Mike (treelover) that's hilarious!
I have noticed when kanyakumariana makes new growth it looks like old woody vine instead of green like we are use to. I hung mine outside this year for the first time under my deck and it was getting north sun. Now that it's inside it's getting west sun. I water with VF-11 and though I have new growth no sign of it blooming for me. :-(
I just got a Hoya spartioides and am scared to death of it! I do hope I have what it takes to keep it happy and alive!,,,,Debbie

Sigh, it would be nice if they were labeled "likes high humidity" or "won't grow in the south" instead of "medium light".
Thanks for your lists, now I know which ones to avoid in my climate. You can get so much more useful information from gardenweb then anywhere else. Real gardeners with real experience in the plants.
Tally HO!

Beachplant, I absolutely agree with you, nothing like good old
first hand growing experience. Especially from people that grow in the same type of climate that you grow yours in. Not that is a "given" as we know there are many factors involved...but it sure helps to know if they are suppose to do well or recommended in our zone/climate.

I've killed linearis too. ;( most of the hoyas do well here in FL but some are just stubborn getting used to being here.

Jan

It's paziae for me. There is no action, not dying or growing for about 6 months now. Any tips for this hoya?

Brad,

To answer your question about polyneura flowers (haven't been back to this thread for awhile!)... They last a few days if I recall. Not as long as some. Trouble is they're so hard to see because they hide under the dangly foliage.

From reading the posts from you Floridians, it sounds like you guys have as much trouble with the cool growers as I have with the eriostemmas, which I won't even attempt to grow again. I know MY body prefers cooler temps, so I guess the same would be true of some plants. I think this also explains why when I get plants from Hawaii (especially) and Florida (sometimes), they go semi-dormant for a period of time before they'll start growing again.

Denise in Omaha

Hi Ebocicada, I'm sorry I don't grow that one...but I attached a link from Gardino's nursery below. It says it likes filtered light and let dry before watering. Since its native to the Philippines(I lived there for 10 years), it is very hot and humid pretty much all year long. If possible maybe see if you can give it extra humidity. Not sure what zone you're from? Also wanted to add that I've had a couple of plants/cuttings that did nothing or barely nothing for about 4-5 months...and then start to take off shortly after. Maybe its just trying to acclimate to your growing environment. Just a guess but hopefully it will take off soon and grow. Good luck!

Denise, I agree with what you're saying. A lot of people here that try to grow the cooler(preferred) hoyas seem to have difficulty with them. I can see how you might have problems with the eriostemmas which seems to prefer hot and humid climates. I guess we just experiment and see which ones work for us and which ones don't. Sometimes its fun to try a couple just to push the envelope, but at some point I know when to give up, I'm almost there with Serpens,lol...

Here is a link that might be useful: Paziae...Gardino's Nursery

That paziae looks a lot like my 'Iris Marie', and I see on Hoyor.net that some say they are one and the same. Mine hasn't bloomed yet, so I can't say what the flowers look like. My 'IM' was a slow starter, but it's been a good grower for a couple years. I grow it hanging naturally and like the look better than the trellised look. It's a very graceful looking plant. I hope it will bloom for me someday!

Denise in Omaha

I'm still new to Hoyas, but have accumulated about 40 now. The only one that is making me nervous is my Pachyclada. I've only had it a couple of months, but not any sign of growth, hopefully it is just in root production. I've just received H. Vitellinoides and H. Obovata (very common, but I like the round leaves), so too early to comment on those. Actually, now that I think about it, my Kerrii Variegata is a snail. Had it since April and it looked the same until about a week ago, finally getting a couple new leaves. Kerrii Reverse started shooting out leaves within a week of getting it and has never stopped. And Curtisii. Got in August and no sign of a new leaf. I got it expecting it to die, so I'm happy that it is at least still alive ;) I find it odd that there are so many having difficulty with the Lacunosa. Got a baby and it is growing like a weed! Got 4 peduncles on it right now! Polyneura is thriving too. No flowers, but it is small--but doubled in size since I got it in August. My Bella Variegata is thriving too. Why is it a mealy magnet? You guys are freaking me out about mealies!!! If my plants are all inside and don't have mealies, can they still get them? If so, how?

It is almost humorous that we "fear" for our Hoyas. But then again, we put a lot of time and love, yes love, in growing them (or at least trying to grow them), not to mention money...

Tish,

All Hoyas are yummy to mealies, but some (like bella) appear to be more like caviar! I have no idea why that is. But yes, you can get them by bringing them in on a new plant (you can't always know they're pest-free by a lookover - they can be in the soil or there could be eggs that you can't even see...) And I've even found them on the ends of bananas! I can guarantee that you will eventually get them - it's inevitable when you keep more than a few plants. Don't fret about it. You just have to be utterly diligent about watching for them and taking care of them when you find them.

Denise in Omaha

I'm starting to find mealies on my lacunosa again, but they're not as bad as before. I still have my Safer's soap on hand. Of course, I could always mix rubbing alcohol, dish soap and water together.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Hi everybody, I know it's quite an old thread, but I would also like to express my difficulties with Hoya bella "Luis Bois" in particular (not sure if this Hoya is published...). I have H. bella that has green leaves, doing quite fine for me, and will sure be on the look out for mealies (I have some pics on my blog)

I bought these two variants as cuttings - more than 5 cuttings per variant - initially planted Luis Bois in my soil mixture and within a couple of months I was loosing leaves bit by bit.... Just went downhill from there so I decided to put Luis Bois in water to prepare for hydroton.

This is my second time attempting to grow H. bella "Luis Bois" and I am only left with one measly cutting...It is very unfortunate as I like the marking on the leaves very much. My first attempt of growing this Hoya included neglect and high humidity in the bathroom, as soon as I paid attention to it by watering it on scheduled days, the new growths halted and wilted ironically lol.

Another species I have killed I believe to be H. carnosa (it was not labeled, the vendor just said it's a hoya from Taiwan). The stems were semi-hard wood cuttings and I know have a fear of not being able to root such cuttings I receive...

On the contrary, H. serpens given to me by a fellow collector is flourishing. I have it in a small pot in a shaded area. Some leaves dropped, but in general this plant is doing fine for me.

H. meliflua CAN be a vigorous grower, but it needs alot of humidity for me and NO movements at all - Once you move the pot just a bit, growths will cease and I will have to wait a couple months later to see new growths. This plant is now in it growing period, but is in much need of cleaning and I do not touch it at all for the fear of stopping new growths...lol this is how superstitions get created.

Eliz

Here is a link that might be useful: Hoya bella

I personally don't mind the resurrection of this old thread, because I think it's an interesting topic.

I too struggle with 'Luis Bois.' It has never actually sulked, dropped leaves, or even lost growth, but I can't shake the feeling that out of all my plants, it is the most curmudgeonly. It grows extremely grudgingly and is still a very small plant, despite being among my oldest. Whenever I see a picture of a bella 'Luis Bois' with 3' vines, I feel like it must be CGI.

I can say that mine seemed happiest last summer when it was being grown in a filtered southern exposure and kept very moist without ever drying out. Of course, I moved, so just watch it refuse to do anything for the next year. Can you tell that this plant annoys the heck out of me? Sometimes I feel like giving it away just so I don't have to watch it be the same size anymore.

Surprised i have not responded to this one yet. Obscura is the most elusive for me. I have received small cuttings twice and failed to root both sets. I now have a rooted plant and hope not to kill it. Obscura x Lacunosa(Aleya) which seems to be different from cv. Sunrise is a tough one. I have had to reroot it 3 times now but it currently seems happy. cv. Sunrise is also a tough one for me. Like it's parent Lacunosa it does not like to be moved arround in the winter. Unless you want to pick up the leaves that it drops.

But I would say the one that takes the cake for me is H.incurvula/brevialata. I have purchased this Hoya a a full basket 2 times now. After a summer of thriving I brought it inside to a Northern exposure window. It started losing vines and leaves left and right. Too much water idk, too little light probably, too little water idk? I went ahead and purchased another that was actually thriving in an HD greenhouse. Now it is already starting to show signs of decline. This one only seems happy when it is twining upwards vs hangiing down in a basket. Any tips for this hoya? Just like with Obscura, I read elsewhere that it is an easy one. To each their own I guess.

-David

My problem has been kenejiana, it is stucked at the same thing for months, is this a slow one?

Mitzi

Waymanaie and curtisii...although I have the latter stabilized for the moment!

Kelly

That answer changes for me from week to week...whichever one is giving me problems at the moment...right now its Sigillatis!

Isn't this thread the most encouraging thing ever? We all get to hear that we have an easy ride with a plant someone else struggles with, and that a plant we are struggling with can be easy.

lol I agree with Pug, and I have to confess that my beloved villosa is plaguing me again and dasyantha also dropped a leaf today as if taking instructions from her thick pubescent leaved ally. I think when I repot I need to up them both to an even more well-draining medium.

Mitzi, I haven't noticed kenejiana being a slow grower, but if you've had it for under a year, I wouldn't worry. A lot of Hoyas take their time before taking off. You're probably actually a bit spoiled with such a lush climate and have Hoyas bouncing back faster than I do! *_*

Kelly, I'm with you on waymaniae. I'm hoping I can keep an already-rooted plant alive this time.

David, I got an obscura 'White Form' and it seems to grow much more jubilantly than my stick in the mud obscura var. longipedunculata, so maybe you just haven't found your obscura match yet. ^_~ Interesting observations about the brevialata preferring to grow upward. I'm always paranoid that I'm going to miss patterns like that and doom myself to a relationship that's difficult when it doesn't have to be.

I find bella very sensitive and nicholsoniae is a slow grower but i have success with polynuera and pauciflora is chugging away. the australis is growing really fast and same with carnosa and redbuttons. I have just aquired serpens multiflora and obovata with huge leaves.

Hi Mitzi - Sometimes it takes months or years for them to get settled. When I get cuttings some takes only days or weeks to have new growth coming out. It really depends on your microclimate inside the house. Pentaphlebia is a slow one for me, no new growths, but impatient me pulled it out to see what's going on down there and found that it has rooted...now I have to wait for months since I disturbed it (lol lesson learned).

Pug - I lost my siggitalis from Paul Shirley :( it was such a generous cutting with roots. It was very picky and the leaves were turning leathery. I watered it frequently as I read somewhere it likes to stay moist. It was like what happened to my inflata... I miss those two plants and I am going to try again this year...

At times it might be upsetting, because you loose plants that you really want and like and also hard to get. My toll/plant count is so far around 10 (give or take 2). But it's so exciting when you see new growths on your other hoyas and plants :).

I've been keeping my small sigillatis on the moist side, too, which is why it surprised me that Pug allows hers dry out, and has great success with it (present troubles excluded). I'm thinking perhaps I might try mine in large CHCs as a compromise. It's not a widely used medium for me, but I seem to have good luck keeping my variegated macrophylla happy this way.

Glad someone else tracks their death toll. I'm also at 10.

Did I mention that I also really struggle with pubera? It's the teeniest little guy ever and although it never really goes backwards, it just looks kind of weak in a way I can't articulate. I keep it in the aquarium in the hopes that that will keep it alive, but I don't know....

Eliz, I'm sorry to hear about your Sigillatis...I'm glad I'm not alone in calling this one picky and fussy! I hope if you do try it again...you will have much better luck.

GG, its so hard to figure my Sigillatis out...I've been letting it dry out pretty much since I've had it and its been doing well until recently...so now I'm wondering should I be watering it more often? Then I'm afraid or root rot,lol...I may not win this war!

Pug,I have sigillatis for over 2 years and grows well for me.During the summer months it gets very bright light and during the time its in the house I have it hanging about 1in below my T5 light.I never let it dry out,It seems to need a bit more water than some of my hoyas.The only time I had problems with sigillatis was the first winter it came in the house.It started to yellow and the leaves got wrinkly.I gave it a bit more water and moved it very close to the light.My plant has the nice red color year around. It needs light,warmth and a bit more water.If any one wants to see a photo of how it looks,just say so.

Cindy

I do, I do, I do!

Kelly in Victoria

I believe in you, Pug! Besides, it's your anniversary Hoya! It will live for love! Was that too much pressure? A boy's never given me a plant!!

I second the motion to see Cindy's sigillatis. Thanks for describing your conditions. I hadn't thought to put mine under artificial light, but now I'm torn between moving it for that brightness and stability vs. keeping it in the eastern exposure where it doesn't turn red, but has been growing productively. Kind of an isn't-broke-but-COULD-it-be-better? situation.

What kind of mix do you guys use for sig?

A few photos of sigillatis.Looks like more like 2 inches from the T5 light.

with the T5 light off.

Nice red leaves.

This one is planted in chunky coir.

Cindy

Cindy, thank you for sharing pictures of your Sigillatis...its SO beautiful and healthy!! I think I might have been misleading when I said I let it dry out...usually when I say that I don't mean completely "dry out". I really should have said...let it dry out a little. I only have very few hoyas that I let dry out completely...I'm so afraid of root rot even though I use a very porous potting mix...and I know that most hoyas don't like it completely dry like Jades and Succulents.

Funny thing is during the first year or so after I received this hoya I was watering it less often and it thrived! It did very well and grew in that type of care...but once I noticed the yellow leaves and dying vines several weeks ago is when I decided to water it a little more often...so I'm actually watering it more often now than I used to. That's why this hoya is really very perplexing to me. I can't tell exactly what it needs...very confusing,lol...

Cindy, thanks again for sharing your growing tips...Congrats on your beautiful Sigillatis. Looks like you have this one figured out. Yours is so Healthy and looks Great!

GG, I truly understand about the concept of "if it aint broke don't fix it"...So hard to figure out what the right thing is to do with some hoyas...either way you decide. Good luck!

Your plant is just lovely, Cindy. Thanks so much for providing pictures.

I started to write a post about how this plant is stressful because it's so delicate looking and you know those leaves and vines can go from glamorous to dead in a heartbeat. But delicate looking really doesn't correlate with delicate acting, now does it? It just does in this case (lol).

Pug, I know exactly what you're talking about with the way a plant will perform well under disparate watering conditions and utterly flummox you when it acts up. That's why I'm always so impressed when someone here develops super confident opinions about what works for a certain plant. It does seem like there's an interaction between watering schedule and medium that occasionally gets glossed over when we're making and sharing our findings.

Also, I don't think we thought you were going hard core dry out with your sigillatis, I probably just made it sound that way with my paraphrasing. Sorry about that!

I think I'll change the medium, since Cindy uses what I was contemplating. Then, I'll leave it in the east window and switch to under the lights come fall. How's that for a brilliant compromise?!

Hi everybody,

So which one is winning as the most difficult hoya???? As I can see some are difficult for ones and not for anothers, interesting.

Oh, right. I meant to ask. Kelly, if you are reading this, do you grow sigillatis? I'd be interested to know how it performs in semi-hydro, if you have that answer.

GG,
I lost my sigillatis! Did well for awhile, then went downhill. Not sure what happened! Received aff sigillatis last week and am trying again! The leaves aren't nearly as colorful, but it's still cute!

Oh, right. Now that you say that I do remember you mentioning that you were giving aff. sigillatis a go. Did you say that the leaves are slightly larger?

The leaves (at least on the cutting I have) look to be about 1/2 - 1/3 the size of sigillatis.

Keeping my fingers crossed that I'll do better with this one!

Kelly

Wow! So they're miniature. That sounds very appealing!

I find my Hoya sigillatis to be difficult to grow as well. I have two and one is nothing more than a few leaves in a little pot while the other has several growths that hover around the 6" mark for what seems like forever.

If I had to vote for my all time most difficult Hoya to grow I would say it's a tie between Hoya imbricata and Hoya hypolasia. I baby my two Hoya imbricata plants and they live in the warm and humid atmosphere of my orchid case yet they are still a huge pain to grow. Is anyone else trying to grow Hoya imbricata?

Mike

HYPOLASIA, ahhh, yes....have a terrible time with this one. Previously I was thinking waymanaie was my most "tired and lost" hoya, but, really, it's hypolasia. I'm obsessed with it and cannot get it to grow. Have two cuttings now that have been in the rooting aquarium for over 6 months and are rooted, but not growing at all...

Mike, I grow imbricata on a Swamp Stick with moss in a little betta aquarium. If I have time I'll take a picture tonight.

Kelly

I'm ordering the following hoyas: subcalva, sussuela, cv jenifer, cv noelle and danumensis, and I heard from a Thai girl that those hoyas are very difficult. Can anyone tell me if this is true? I can't believe that I choose only difficult ones! What a bad luck!

I think you might have a chance with subcalva. It's a pretty aggressive plant and it roots easily, in my experience.

The danumensis is a bad idea if you haven't placed your order yet. I am rooting this one right now. It traveled for only a couple of days and I think I might very well lose it. It looks REALLY REALLY mad!

I don't know the other two. Hoya cv. jennifer is maybe (incrassata X finlaysonii) which isn't the thinnest leaves, but I think finlaysonii is a bit of a pita. Hoya cv. noelle is maybe (vitellinoides X vitellina) and I don't have either of these.

GG,

I was really afraid about danumensis, I think I'll exclud this one from my order. It will take at least 21 days to arrive! Maybe rooted one.

Mitzi

Kelly I read that the trick with Hoya hypolasia is high humidity plus good air movement, not so easy without a greenhouse. I had my plant growing well with a humidifier blowing near it but since I have stopped using the humidifier the plant has developed another yellow leaf. New stems grow and leaves develop but then the plant always stalls and then drops a leaf or two. I really want to see this one bloom some day.

GG I know my Hoya walliniana likes bright light to bloom and it hates being dry so much that stems will turn woody and dry up if it dries out too often.

Mike

GG,

Hoya danumensis should be a good option to be rooted in perlite, according to what I read, take a look.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.growinghoyas.com/hoya_danumensis.htm

Mitzi Danumensis is definitely one where you can take one glance at it and tell it will not tolerate drying out for a second! Right now, it's like a hysterical woman in a detective novel holding a knife to her own throat. "I dare you to touch me, I'll drop another leaf, I'm not kidding! Stand back! Staaaaand back!" My nerves are all on edge! Can I call in sick and tell them I have to stay at home and mist my sick kid?

It kind of seems ironic to me that many of the plants that won't make it to you, would really flourish in your climate if they could just magically appear there. I wish they would invent teleportation already!

Mike Thanks for the advice! I don't think I've let mine dry out (which is lucky) but I just moved it under the lights a week or so ago, so maybe that will help. It grows and doesn't ever look bad, it just doesn't seem vigorous. Kind of like a student that bullies would pick on. That definitely seems indicative of a possible light issue.

GG,

LOL!!

Where did you buy yours?
If I go to US probably I'll try to find there and bring with me. I hope I wont be arrested on arrival!

Mitzi

Mitzi I got it from Ted Green, in Kaaawa, Hawaii.

lol If you come here to smuggle a bunch of Hoyas I want to come along and watch. (And maybe fly back with you to Brazil for vacation >_>) You could smuggle them in one of those hard cello cases with the built in humidor set. You could fit a lot of cuttings in there!

LOL GG, it is not allowed to bring plants without permission, I don't have the permission, but of course I'll try, I'm already thinking where I can hide the cuts, maybe in boots, pants, shampoo, but the XR probably will find.
But for sure I'll try, if I get caught I'll loose everything.

Ted Green does not want to sell me cuts, his minimum order is 150 dollars, but this is too risk, because the package would be to large.

Well I think all of you know how difficult is for me!

Mitzi

Yeah, that would probably be too large. I spent close to that on my last order, and they came in one of those bulk cereal boxes. I'm not sure what size "slips by" Brazilian security.

I honestly don't know how you do it. I definitely wouldn't want to pay that much and risk it being confiscated. I feel it's only a matter of time before it is no longer (relatively) easy to import to the U.S., so maybe soon I'll be in your boat.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:994774}}

Kelly that's about how mine looks as well but every time it sends out a vine with a few new leaves on it the new portion dies before it takes root. I have seen this happen so many times now that I just completely ignore my plant other than to spray the mounts they are on when I am tending to the orchids.
I have one on a four foot high piece of cork but at the rate it's growing (or not!) that expensive piece of cork just might become populated with miniature orchids, that's prime orchid case real-estate.

Your plant has a nice big new leaf developing, have you had any problems growing this one?

Mike

It didn't do much in the beginning, but seemed to improve when I moved it to the swamp stick last year. The bad thing is it's outgrowing the swamp stick, so I'm not sure what to do! Being that the mount is so small it looks very haphazzard as I try to keep it centralized on it.

I've not had a problem with die-back. I just fill the swamp stick up from time to time and ignore it. Same with a dischidia I have in the same little terrarium - it has just started to grow.

If you start growing mini-orchids on the 4ft cork, take a picture! That would be awesome!

My most difficult has to be H. campanulata - its not succulent like the rest and often arrived from post badly dessicated. I wonder if anyone has any idea how to send a cutting of this with success. Thanks.