Having grown both of these plants for well over two years now, here are the differences from a hobbyist. The flowers on Hoya yvesrocheri are larger the corolla opens fuller then on H. stenophylla. The flowers are pink on H. yvesrocheri and yellow on H. stenophylla. The leaves on H. yvesrocheri are approximately three times the width as the leaves on stenophylla. Finally H. stenophylla is a far more vigorous grower than H. yvesrocheri.
Hoya yvesrocheri Was Name For The Yves Rocher Foundation, which sponsored a lot of Nathalie Simonsson’s work from 2011-2015 in PNG.
Nathalie Simonsson observed this Hoya once on fallen tree on very sharp ridge in primary rainforest in Bula, Morobe Province. When site was revisited in 2013, the ridge had been burned for slash and burn subsistence gardens. It is likely that this plant is very endangered in its native habitat.
Hoya yvesrocheri was collected first by A.N.Millar in PNG, Morobe Province, Wagau at 4200 ft [c. 1280 m]. It was found in large tree in old garden near village.
Hoya yvesrocheri was first collected in Papua New Guinea, June 11, 1964.
Just when I think that it can’t get any better with this one, it has produced 13 peduncles full of flowers. The plant itself is over 3 feet high. Here are photos from the front and back:
This Hoya flowers so much now that I am forced to cut many of the blooms off as it drips nectar like water on everything. This nectar dripping is a real drawback to growing certain Hoyas as it creates quite a mess if you are not on top of it continuously. Here is a photo from this morning of the flowers before the corolla reflexes.
This plant has three peduncles now, and like many Hoyas, it has stopped adding new foliage, and continuously flowers.
What do you do when a plant has reached a size that is no longer manageable, and you are tired of cleaning up the mess that it makes when it endlessly flowers. I recently found myself in that position with Hoya cutis-porcelana. The plant is now so widely available that there is no commercial value in chopping it up to sell it off as rooted cuttings. You can’t give the large plant away for two reasons: one it has a trellis that is valuable, to you, because it is no longer made, and two you don’t know anyone who would take it off your hands anyway. I made the hard choice; I took two small cuttings to root so I could keep it in my collection, and then I saved the trellis and the pot. The rest I disposed of. Hoya cutis-porcelana RIP!
Over the winter my Hoya desvoeuxensis developed some root issues. I did not want to lose this plant at any cost so I chopped it up into 41 cuttings. 40 cuttings survived, I sold or gave away 38 of them, and save two for myself. I put them into a 5 inch pot, and they have already flowered in less than six months. This photo is from this morning.
