My History with Hoya celata Part One

In 2010, Joni Kahn from SRQ Hoyas facilitated an order of Hoyas from George Mendoza of Forest Treasures in the Philippines.  Among the offerings were three Hoyas newly discovered: Hoya pubicalyx ‘Black Dragon’, Hoya pubicalyx ‘White Dragon’ and Hoya pubicalyx ‘Pink Dragon’.  They were pricey at around $35 each for a small rooted cutting. I chose the black and white dragons, and did not choose the pink because of the cost.  Two years later the ‘Black Dragon’ flowered for the first time. Below is the best darkest black that I ever got out of it.  Most of the time its flowers were not nearly so dark and did not live up to the hype – More tomorrow…