Hoya ‘Noelle’

Hoya ‘Noelle’ is a suspected cross between Hoya vitellinoides and Hoya vitellina, hybridized by Michael Miyashiro from Hawaii that I received as a cutting around four years ago from Carol Noel.  I did not have initial success with this plant.  I lost the roots on my plant at around six months of age and restarted the plant adding a cutting of H. lacunosa to its pot.  I believe that the more vigorous lacunosa helped my ‘Noelle’ grow by keeping my over-watering in check!  It helped to take up some of the moisture that would have probably rotted its roots.  Any way you look at it, both plants have done extremely well together in the same pot. I would not hesitate to try growing to different species in the same pot again after experiencing these results.

Here is how I was able to get this plant to bloom.  Vermont’s growing season is much to short to bloom this plant without a little help.  I had not been able to get ‘Noelle’ to bloom in the past, because as soon as the heat kicked on in the house, pulling the humidity out of the air, the plant ceased growing and went into hibernation for months.  This year after I pulled the plant out of the greenhouse on October 1, I put the plant into an artificially lit, extremely warm and humid grow tent.  It promptly set buds and bloomed within a few short weeks.  I can heartily recommend this plant even without the blooms, because the foliage is so outstanding.  The leaves get very large and there are numerous red markings and patterns on them when grown in high light.  All in all this cultivar would be a worthy addition to any collection!  Here is a link to a You Tube video tour that I made of the plant:  http://youtu.be/RvFLRzwhgXg

Click on any of the photos in the gallery to see full-sized.