Natural leaf aging
An occasional yellow lower leaf on a healthy hoya is completely normal.
Diagnosis
Natural leaf aging
What's happening
Hoya carnosa is a slow grower that retires its oldest leaves to put energy into new vines and peduncles. If only one or two of the lowest, oldest leaves are yellowing and the rest of the plant looks plump and green, nothing is wrong.
How to fix it
Snip the spent leaf off where it meets the vine if you prefer the tidier look, and carry on with your normal care. Just keep an eye out that the yellowing stays limited to the oldest leaves and doesn't start spreading up the vines.
If that doesn't fix it
This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.
Read the full Hoya Carnosa care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this