I am sorry to hear about what happened to your Hoya. Hoyas are tropical climbing, clinging or pendant growing vines so when they grow these long new growths it is completely natural. Some species fill in the new growth with leaves almost right away while others take a little while. As you suspected these bare vines are often where you see the flower peduncles form, some people trim them back if they don't develop leaves in a month or two but I tend to leave them. I figure when we grow Hoyas we are hoping to see them bloom so I keep the trimming to a minimum.
Some species can end up looking a little wild with bare vines shooting out in all directions. I have one that seems quite slow to develop leaves unless it finds something to climb. You can let the new growth hang down from the plant or you can loop the growth back around into the pot where it can root.

Flickr is a great place to find photos of Hoyas. I thought I would add a few photos from others albums so that you can get an idea of how Hoyas grow and bloom in nature.

This is a photo of Hoya diversifolia blooming, one of pat_ktl's photos on Flickr. Notice that there are many flower peduncles along this section of relatively bare vine. If you look through Pat_ktl's photostream there are more photos of wild Hoyas and Hoya flowers.

Can I ask what type of Hoya you are growing?

Mike

Here is a link that might be useful: Stapeliads and Asclepiads Group on Flickr

Mike...I really appreciate your help..

I will go home tonight and take a picture of it since the I don't think it ever came with a tag..Maybe you might be able to help me identify it? I will post the picture tomorrow.

It grew very well all summer under a rhododendron bush..It didn't seem to like the full sun and was looking terrible, so I just laye dit there and forgot about it.Many of the leaves burnt badly beforehand. It looked beautiful when I remembered it come the fall..What a transfomation..

I am very upset that someone one would even hurt, do anything to any of my plants without letting me know first..I guess she meant well..Said she didn't want anyone stepping on the ends.

Beautiful pictures you posted Mike, and I am in the market for one that flowers white and one yellow..certainly makes one wish they lived in a tropical climate tough..I would have these hanging all over my yard under trees..My neighbor has a few of these next to my home in the Tropics, and let me tell you, the fragrance these plant emit at night is just crazy..

Mine here will be outdoors once warm weather comes in the spring all summer, and then brought inside..
One in the bathroom as so, since it seems to be thriving in that east facing window, and the others in my very bright plant room especially when the sun is out, with temps hovering in the 60's which I hope is warm enough..

Thanks again,

Mike..

Hello to the two Mikes! ;)

Meyer Mike, I know how upsetting it can be to lose good growth on a plant...
but don't worry, your plant will recover just fine.

I find that my Hoya vanuatuensis and my Hoya pubicalyx grow so vigorously that I must
prune them or else they'll take over. You can also stuff the long vines back into the pot
and they'll usually root where they touch the soil. This is a good way of developing a massive
root-flare or trunk inside the pot.

I sent some e-mail your way, Mike ;)


Josh

Mike we can certainly help you choose Hoyas based on flower colour or temperature tolerances. If you are looking for cool growers for your plant room there will be less of a selection vs warm growing species but there are some spectacular cool growers. Some very nice cool growers that are also very fragrant would include Hoya shepherdii, thompsonii, longifolia, siamica, stoneanna and serpens. Hoya carnosa, fungii and pubicalyx are all fairly easy to get and are cool growers with good sized blooms. Hoya linearis is a beautiful cool growing species but it can be tricky to grow and the flowers are quite small.

SRQ Hoyas has a temperature tolerance chart and many Hoya species so I would recommend checking out the site.

Mike

Here is a link that might be useful: A great site to learn about and look up different Hoya species

Mike...

Thank you so very much for offering all that info...Between you and Josh I am really learning a lot..I never realized how many beautiful Hoya's there are out there.I wonder how many people get the Hoya fever for these plants?
I can see these easily addicting...I LOVE the white and yellow flower ones that can grow in much cooler temps..

Josh..Thank you Thank you..:-))

Here is a picture of mine..I wish I knew the name of it..

{{gwi:993327}}

Mike:-)

Hey, Mike!
It looks like the Hoya that my local nursery sells/labels as Tri-color (Hoya carnosa).
The new growth should be a pink color.

Josh

Hello Mike,
I have this plant as well, and the wonderful people on this site identified it as H. carnosa "Krimson Queen". Mine is growing like crazy as well, bare vines growing in every which direction. I've just been wrapping the vines in amongst the other vines, so the bare ones aren't as noticeable and it keeps the plant a little more contained.
Mel

I'm pretty sure that "Krimson Queen" is just a nickname for Hoya carnosa tricolor.
I could be wrong, though....


Josh