I heard about Hoya carmelae for the first time around 2013 from a Hoya growing buddy of mine from Michigan named Patrick Vance. After seeing a photo of the plant and flower, I knew that I had to have one and promptly ordered one from Thailand. That first cutting rooted, but did not last long; I think I killed it inside of 6 months. The following year I ordered another one, and Patrick was kind enough to send me one of his cuttings as well.
Hoya carmelae is the next to last Hoya on my Hoya Hall of Shame List of plants that I was never able to flower. I can now take this plant off that list! Tomorrow we will begin the discussion.
Hoya sp. Surigao Del Sur is a fantastic plant when grown for the foliage alone; the flowers are just a bonus. It gets my highest recommendation!
The flowers of Hoya sp. UT-247 and Hoya sp. Surigao Del Sur both last for 24 hours, have no scent and are heavy nectar drippers. They are both beautiful and typify so many of these Philippine Hoyas.
Here is a close up of the blooms of Hoya sp. Surigao Del Sur:
Sadly like so many Philippine Hoyas of this type the flowers are short lived, lasting only 24 hours. On the plus side it is a frequent bloomer so it can be enjoyed many times. It is a heavy nectar dripper that has no scent.
I rooted, grew, and flowered this plant completely in soft tree fern substrate in a 3oz cup. It behaved very much like the typical Philippine Hoya.
I received Hoya sp. Surigao Del Sur late last summer as a freebie in a trade with a nice woman from Maine. The Hoya that I traded for was called H. Scarlett O’Hoya with a name like that how could I refuse. So far that cultivar has not done particularly well for me, but the one that came as an extra has behaved spectacularly. The leaf coloration alone is reason enough to grow this one!
As the name suggests, this Hoya comes from Surigao Del Sur, which is a province in the Philippines situated in the Caraga region occupying the northeastern section of Mindanao. Its capital is the City of Tandag.
Rather than move this very handsome specimen of Hoya polystachya outside for the summer I opted to let in live in the living room on the windowsill. I have been burned too many times in moving specimen plants outside only to have them ruined with sunscald. It only needs to be a couple of hours of sun sometimes, and it will ruin a Hoya that you have put months or even years into.
