Too much sun or a feeding gap
Yellowing or bleaching on the newest leaves usually means harsh sun or a feeding shortfall.
Diagnosis
Too much sun or a feeding gap
What's happening
Hoya carnosa wants very bright light but not scorching midday sun. New leaves bleaching to a pale, washed-out yellow or going slightly red on the window side points to too much direct sun stressing tender growth. Pale, weak new leaves with no recent feeding instead point to a nutrient shortfall, since young growth shows a lack of food first.
How to fix it
Move the plant out of harsh direct sun into very bright, indirect light. If feeding is overdue, start a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength through the growing season. Note that a touch of sun-stress blush is fine and can even encourage blooming, but bleached, crisping new leaves mean it's too much.
What fixes it
- A balanced liquid fertilizer — A balanced feed greens up pale, undernourished new growth.
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