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binlin

My H. imperialis finally bloomed

binlin
9 years ago

I got cuttings of this in 2010, and it's done nothing but take up space and abort buds since then.
This photo is from Oct 17th, and is the first time it made buds that didn't drop off.

The buds grew very quickly from Oct 17th to 26th, with visible changes each day.

Nov 7th: Once they got to this size the buds stopped growing. They stayed like this for over a week. A bunch of buds aborted between Oct 26th and Nov 7. Only 3 were left for this photo.

Nov 8th: They opened overnight.

Comments (8)

  • kamikakushi
    9 years ago

    How nostalgic; a few years back you had a post called 'Growing under lights & lots of pics' and that was my first read here at GW.

    It's nice to see that imperialis flower finally!

    Kami

  • binlin
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Wow I'm surprised you still remember that.

    Here're a couple more pics.

  • teisa
    9 years ago

    Wow! That is a gorgeous Hoya. I love that color. Is it not so sad that it doesn't bloom All the time? I'm glad that it finally bloomed for you! And thanks for sharing with us.

  • Denise
    9 years ago

    Congrats, Rennet!!! =D You rock! I wish I could get imperialis to bloom. Heck, I'd be happy if it would just GROW consistently! It does well, fall comes and it starts to drop leaves. Spring...perks up, looks great, I think "maybe this year??" Grows nicely, looks happy, fall hits again and it hates me again. I keep telling myself to give up on it - it's not meant to be. But I soooo long for those big, beautiful flowers!! **SIGH** maybe someday... In the meantime, I enjoy vicariously through the postings of those who can bloom 'er!

    Denise in Omaha

  • puglvr1
    9 years ago

    Aren't those blooms just gorgeous!!! Love it, Renee, thanks for posting! Enjoy those beautiful blooms!!

    I had a very nice Imperialis that bloomed a couple of times (after several years) sadly, it suffered cold damage last winter and the roots rotted :o(...

    Will have to replace this one soon...

  • binlin
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    @teisa
    Something kind of neat; The colour is very different when my grow lights turn off and the flowers aren't being backlit. They become a much softer pinkish rather than maroon. I'm hoping that now that the plant has flowered once, it's well enough established to do so regularly.

    @denise
    Thank you! H. imperialis seems pretty picky about lighting. When I had it 2' directly under my T5 lights, the leaves near the top started turning chlorotic, and any new growth it made was stunted and ultra compact. Then when I moved it out from under the lights and set it slightly to one side, it grew a ton but always dropped any peduncles it made. It wasn't until I bought a separate T8 to hang overhead that it really seemed happy with its conditions. If your plant doesn't seem happy, it might not hurt to try giving it some extra lighting. Good luck!

    @puglvr1
    Sorry to hear that. The pictures you posted of your imperialis actually convinced me to keep this thing around while it was otherwise wasting space. I was totally getting ready to bin it after it sat around doing nothing for 4 years. Lucky you with your outdoor conditions ideal for growing Hoyas though! I'm sure it won't take you long to have another imperialis blooming.

  • greedygh0st
    9 years ago

    Oh how nice to hear from rennet again. :) I also think often of your posts. You are so fastidious and articulate and document your work with such illustrative photos.

    Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with imperialis. We're learning a lot about this plant this year.

    Say, I know I'm a little late in responding, but maybe you're still reading. I'd be interested to know if you keep a blog. You seem like the type to. Maybe everyone knows about it but me.

  • CrazyPlantLady1
    9 years ago

    Beautiful..... I love the darker red flecks on the blooms. Do you feed them anything special? I had both white and red a few years ago. I lost the red after a temp drop into the 40's, but the white one was much stronger. It would drop a few leaves in winter, but came back each spring with new growth. Finally, a friend asked to adopt her and she is doing well in her home today, but still no blooms.

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