I was trying to think of a Hoya for a very similar situation in my apartment so I am glad that you posted this question. I have a staghorn fern that hangs about 20' from south windows and gets good light during the sunny days of winter but summer is much more dim due to overhanging balconys. I had hoped to find a pendant growing Hoya to grow in the root mass of the mounted fern but was not sure what Hoya I would try.
I was thinking that a species would need to be able to grow and hopefully bloom in shade but also that it should not become weak and etiolated due to lack of light. The Hoyas that I grow shady do not seem to do as well as the plants in more sunny situations so I have been hesitant to choose a plant to experiment with.

I had been leaning towards trying Hoya loheri with my staghorn fern although I have another large mounted Hoya loheri so that does not make much sense. I may try growing a cutting of my Hoya parviflora because it would make a nice contrast to the fern. Hoya lacanosa is another species that I grow both shady and bright so it may be a good candidate as well.

Before we make any suggestions are there certain types of Hoyas that you would like to grow? Hoyas that grow hanging, Hoyas with patterned leaves or one to climb a support? Humidity is not a problem for many Hoyas as long as you keep them watered, others are very fussy about dry conditions but they are not commonly available anyways.

Would anyone who has experience growing and especially blooming Hoyas in low light please post your experience. Anyone growing Hoyas in North facing windows or plants well back from the light source?

Mike

I doubt these would be good options for what you want, Mike, but I have both lacunosa and multiflora growing and blooming in a northern window. Had a carnosa bud in a northern window as well...although the buds aborted. Another thought is a dischidia. I used to keep a dischidia ruscifolia in a northern window and it would bloom (it's now in a little terrarium with d. vidalii, d.hirsuta, d. platyphylla, I think),and H. imbricata).

Kelly

ML,

I have to ask - why SO far from the windows? I think most Hoyas will grow in low light conditions, but it's hard to get them to bloom. As Kelly said, lacunosa blooms for me fine in a north window with no direct sun. But I try to keep all my Hoyas almost right against the glass with a few 2' or so in front of the window.

Denise in Omaha

That's what I had thought as well Kelly and to tell you the truth I really don't want to have three separate Hoya lacanosas. My Hoya carnosa is now just behind the staghorn fern but it is too shady for it to bloom and the new growth is a deep green colour. I think that even the shade lovers like more light than we consider shade because the shade an understory plant experiences in nature is not the same as a shaded plant grown indoors. I may just have to experiment with a cutting and see what happens. Also the fern is grown quite dry for at least part of the year so it may not be perfect for a Hoya anyways.
I do have a Rhipsalis paradoxa that hangs down from the top of a row of cupboards across from the carnosa and fern and it grows very well. Maybe I should consider moving more of my Rhipsalis plants into this area and removing the Hoyas. Having a Rhipsalis growing out of the ferns shield fronds might look kinda neat as well.

I grow my Cyrtoceras floribundum in very shady conditions and it is always in flower so perhaps that is the perfect group of Hoyas to grow under these conditions, Hoya multiflora, Hoya javanica and Cyrtoceras floribundum.

Mike

Good morning all! Some hoyas (especially the carnosa's and some of the lacunosa's) will do "ok" in a little shadier spot (i.e. northern exposure)if you want them just as house plants and want to enjoy them for the foliage....but it's doubtful you will get consistent blooms on them if at all....If you are looking for more of the "exotic" varieties, then they need some light to bloom. Mojave...have you thought about an indoor lighting set up? There are some wonderful pics on the "lighting" thread of this forum and it's something that you could do fairly easily to grow some beautiful hoyas and get blooms. There are also a few nice websites that sell grow light "stations"/"set ups" that I could send to you if you are interested.....Again, it depends if you are just looking for a house plant or if you want to make this an hobby....be forwarned...it's an obsessive type hobby once you start! =)

I would like to have a few but unfortunately I can only have a house plant number, not a hobby number. Otherwise my plants and I will be kicked out LOL (just kidding of course)!

I think there's a place right by the south window that will work. I wanted a plant in a certain spot but it sounds like I'll have to find something else for it. Probably another Sans.

I'm going to a garden center near me after work with a tropical green house and hopefully will be bringing home my first hoya! I actually saw one last week at the grocery store. They're following me.

Try a ZZ plant for the shady spot because they look fantastic when grown in low light.

Mike

ZZ plant huh? I saw a few of them today. I'll have to look into them, thanks!