Lisa Hoya Australis leaves are yellow – what should I do?

Normally, when we receive a question like this, we immediately default to our troubleshooting guide for yellow leaves on plants.

However, in the case of a Hoya Australis Lisa, the leaves are meant to be yellow. So before we jump to any conclusions, we may need to take a closer inspection of the leaves and their condition.

If your plants leaves still look healthy, vibrant, with no evidence of brown spots, dryness or crispy edges, it is likely that your plant is just adjusting the colors on its leaves.

If you do sight a degree of the above symptoms, then we suggest referring to our helpful brown spots and yellowing leaves guides for remedies.