Natural leaf aging

An occasional yellow lower leaf on an otherwise healthy Hoya is completely normal.

Diagnosis

Natural leaf aging

What's happening

Hoya kerrii is slow-growing and long-lived, but it still retires its oldest leaves over time to put energy into new vine growth. If only one of the lowest, oldest leaves is yellowing and the rest of the plant looks plump and green, nothing is wrong.

How to fix it

Pinch the spent leaf off where it meets the stem if you prefer a tidier look, and carry on with your normal care. Just keep an eye on it: as long as the yellowing stays limited to the single oldest leaf and doesn't spread to several leaves at once, there's nothing to fix.

If that doesn't fix it

This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.

Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this