No Obstacles to Growing the Hindu Rope Plant

We plant lovers keep our eyes peeled for plants that are new, or at least new to us. But no matter how many of these we come across, there are always more to intrigue us. (Thank you, Nature.) For me right now, the Hindu Rope plant is especially intriguing.

What is the Hindu Rope plant? I had to do a little research, honestly, considering this Hoya carnosa compacta is quite new to me. In doing so, I learned that this plant’s draping stems become rope-like when its waxy succulent leaves ripple and fold to surround them. When the plant starts out and is small, it looks like a bubbling pot of greenery, with waves of rounded leaves coming up from the surface of its growing container. But then, as the stems lengthen and develop more leaf buds, the leaves cover them up and create the appearance of cords with much thicker diameters. With time, these substantial “ropes” take shape. Unusual. No doubt.

For its unusual looks alone, I sought out this plant. But then I became intrigued by its common name, Hindu Rope plant. What was the meaning behind the name? It seems that several of the Hindu deities are depicted holding a rope, and the rope takes on different meanings. But the significance of the rope which resonates most with me at the moment is this one: The rope gathers up and then discards obstacles we face.

I think of the obstacles we encounter during the harshness of winter. I think of the hope of a New Year followed by a few forgotten resolutions and the inevitable disappointment or two. Would I like the help of my own Hindu Rope plant? Yes. Could I gift it to someone who is striving to get over a hurdle? Yes. Could I share it with another who has nothing in her way and wants to keep it that way? Yes. The Hindu Rope plant has a meaning that could strike a chord with all of us.

The Hindu Rope plant has indeed gathered up and tossed aside most obstacles to achieving its own good growth. It has simple and straightforward nurturing requirements, which I will describe in greater detail. But to keep it simple, all who grow and love this plant mention bright indirect light as being key to the happiness of the Hindu Rope plant. Add patience as the second key to growing this plant well, and you will have what is pretty much the full story behind the type of care this special plant needs.

How Do I Coax Out Flowers on the Hindu Rope Plant?

The Hindu Rope plant is also called the Wax Plant or Porcelain Flower Plant, due to the incredibly long-lasting and unusual flowers that cluster atop its broad rope-like assemblies of foliage. The flowers seem as impenetrable as wax or porcelain. Once a cluster appears, it will have unchanging good looks and sweet fragrance for weeks on end, unlike the much shorter-lived blooms on most plants.

In hearing that the Hindu Rope plant is a flowering plant, I wondered how difficult it would be to “coax out” flowers. The answer is to forget about coaxing out flowers… forget about forcing anything. Just enjoy the incredible foliage. The flowers will come in time.

For a little more background on this, it helps to know that the Hindu Rope plant generally must mature for two or three years before achieving a first flush of blooms. And even with maturity, flowers are not guaranteed unless the plant has adequate indirect sunlight. This, along with just a few additional aspects of providing good care for this lovely plant, should be the focus.

So What General Care Does the Hindu Rope Plant Need?

Care for the Hindu Rope plant is incredibly straightforward. While I have broken it down into several parts, the two points already noted—give it bright indirect light, and be patient—are really what you most have to keep in mind. But for more detail:

• Note that adequate indirect light for this plant means about six hours of filtered sunlight per day. You can employ the help of a grow light or give your plant a bit of time in more direct sunlight if your plant is not producing the leaves that it did under brighter conditions.
• Use a loose and airy planting medium. You can lighten up your regular potting mix by adding Sphagnum Moss or a scoop of Cactus growing mix.
• Keep your Hindu Rope plant in a snug container (albeit one with soil that is loose and not compacted), as it does best when fairly root-bound.
• Let this plant dry between waterings, and water it less if growth slows.
• Know that humidity and regular indoor warmth are appreciated by this plant. You can mist it with tepid water, and you surely should avoid placing it where there are drafts.
• Expect a dormancy period with the Hindu Rope plant. During that dormancy, reduce water further.
• Minimize the number of times you move your plant from site to site; let it settle in to its environment, unless you find it is lacking light or is in a drafty location.
• Treat spent blooms with the utmost care so that new blooms can develop.

Will the Hindu Rope plant be enough to remind us to lasso up the obstacles before us, especially the trivial ones we blow out of proportion? Will it help us to toss those obstacles aside to take their proper place in our lives? I venture to say “yes”.