Happy Flower Pot

Wax plant (Hoya carnosa)

Hoya carnosa 'krinkle kurl' (Asclepiadaceae)

Also called Hindu Rope Plant, Porcelain Flower.

Cats and dogs

Non-toxic to cats and dogs

Cats: non-toxic Dogs: non-toxic

Not expected to poison cats or dogs. Eating any plant can still cause vomiting or an upset stomach, so keep it out of reach of chewers.

Source: ASPCA entry "Wax Plant", checked October 3, 2026.

Light

  1. Low light 3+ mol
  2. Medium light 6+ mol Copes
  3. Bright indirect 10+ mol Best
  4. Direct sun 12+ mol

Bright indirect light all year is ideal; a bright window indoors works well. Too much direct sun can burn the leaves, and too little light is the main reason it fails to flower.

Direct sun: a little gentle morning sun is fine.

On our scale it grows well from about 10 mol/m²/day and holds on down to roughly 1.1 (how these numbers are set).

Will it grow in my window?

Care

Care level: Moderate. Water: Let the top third to half of the soil dry out between waterings, and water very sparingly in winter.

Do not cut off old flower spurs (peduncles), since new flowers form on them.

More pet-safe plants for similar light

Sources