My first Hoya umbel

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

I too noticed mine when I was moving the plant - I thought perhaps it wasn't getting enough light to bloom where I had it. It's blooming now. Took a few weeks from first noticing the small umbel to blooms. As the buds get bigger - they are really cute - cos they start to get the star shape

It's funny, because I've been searching the large plant for blooms for weeks and never thought to check the little guy.

[Tindomul]

Hi all, I have a Hoya too. I grow it in my terrarium as an epiphyte. Is this wrong? When I purchased it I was told it would be a good epiphyte, but I bought 4 years ago and it really has not grown at all. In the same tank I grow a related Dischidia which is now taking over the tank and looks great, blooming constantly, but the Hoya just barely hangs on. Should I remove it?

[RosieC]

Well I'm growing mine in a pot of standard potting compost as a terestrial... but my Mum's while it's bases is in (now very old) compost, a lot of the plant is clinging to trellis. It does put out roots along the length of the creepers. She does water it via the pot though, not through the arial roots.

[Tindomul]

Thanks Rosie. Perhaps I should have given the plant access to some soil.

[Junebug]

Mine are potted in 50/50 ratio of sand and rich potting soil. I mist them daily and thoroughly water them when they're dry. Last year they were growing with just a few hours of eastern sunlight. This year they were moved to the shade house and now they receive filtered eastern, filtered southern, and almost full Western exposure. I thought the leaves on the smaller plant were getting a little too pale from all the sun and was in the process of moving her to a shadier location. That's when I spotted the unbel. I moved her back to her previous growing area but elevated her position a little to avoid the intense afternoon sunlight.

There is a massive hoya growing up a palm tree at Marie Selby's Gardens. It wasn't in bloom when I took the photo.

I have two other noid hoyas. Both plants were started from leaves. One of the plants has variegated/sometimes tri-color leaves and the other has solid green heart shaped leaves.

[WhiteRabbit]

mine's in - I don't remember lol - a mix with peat, compost and perlite I believe - gets a good deal of afternoon sun. I try to keep it moist this time of year - fairly dry in winter since I am leaving it outdoors, and while winters here are fairly mild, it's not Florida, and so it gets somewhat low overnight temps.

[Junebug]

My hoya finished blooming a few days ago and there's no fragrance yet. It still looks like a carnosa to me. One of the flowers is a 4 star instead of 5. Two more buds are developing from another bract.

[WhiteRabbit]

Lovely! I see the little 4 pointed one - it has character!

[Tindomul]

Awesome! I see the similarity between this and milkweeds. I love this family of plants!

If you really wanna have fun with it, you should try to take out the pollen.

[RosieC]

Oooh pretty!