| Common Name | Hindu Rope Plant, Krinkel Curl, Angel Rope |
| Scientific Name | Hoya Compacta |
| Origin | Southern India |
| Growth Rate | slow growing, a few inches per year |
Hindu Rope Plant Facts
- Hindu Rope Plants are slow growing plants, they only grow a few inches per year, and may take several years before they can flower.
- Hindu Rope Plants are semi-succulent plants. They act like both an air plant, and a succulent.
- In their natural environment, Hindu Rope Plants can be found growing up the trunks of trees where they do not harm the tree itself.
Hindu Rope Plants are a beautiful type of succulent that can be identified by its uniquely shaped, thick leaves. The leaves of the Hindu Rope Plant grow in a cupped shape that bends and folds back onto its own thick, rope-like vines. These leaves grow so differently that every Hindu Rope Plant will end up with its own unique look. They are versatile and can grow and thrive as a hanging plant, or a potted plant indoors.
Hindu Rope Plants are slow growing, but well worth the wait. Hindu Rope Plants originated in Southern India where they vine and grow upon other trees as an epiphyte. Epiphytes are plants that grow upon other plants, but are not parasitic. These types of plants are often found in tropical rainforests. Hindu Rope Plants behave as both air plants, and succulents. Their roots and vines behave like an air plant, and their thick, fleshy leaves store water like a succulent.
These plants are extremely versatile in the home environment. They can be potted on your table as a centerpiece, or potted as a hanging plant. Hindu Rope Plants promise to look beautiful in your home no matter where you put them, and since they are not toxic to pets or humans they are a great choice.
Is Hindu Rope Plant a Succulent?
Hindu Rope Plants are known as semi-succulent plants. They have many of the same requirements as a succulent type of plant. Their leaves are like the leaves on a succulent plant, but their roots require a lot of aeration like an air plant. The leaves of the Hindu Rope Plant are thick, waxy, and they store water for the plant. It is for this reason that they do not require much watering. They should only be watered every 2 to 3 weeks, and only the top third of the soil.
Hindu Rope Plant Care
Hindu Rope Plants are not only beautiful, but they are also easy to care for. They are recommended for beginners to the plant keeping hobby for this reason. They are a hardy plant that will grow indoors, with minimal requirements to keep happy. They can also be grown outdoors but they will need to be shaded.
Light Requirement
If you are growing your Hindu Rope Plant indoors, you will want to choose a window that is either east or south facing. This will help your plant get the required 3 to 4 hours of bright lighting that it needs per day. It is possible to keep your Hindu Rope Plant outdoors, but you will want to keep an outdoor Hindu Rope Plant in indirect lighting so that it does not damage the leaves. Letting your Hindu Rope Plant get too much light will also damage the plant, and could even prevent it from growing or blooming.
Do Hindu Rope Plants Require Direct Sunlight?
The light requirements of Hindu Rope Plants will depend on where they are being kept. Hindu Rope Plants do not require direct sunlight. In fact, if you are growing Hindu Rope Plants outside, you will want to make sure that they have some cover. Overexposure to the sun can cause damage to the leaves and prevent the plant from growing or blooming. Hindu Rope Plants do best when only kept in strong sunlight for around 3 to 4 hours per day. Setting them in a south or east facing window is a great choice.
Is Hindu Rope Plant Good for Indoors?
Hindu Rope Plants make great indoor plants. They do not require much light to thrive, and they do best when kept in comfortable indoor temperatures. Hindu Rope Plants are beautiful and versatile. They do great as a potted hanging plant, on a window ledge, or on a table. Hindu Rope Plants are a plant that will do well wherever you place it as long as you make sure that it gets the recommended 3 to 4 hours of good lighting per day. Placing them in a window that is east or south facing will provide them with the best lighting.
Soil Type and pH Requirement
Hindu Rope Plants are an air plant and a succulent, so well draining, aerated soil is important. Hindu Rope Plant roots can be damaged if they are not in the correcting soil or planter that is packed too tightly and can not drain. Perfect Hindu Rope Plant soil can be made from a mixture of perlite to help it drain, and cactus or orchid mixture. Hindu Rope Plants can grow in 6.5 to 7.5 pH, but not usually any higher than that.
Watering and Humidity Requirement
Hindu Rope Plants do not need to be watered often. In fact, they do best when being watered once every 2 to 3 weeks as they store water in their leaves. It is important to not overwater your Hindu Rope Plant, or it will begin to suffer. Hindu Rope Plants need more humidity than average house plants. There are many ways that you can provide a more humid environment for your Hindu Rope Plants, but the simplest way is to set your Hindu Rope Plant on a tray of water and rocks.
Temperature Requirement
Hindu Rope Plants do best when kept in a temperature of around 70F during the day and around 60F during the night. Even though they are slow growing, providing your Hindu Rope Plant with these temperatures will also help promote your plant to grow.
Hardiness Zone
Hindu Rope Plants are recommended by the USDA for zones 10 – 12 for outdoor growth. Even though these are their recommended zones, Hindu Rope Plants still do not require much direct sunlight. They do best when kept in indirect sunlight. Hindu Rope Plants require roughly 4 to 6 hours of sunlight to thrive. If they get too much they will begin to decline. You will see your plant’s leaves turning yellow from too much sun exposure.
Fertilization Requirement
If you want to ensure that your Hindu Rope Plant will grow, you can use fertilizer. Providing your plant with fertilizer will help the plant grow thick, beautiful leaves and blooms. It is recommended that you use a weak fertilizer once every few months. You do not have to use fertilizer for your Hindu Rope Plant during the winter months, as its growth rate slows down naturally during this time.
Hindu Rope Plant Propagation
Hindu Rope Plants can be propagated by cutting small 4 inch sections of the plant and rooting them in water or soil. Make sure that your cutting has at least 2 to 3 nodules on it, and you have removed the leaves from the bottom 2 inches of the plant. Most of the Hindu Rope Plants that are for sale in nurseries have been propagated using this method.
Can You Propagate Hindu Rope Plant Cuttings?
Hindu Rope Plants are most easily propagated using cuttings. Most plant nurseries use this method to create more Hindu Rope Plants as growing them from seeds is almost impossible. Not only is it nearly impossible to do, you are not guaranteed to get a plant that is anything like the parent plant.
If you are planning on trying your hand at propagating your Hindu Rope Plant, you will be happy to know that it is not difficult. To propagate your Hindu Rope Plant, you will locate a section of plant that is at least 4 inches in length and contains at least 3 nodules. Once you have the cutting, you will need to remove any leaves from the bottom 2 inches of the plant, and allow it to dry out overnight. Once the cutting has been left out to dry, you can place it in well aired potting soil or root the plant in water. It is important to note that the cuttings will be slow to grow roots as they will grow just like a mature plant.
Can You Propagate Hindu Rope Plants By Seeds?
It is possible to take a Hindu Rope Plant seed, and grow a plant from it. However, it is an extremely difficult task to accomplish, and one that may well not be worth the effort. If you can somehow get a plant to grow from the seed, there is no guarantee that the plant will look like the parent plant at all. It is for this reason that propagation of Hindu Rope Plants is done by cuttings of the parent plant.
Hindu Rope Plant Size and Growth Rate
Hindu Rope Plants can grow up to roughly 15 inches in length, but they are a very slow growing plant. They only grow a few inches per year. It is said that by keeping them in the correct temperatures, and fertilizing the soil you can get them to grow a little faster, but not by much. The best way to get your Hindu Rope Plant to grow is to keep it in the correct conditions.
Problems Growing Hindu Rope Plant
Some common problems you can encounter while growing Hindu Rope Plant includes yellow leaves, plants not growing, plants shriveling, dying plants, and more.
Yellow Leaves
Hindu Rope Plants can have yellowing leaves for a variety of reasons. They can get yellow leaves from too much watering and poorly draining soil as well as improper temperature, and inadequate lighting. Yellowing can also occur if there are issues with the soil, or if the plant has a disease. Generally, yellow Hindu Rope Plant leaves can not be changed back to green once they have become yellow, and it is best to trim the yellow or dead leaves from the plant so that your plant is not wasting nutrients on the dead leaf.
Not Growing
Hindu Rope Plants are slow growing plants, and they typically only grow a few inches per year. If you suspect that your plant is still not growing, the first thing you should look at is the amount of lighting that your plant is getting. Too much light can damage the leaves of the plant, but bright lighting can stimulate your plant to grow as well as help keep the soil more dry.
Shriveling
If you notice that your Hindu Rope Plant has shriveling leaves, it is most likely because the plant is dehydrated and not receiving enough water. Shriveling leaves could also be caused by damaged roots during repotting. Make sure that you are watering your Hindu Rope Plant once every 2 to 3 weeks.
Dying
There can be many reasons that your Hindu Rope Plant is not doing well. The most common reason that Hindu Rope Plants go into decline is because of overwatering. They are a succulent plant that stores water in their thick, fleshy leaves. They only need to be watered once every 2 to 3 weeks. If you are sure that you are not overwatering your Hindu Rope Plant, then you will want to look at the many other reasons it could not be doing well. Improper lighting, soil, and temperature are just some of the reasons that a Hindu Rope Plant could be in decline.
Other Issues
Even though Hindu Rope Plants are considered a hardy plant, they can still do poorly if their preferred conditions are not being met. If you suspect that your Hindu Rope Plant is in decline, you should check the soil, the size of the pot that it is in, the temperature, and how often you are watering your plant.
Hindu Rope Plant Flower
Hindu Rope Plants are a very slow growing plant that only grows a few inches a year if kept in the correct lighting. It is for this reason that they are also slow to flower, but if they are being kept in the correct conditions they will eventually grow buds and flowers. Hindu Rope Plants have a specific flowering season. They will bloom in the late summer when temperatures are around 70F or higher during the daytime, and 60F or higher during the evening.Keeping your Hindu Rope Plants in these temperatures will help encourage your Hindu Rope Plants to flower. Another way to encourage your Hindu Rope Plants to bloom is to provide them with additional potassium.
How Do You Get Hindu Rope Plants to Bloom?
It is important to know that Hindu Rope Plants are slow growing plants, and they may take several years to bloom. If you are looking to help your Hindu Rope Plants to bloom, you will want to take into consideration their habitat in the wild, as well as their needs. If the needs of your plant are not being met, then they will not produce blooms at all. Hindu Rope Plants produce blooms in the late summer when temperatures are around 70F and up during the day, and 60F and up during the night. By making sure that your Hindu Rope Plant is being kept in the correct temperature, and providing them with additional potassium you can help your Hindu Rope Plant to bloom.
Is Hindu Rope Plant Pet Safe?
Hindu Rope Plants are safe to be kept indoors for both humans and animals. They are not toxic, and if your pet accidentally ingests it they will be fine.
Is Hindu Rope Plant Toxic to Cats?
Hindu Rope Plants are not toxic to cats, and will not harm your pet if they are ingested.
Is Hindu Rope Plant Toxic to Dogs?
Hindu Rope Plants are both human and animal safe and are not toxic to dogs.
Where Can I Find Hindu Rope Plant For Sale?
If you are looking to purchase Hindu Rope Plants, you will be able to find them in plant nurseries for sale, and from some online sellers. It is said that these plants are so popular that they do not stay in stock for very long, but if you do manage to find one for sale, you can expect to pay around $20 for a 4 inch plant. The larger the plant, the more it will cost.
What is Hindu Rope Plant Variegated?
Hindu Rope Plant variegated refers to the coloration of the leaves on the Hindu Rope Plant. A variegated plant will have both green and white on their leaves. Variegated Hindu Rope Plants are more rare than their non variegated counterparts, but require the same care.