Hoya Chelsea is a rare variety with thick heart shaped leaves. See photos of my Hoya Carnosa "Chelsea" and read about how I care for it, including lighting, soil, and water requirements.
Hoya Chelsea
This is my small and cherished Hoya Chelsea. It's a rare and charming houseplant with cute dimpled heart shaped leaves.
If you are looking for a houseplant that gives off sweet vibes, this is a top recommendation. It's easy to take care of, and requires minimal attention. Keep reading for my best tips below.
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What is Hoya Chelsea
Hoya Carnosa "Chelsea" is a rare hoya variety. Hoyas are also commonly called wax plants, and come in many different sizes, shapes and colors.
Appearance of Hoya Chelsea
The Hoya Chelsea has small-ish heart shaped leaves. The leaves are thick and succulent like, with dimples forming on them. The unique shape and texture of the leaves is my favorite part of the plant.
Hoya Chelsea leaves are also waxy and glossy. The leaves are a vibrant green color, and reminds me of a golf course putting green. My plant's leaves also have tiny speckles that look pale pink or cream.
How to Care for Hoya Chelsea
It's easy to get into a good care routine for a the Hoya Chelsea. Three basic requirements:
- Light: Bright to medium indirect light for best growth.
- Soil: Airy and chunky soil that retains some moisture.
- Water: Water semi-frequently, before the soil completely dries out.
Keep reading for more details on each of these requirements.
How Much Light Does a Hoya Chelsea Need?
Like many hoyas, Chelsea likes bright indirect light best. If you keep your plant in a bright spot in the house, it should be happy and produce new growth.
Hoyas can handle more direct light than many other houseplants. The leaves are not as susceptible to leaf burn as other plants with thinner leaves.
Where I Put My Plant
My Hoya Chelsea is a room with a large north facing sliding door and 2 tiny west-facing windows. It sits against a wall near a corner.
My plant doesn't get as much sunlight as it should. It gets no direct sunlight at all. However, I wanted a plant in that spot, and the Hoya Chelsea has been pretty tolerant of the lower lighting situation.
In that location, it has put out new growth, though fairly slowly. Even so, the plant looks very healthy. For example, it is not leggy, and it doesn't show any signs of struggling. The leaves are a healthy size, firm and glossy.
If you are after encouraging fast growth, I would recommend putting it in a brighter spot in the house. For me, I'm happy with it growly slowly in the room.
What Kind of Potting Mix Should I Use?
Getting your Hoya Carnosa "Chelsea" into the appropriate potting mix is likely the most important part of its care. I see a lot of hoyas sold in the wrong potting mix at stores. After you buy your Chelsea, check to make sure that it is in a good mix and repot it if necessary.
Hoyas need chunky and airy soils that give the roots space to breathe. I tend to make my own potting mix. I have found that my hoyas grow well when I use the following:
- 2 parts Tropical Potting Soil
- 1 part mix of airy material such as pumice, lava rocks, perlite
- 1 part Orchiata bark
Read more about my Hoya and Aroid Potting Mix.
How Often Do You Water a Hoya Carnosa Chelsea?
How frequent a plant needs water can be confusing because it is dependent on a variety of factors. For example, the soil mixture it is potted in, the temperature and humidity of your house, and the size of the pot all make a difference.
In general, pot your hoya in the appropriate potting mix (chunky and airy) and don't let the roots dry out completely.
For my plant, in the summer, I water it about every 5-7 days. In the winter I water it about every 12-14 days.
Bottom Watering
Hoyas do not like to sit in water, and the roots will quickly rot if that happens. For happiest plants, I always bottom water.
It means that I simply fill up a bowl with water and set the plant in it. The water should come up to about ⅔ of the height of the soil. The plant sits for about 5 minutes, then I remove it and allow the water to drain completely before setting it back on the shelf.
Is Hoya Chelsea Rare?
Hoya Chelsea is a rare variety. I have only seen it at specialty plant shops, and never in a big box store. It is becoming more common though as, more people learn about it, and share photos of it on social media.
I bought mine online as a 2" plant about 3 years ago. It had one vine and about 4 leaves. That single vine eventually grew enough leaves for me to cut and propagate. I planted all the propagated vines together when I repotted to this 3.5" pot.
You can buy this Hoya Chelsea on Amazon. Also, Canopy Plant Co. sometimes has it in stock, and I've had good experiences buying from there.
Styling the Hoya Chelsea
The Hoya Chelsea looks great anywhere in the home. It's a gentle looking plant because of the round heart-shaped leaves.
As such, I think it looks best in a rounded planter, or one that has soft edges. Personally, I didn't like how it looked in a straight edged cylinder planter when I tried it out.
You can train it to climb up with supports, but I think this plant looks better growing naturally. Eventually, the vines will grow long enough to cascade down the side of a pot. Therefore, Hoya Chelsea is perfect for a hanging planter.
Love Hoya Houseplants?
I love Hoya house plants because they are easy to grow, non fussy, and there are so many varieties.
Don't miss my Hoya Krimson Queen, which has gorgeous pink leaves. And more to come soon as I get around to photographing and writing about them.
Any questions? Ask in the comments below. I'd also love to hear about your plants too!
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