Happy April 1st and Is Hoya papaschonii Parthenogenic?

With new seedpods appearing nearly every week on my Hoya papaschonii plants, with absolutely no means of being pollinated, I’m wondering if the plant is parthenogenic.  Parthenogenesis is a mode of asexual reproduction in which offspring are produced by females without the genetic contribution of a male.  Plant scientists have bred this trait into some vegetables such as certain cucumbers and tomatoes. I’m wondering if it is naturally occurring in this particular Hoya? Below a peduncle of flowers from H. papaschonii:

Hoya aff. clemensiorum (IML 1752) Will Flower For First Time in Almost 4 Years

Hoya aff. clemensiorum (IML 1752) flowered last in July of 2014.  I discovered shortly after the event that the roots were rotted and it was stress induced flowering.  Well I took a cutting and saved the plant, which is now much larger than the original.  I hope this time it is flowering because it wants to and not because of stress.  Here is a photo of the buds from this morning and one leaf photo.

Hoya papaschonii Seeds

Hoya papaschonii has quickly become one of my favorite Hoyas.  It may seem strange since the flowers are so small, but when this plant is covered in flowers and or seedpods it is quite a site to behold.  It also grows extremely well in relatively dim light in the regular house with no added grow lights or humidity.  It wants to be always damp and grown in sphagnum moss.

I have at least 36 seedpods and will be selling seed very soon.  The first few pods have already ruptured.  They germinate in only a few days and are the best Hoya seed to grow out for beginners as they are dead easy.  Below a photo of a burst pod from today:

Final Day with Dischidia astephana

It remains to be seen how I will make out with this plant long term trying to provide cool humid conditions.  I am however very happy that I got to experience the plant first hand and take photographs of its tiny but amazing flowers.

Care of Dischidia astephana

Warm and humid is easy for me to provide using my grow tents, but cool and humid has always been a challenge for me. I am currently soaking my Dischidia astephana daily from 5-10 minutes while I care for the rest of the plants in the tent in which it resides.  It lives under a strong LED light and has grown well for me, but has not flowered since I received the plant last September.

In Praise of Hoya cumingiana – Again!

Although I’ve said this many times before, it bears repeating; Hoya cumingiana is one of the best plants in the Hoya world.  I can think of no Hoya better to start with for the beginner than this plant.  It grows and flowers incredibly quickly from cutting and the flowers have a beautifully spicy scent.  Below a plant I started from cuttings in the late summer, which is already covered in flowers and buds in less than six months.