Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Very Early Hoya Bloomers

I started growing hoya in 2010, so that was more than 5 years ago. Those first 2 plants dwindled for almost a year, without my attention. However, they didn't die even with neglect. One is planted on a driftwood vacated by orchids, in full direct sun that made the leaves truly yellow, wilted and most leaves die during the dry season. When the rains come it resurrected and continue adding leaves and stems. The second one was planted on a foot-long dried branch. Despite the dry and pathetic condition, it flowered once even with just a few inches of stem.

That triggered my addiction to hoyas and i continued adding more species as time went by. Now, my weekend at home in the province for 2 days and 1 night always seem very short,  time fully devoted to them and yet i want more. It truly is addictive and contagious, so whenever someone starts having it, that was my warning.

The following are some species which responded so fast to life that upon stabilizing as a newly rooted plant, it began producing buds and flowers. This is special, as most plants grow for years before producing buds. Patience is the topmost requirement in growing them. So i feel like giving tribute to the few exceptions here!

Hoya scortechinii (still with the label from the seller in Thailand, even wrongly written there). It came as a cutting which i rooted and planted in December in this recycled cup. After 4 months it struggled to produce those 4 buds, but it is looking great.

close-up  of Hoya scortechinii buds

H scortechinii flowers, already completely reflexed corolla

Another young newly planted cutting that immediately produced a big umbel is this red Hoya lacunosa. This is already a cutting from my mature plant.

The fully open flowers of red Hoya lacunosa looks like they are from a mature plant. The cutting has 2 nodes with 4 leaves, and they are enough to fully sustain those 14 lovely flowers.


This is a bit older plant than the previous 2, because it already has a long stem typical of the first new long growth. However, those 2 buds are still early for the typical plant. My previous plants of this Hoya crassicaulis were already bigger when they produced the first bloom. 

bloom of Hoya crassicaulis

You will be delighted with this Hoya obscura young plant. It was very newly planted and just starting to stabilize. It immediately produced those buds despite the position of the pedicel, because the normal position of the umbel is drooping down. Even then, the position didn't deter it to produce lots of buds. 

In effect this look is not typical of the normal Hoya obscura umbel. 

This young plant is also still very young with only 2 leaves from the 2 nodes, yet it already has an umbel with lots of buds. You can still see the blurred top of the planter. I am sorry i forgot which plant this is. I wasn't able to see also the flower when it bloomed during the weekdays i am not home. 

11 comments:

  1. Hello, what a pretty plant. The hoya bloom is pretty. Awesome macro shots. Happy Tuesday, enjoy your day!

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  2. These are so pretty! Lovely photos. Thanks for visiting my blog, and to answer your querie, the haze is not white and it was not very think. Really just a wisp, more than anything!

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  3. I am very bad in flowers, but your photos are just gorgeous !

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  4. Oh my goodness...what tiny, lovely flowers!

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  5. What lovely portraits. Thanks for sharing and greetings!

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  6. Profoundly beautiful close up shots! My Mother (in her 80's) is a gifted orchid grower here in Wisconsin. Not sure how she manages this with "no light! and in the cold temps!" Thank you for your comment on my blog. I will add yours to my blog list! Thanks again! So very glad that you enjoyed the waterfall pic from NC. Karen

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  7. you always show a view Hoya that I've never seen before.

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  8. These are fantastic! Beautiful flowers indeed. Thank you for sharing them with Today's Flowers, so very much appreciated :)

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  9. Hoyas are such rewarding flowers, Andrea.
    Many thanks for joining the Floral Friday Fotos and I look forward to your next contribution.

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  10. Wow! I love the Hoya crassicaulis - I haven't had a hoya for a long time, but I might have to reconsider that and get some! Great photos.

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