Hoya Carnosa Krimson Queen, also known as Hoya Carnosa Tricolor, Hoya Carnosa Variegata, or simply Hoya Krimson Queen is a variegated tropical plant.
It is a variety of Hoya Carnosa that is also called a wax plant or porcelain plant.
A native of Southeast Asia and Australia, this climbing plant (just like the Neon Philodendron) is ideal for decorative purposes. Indeed, Hoya Carnosas being epiphytic (which means they grow upon trees and other supports), will beautifully embellish your home in hanging baskets.
Hoya Krimson Queen has variegated leaves with creamy white and bright pink margins. These heart-shaped leaves are smooth and waxy and can grow up to 5 cm long.
Krimson queens are also known to bloom. Their pink flowers have a wonderful scent, unlike many other Hoyas.
The good news is that Hoya Krimson Queen is a low-maintenance plant. This complete guide will explain everything about these plants.
Let’s start our guided tour!
Difference between Hoya Krimson Queen and Hoya Krimson Princess
Many don’t know the difference between Hoya Krimson Queen and Hoya Krimson Princess since they are closer in name and looks.
Here is how you can easily distinguish between these two Hoya Carnosas:
- Krimson Queen has green leaves with creamy white or pink edges (called margins).
- Krimson Princess has creamy white leaves with green edges.
There are other differences between the two. However, examining the leaves is sufficient to differentiate between them.
Light requirements for Hoya Krimson Queen
Just like Philodendron Birkins, Krimson Queen likes bright indirect light. It means that the sunlight has to bounce off something before landing on the plant.
Bright filtered light (meaning a light that has crossed a barrier such as sheer curtains) is also good for your Hoya Carnosa Tricolor.
Since Hoyas grow in tropical climates, direct sunlight will harm them. Therefore, if you leave your plant outdoor in bright direct light, its leaves will scorch.
The best home placement for your Krimson Queen is near an east-facing window. Thus, your plant will get enough bright indirect light without being harmed.
An alternative solution would be LED grow lights.
Watering needs
With their waxy succulent-like leaves, Hoya Krimson Queens can endure periods of drought. For this reason, they are more harmed by overwatering than by underwatering.
It is necessary to wait until the top 3 inches of soil is dry before watering again. Otherwise, the mix will get soggy, and the roots will sit in excess water. As a result, your Krimson Queen will develop root rot and will eventually die.
We would suggest you water your plant once to three times a week. Indeed, it is safer to risk underwatering than overwatering.
Moreover, you shouldn’t water your plant evenly throughout the year. In summer, when temperatures are higher, you should water more frequently.
On the contrary, in winter and autumn, you should lower the frequency.
Potting requirements
Since Hoya Carnosa Krimson Queen doesn’t like heavy watering, you should plant it in pots with drainage holes.
These holes will allow water to exit the container. Subsequently, the roots won’t sit in the excess water.
We also suggest you use terracotta pots. These porous containers will help the soil dry up faster.
On the other hand, hanging baskets are ideal for climbing vines such as Hoyas.
Here is our pick for pots with drainage holes.
Is Repotting good for Hoya Krimson Queen?
Hoya Krimson Queen likes to be rootbound since it helps it bloom. It will develop better when kept in the same container for a couple of years. Therefore, you should wait at least two years before repotting it.
Still, sometimes, it will be necessary to repot your Krimson Queen. Indeed, when faced with diseases or fungal attacks, repotting is mandatory to save the plant.
When you do, move it to a pot that is only one size bigger. That way, the plant won’t get shocked and will readily adjust to its new environment.
Furthermore, don’t water right after repotting because roots need to callous over. Additionally, avoid repotting when the plant is blooming.
Soil requirements
As we have explained previously, Hoya Krimson Queen doesn’t like too much water. Therefore, you need to choose a well-draining soil mix.
A mix of orchid bark, perlite, and cacti mix is ideal for growing Krimson Queen.
We use perlite and orchid bark for aeration. By adding it to the mix, it will allow oxygen to reach the roots of your plant.
Humidity level for Hoya Krimson Queen
Tropical climates are known for their high humidity level. Thus, your Hoya Krimson Queen will thrive under a humidity level of 70% to 80%.
If you live in a zone with low humidity, we suggest you put your Krimson Queen in the bathroom.
Another way to increase humidity levels around your plant is to put it on a pebble tray. Just fill a tray with water and a few pebbles and put it under the pot. The evaporation of water will achieve that purpose.
You can also group your plants in the same spot. Their transpiration will also increase the levels of humidity.
A final solution would be to use a humidifier.
Temperature requirements
Hoya Krimson Queen likes a warm environment. Ideally, the room temperature should stay between 61° and 90°F (16-35°C).
If the temperature drops under 16°C, your Krimson Queen will suffer from cold stress and die.
Also, you should pay attention to drafts. Warm drafts from radiators will burn your plants’ leaves, whereas cold drafts from ventilation or cooling vents will cause cold stress.
Fertilizer needs
It is not necessary to fertilize your Hoyas. However, if you choose to do so, we suggest you use an organic fertilizer.
You can use an organic fertilizer twice per month during growing seasons (spring and summer).
In contrast, you should hold off from fertilizing during winter and fall. Your plant won’t be growing during those seasons and therefore won’t need more nutrients.
When choosing your fertilizer, make sure it contains both potassium and phosphorous.
Synthetic fertilizers could cause root burn. So if you choose to use them, we suggest you fertilize only once per month during growing seasons.
Growth
These air plants will grab on anything. Therefore, most people put Hoya Krimson Queen in hanging baskets.
Owing to their epiphytic nature, they will vine up and climb in every direction.
Furthermore, Hoya Krimson Queen can grow up to 20 feet in the wild, whereas it won’t exceed 6 feet indoors.
Additionally, it is fast-growing compared to Krimson princess due to its greener leaves.
Most importantly, it will grow faster outdoors under a shaded area than indoors.
Thus, it could be interesting to put your Hoya Carnosa outside during summer. However, remember to avoid bright direct light and keep humidity levels high.
How to make your Hoya Krimson Queen bloom?
Krimson Queen produces bright pink star-shaped flowers. These beautiful flowers bloom in clusters and have a chocolate-like scent.
Each flower consists of two stars. The bottom little star is white with a crimson center, while the top big star is light pink.
However, the most frustrating thing about Krimson Queen is blooming. In most cases, it will grow for years without ever flowering. It is only under optimal conditions that Hoya Krimson Queen will bloom.
But don’t worry, we have the solution for you!
Hold off on watering during spring and let the plant almost dry up. For instance, start by reducing watering to once a week. Consequently, the plant will satisfy its water needs from the air humidity.
Yet, it should take at least one year for your plant to bloom. So be patient, and you won’t be disappointed.
Is Krimson Queen poisonous?
Hoya Krimson Queen is safe for pets and children.
It is not a toxic plant, so it won’t do any harm if they ingest it.
Still, it may be wiser to keep them away from eating it.
Does it need pruning?
In general, Hoya Krimson Queen doesn’t need pruning. However, there are instances when you might need to prune your plant.
Firstly, you may prune it to control its size and shape. In this case, make sure the plant isn’t blooming before cutting it.
Secondly, you can do it to remove old or unhealthy leaves. For example, leaves that suffer from overwatering or spider mites.
Hoya Krimson Queen Propagation
You can propagate Hoya Carnosa Tricolor by stem cuttings. The propagation is very easy and has a high success rate. Still, you have to stick to the summer and spring months. Propagation in winter or autumn will mostly fail. Here is how you should do it:
- Use clean pruning shears to cut between two nodes. Avoid slicing right under the node, leaving a long enough piece of the internode. The cutting must be at least 6 inches tall. In fact, the longer the better.
- A node is where the leaves meet the stem. An internode is the part of the stem that is between two nodes.
- Remove the bottom leaves and keep a few top leaves. The bottom leaves could touch the water (or soil) later and rot. As a result, the propagation will fail.
Propagation in water
- If you choose to propagate with tap water, let it sit overnight for the chlorine to settle at the bottom. It also needs to be at room temperature.
- Put the stem in a cup of water with the node touching the water. And that is it!
- Now you wait about two weeks before roots start to grow. Sometimes, it will take longer for roots to develop.
- Once you have 3 or 4 roots about 1.5 inches tall, you can repot it in soil-mix. Hold off on watering a few days to let it settle first.
Propagation with potting mix
- On the other hand, if you choose to propagate with soil mix, we suggest cacti mix, perlite, and orchid bark in equal parts. It offers an airy potting mix that will allow the oxygen to reach the roots.
- Tip: If you use nursery pots with drainage holes, line them with mesh in the bottom before putting soil in. It will prevent it from running out of those holes.
- Now start watering the soil until water starts running out of the drainage holes.
- Next, put the pots in a propagation box. The lid must have holes for aeration. Although, you can line them with mesh to avoid bugs from entering the box.
- Put a glass of water in the box before putting the lid on. This will increase the humidity due to water evaporation.
- Put the box outside for warmth if you live in a relatively hot area. If not, you can keep it inside and put a heating pad under it.
- Lastly, make sure the box gets bright indirect light. If you decide to keep it inside, you can use LED grow lights. In that case, the lid must be translucent to allow the light to reach the plant.
- Lightly mist them every 3 to 4 days. You don’t need to water them because they’ll get water from the humidity in the air. Still, make sure water doesn’t stay on the leaves for too long, or you’ll risk fungal disease.
Pests and Diseases
Root Rot
The main disease Hoya Carnosa Krimson Queen faces is root rot. As we have explained earlier, root rot is the consequence of soggy soil and therefore overwatering.
Thus, the best way to avoid it is to put your plant in a pot with drainage holes and only water when the soil has dried up.
When affected, the plant will show clear signs. Pay attention to any yellow and mushy leaves and soft areas on the stem.
In case your plant shows these signs, you will need to repot your Krimson Queen.
Start by gently removing soil from the roots. Next, cut off any brown and mushy roots before repotting your plant in a fresh potting mix.
Spider Mites
These dreadful bugs live in colonies on the underside of leaves in most cases. Also, they love warm and dry environments. You can spot them due to the webs they build under the plants’ leaves and along the stem. Moreover, their dangerousness comes from three reasons.
- First, they are hard to spot due to their tiny size.
- Second, they reproduce extremely fast. So, it won’t take long before they infest your whole plant.
- Third, they feed off the plants’ leaves until they fall off.
To treat your infected Krimson Queen start by separating it from your other houseplants. We advise putting it in a high humidity area such as the bathroom.
Next, remove as many spider mites as you can using a damp cloth. Furthermore, prune off any severely damaged leaves.
Afterward, use neem oil or isopropyl alcohol to kill the remaining bugs.
These bugs are highly resistant, so take your time and make sure your plant is perfectly clean before putting it back.
Scale
These are sap-sucking pests that are resistant to most pesticides due to their protective shell. You will have to scrub them off the stem to eliminate them.
More on them here.
FAQ
Mostly No. Misting your Hoya Carnosa Krimson Queen could lead to fungal diseases.
Yes. Hoya Krimson Queen produces beautiful star-shaped flowers. However, it isn’t easy to make it bloom.
Yes. Krimson Queen is easy to grow because of its light watering needs.
Yes. Whether you choose to do it in water or soil, the propagation is easy for this plant.
The price starts from 12$ on Etsy.
Conclusion
To conclude, Hoya Carnosa Krimson Queen is a pretty decorative houseplant. It is easy to grow under the right conditions.
We’ve seen that its requirements aren’t difficult to meet. In addition, it is easy to propagate.
We hope that we have persuaded you to start growing this beautiful plant.
