Friday, August 29, 2014

The Black Hoya

I have been posting hoyas since my collection starts flowering one after the other.  I am not going home every weekend, so you can just imagine how i feel when they decide to bloom in front of my eyes. I hope you can relate with me, as it is trully awesome! 

I bought this already as a mother plant, to lessen the waiting period which tires me in some species. It hasn't even flowered with the previous owner, reason why he sold it to me perhaps. He even gave precautions that i might wait for some months or years before it blooms. This species is not very common also here because the collector from the wild decided to sell it to the US markets before selling to us here in the local scene. I am very glad i was  able to get it ahead of some enthusiasts and die-hard hobbyists. As an absentee gardener i cannot fertilize or water properly, i just left the decisions for caring with my sister who manage our home and garden. She is a bit obliged, but i guess she also learned to appreciate the "fruits" of her labor, to put it more precise, the "flowers" of her labor! 

This is Hoya pubicalyx 'Black Dragon'. The 'Black Dragon' is not a variety but just a name given for commerce. However, just recently it was baptized another name as Hoya pubicorolla subspecies anthracina. It might take sometime for these name controversies be resolved, but DNA analysis will surely be important as the final arbiter. 

 young flower buds in a big umbel 

 a nicely developing advance umbel

flower buds waiting for a few more days to open

 I was looking at the closed flower buds last Saturday afternoon, not expecting the next changes. They started to crack and i really was awed at the unfolding events. I watched them intently as each flower bud slowly transformed to very amazing structures. I forgot first to get the camera, as am mesmerized with the drama unfolding in front of my eyes. I guess the photos will speak to you more personally, as follows!

The dynamically opening buds, they opened at 4:00 pm

the very fine velvet glisten with light

the whole umbel immediately after opening

Now, are you fully convinced of the magic and drama of my Black Hoya? 






15 comments:

  1. This 'Black Hoya' will surely elicit 'oohs & aahs' from Hoya enthusiasts. I am in great awe as you were able to personally watch the unfolding of such a grandiose, and maybe even miraculous event! Truly a visual delight and a feast for the senses!

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  2. Wow, this is another absolutely stunning hoya! What a beauty!

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    1. Gunilla, some of the most successful hoya growers are in Sweden! Thanks

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  3. Gorgeous! Your Hoyas are impressive. It's fun to learn about them and see great photos here on your blog!

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    1. Hi Beth, I am most interested in them also because they are new to me and i still get a lot of new information. If I already know them maybe I will be transfering to new ones, hehe!

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  4. Another lovely Hoya. It must have been amazing to see it open in front of your eyes like that.

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  5. What a gorgeous flower, so unique but all the hoyas share that wonderful geometric form. I would love to smell all the different varieties to see if they are different. Do they all smell the same, or does each have a unique scent as well?

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    1. Thanks Hannah, each has its own unique scent characteristics, and it many flowers are in bloom, you are like in a perfumery when near my garden!

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  6. Wow! Never seen such a interesting flower! Great pictures.

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  7. Fascinating! Plant hobbies often require a lot of patience.

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  8. I haven't had a hoya in years and forgot how beautiful the flowers are. Your black hoya (and your photos of it) are gorgeous!

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  9. From bud to flower this is one gorgeous flower...

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  10. they are pretty neat as they change forms!

    thanks for coming by today!

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  11. Wonderful to see the evolution of the flowers from buds to wide open blooms, Andrea. A delightful collection of photos.
    Thank you for participating in last week's Floral Friday Fotos. Look forward to seeing you link up again this week.

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