Shiver, the leaves being cut is something alot of growers do, it has something to do with there being less foliage for the cutting to "worry" about or support, so that it can put it's energy into making roots. They are small, but that isn't a bad thing, as long as you didn't pay unreasonable prices.

I just checked the prices, and I guess $5 is good for a rooted cutting - you could have bought much bigger cuttings for at least that much and sometimes much more but not rooted...of course, when you buy bigger cuttings you can cut them down into smaller sections and plant 2 or 3 per pot, which makes for a fuller plant later. But sometimes, with the hassle of rooting, it is nice to get plants already rooted.

I don't buy alot online, and I am not always the smartest shopper- I just paid $35 for 4 small rooted plants in one pot! Some would say I am nuts, but it was a hoya I wanted, it is rooted and growing, and it was worth it to me. I am not sure how Violet Barns rooted plants compare in size to other growers, but I would imagine that the price is on the lower end, and worth it for small plants.

so good luck with them, and I also wanted to mention to be patient as far as flowers go, they are not likely to bloom quickly.

With plants this size I imagine it's going to take me years to get a bushy 6" pot, let alone a blooming plant. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that these plants appear to be healthy, but I can buy *much* larger rooted cuttings for half the price almost anywhere. When you're shopping for the more unusual types and have to resort to buying online though, I guess this is all you can expect. So hoya blooms, I'll see you in 10 years! ;)

I tried to order from cowboyflowerman and can't get through. He doesn't answer his phone and won't return messages. I give up. :(

I was going to say the same thing about why the leaves get cut, but that's a heck of a lot to cut off! And so strange how they cut the australis...I can't see why they would cut it that way. Oh well, it'll grow in no time, and then you can cut off those weird looking leaves!

Cowboyflowerman is HORRIBLE with communication, but his plants make up for it! Don't expect a reply anytime soon, but with enough emails to him, he just *might* reply. I think you'll be really happy with his plants...they're nice and full, and I've ordered a lot from him. Never had a problem.

Gabi

Yeah, you can also get cuttings for free. But buy and grow your plants to enjoy the foliage first and foremost, because that's what you will spend most of the time seeing. I think they are beautiful plants, and look at the flowers as an occasional bonus. Besides, some hoyas that I bought full size took over 10 years to bloom. They are not a plant for the impatient. And in the meantime, get a lacunosa or a bella, they seem to be early bloomers, or they are for me.

Some Australis grow pretty fast, and so does pubicalyx in most cases, I don't know about multiflora, I never really wanted that one - but given the right conditions, they won't be small for long. SO if you are a little disappointed in the size, it's no big deal, believe me - you WILL be buying more! Live and learn, right?

I don't know how he'd get free cuttings now, unless he had plants big enough to cut from in order to do a trade. Either way, I preferred plants to cuttings in the beginning of my hoya collection....but that's just me -it's an individual choice.

As for multiflora, that is BY FAR my fastest grower! And it blooms even as a cutting. I don't know about australis yet, since I just got my first rooted cutting...but I've heard that it's a very fast grower (as in foliage).

Great choices, Shiver :)

Gabi