Advanced root or stem rot
Several leaves yellowing or blackening together, often with a soft, dark stem base, is advanced rot and needs fast action.
Diagnosis
Advanced root or stem rot
What's happening
When Hoya kerrii is left in waterlogged soil, the rot that starts in the roots climbs into the stem at the soil line. The plant can no longer move water, so leaves across the whole plant go yellow, then translucent and mushy, often with a sour smell and a blackened, collapsing base.
How to fix it
Act quickly. Unpot the plant and rinse the roots clean, then cut away every black, soft, mushy root and stem section with sterilized scissors until only firm, pale tissue remains. Repot the healthy portion into fresh, fast-draining mix in a clean pot with drainage holes, and water very sparingly while it recovers. As insurance, take a healthy vine cutting with a node or two and root it — it's your backup if the parent doesn't pull through.
What fixes it
- Pots with drainage holes — Repotting into a clean pot with real drainage stops water from pooling and re-rotting the roots.
If that doesn't fix it
This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.
Read the full Sweetheart Hoya care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this