In December of 2018 Hoya phyllura put on a peduncle, budded up and flowered about seven months after growing it out from a no-leaved stem. Unfortunately the leaves continued to worsen with many yellow streaks; it kind of ruined some of the flowering experience for me despite the bloom’s very attractive qualities.

While Hoya phyllura was a very rapid grower and required several repots to larger containers, I was dismayed that I could not achieve really healthy looking foliage. Many of the leaves especially the newer growth was very chlorotic with yellow spots and streaks. I hate plants that do not have healthy looking foliage; it drives me nuts. Below the flowers continue to open on Hoya phyllura:

The two yellowing leaves on the stem soon fell off, but the stem remained very green, which gave me a little hope that possibly something might become of it. Slowly I was heartened to see tiny new growth in the form of leaves begin to emerge from the stem, and in short order other stems and vines came out of the nothingness. Below the leaves of Hoya phyllura:

My Hoya phyllura plant came from an order from AH Hoyas in Thailand in May of 2018. It arrived in very bad shape with a couple of yellow leaves clinging to a green stem. I had little faith in being able to save it, but I potted it up none the less. Below the buds just beginning to open on the plant:

Hoya phyllura is endemic to Borneo, and originally was a poorly known species from Kalimantan with yellow flowers. When an orange flowered form was found in Sabah’s Crocker Range it was thought to be a different species and was named Hoya linusii. However when other color forms were later found it was determined that Hoya linuii is a synonym of Hoya phyllura.

The above information was summarized from the book A Guide To The Hoyas of Borneo. Below the buds on my Hoya phyllura:

I have gotten rid of so many Hoyas to make room over the years, but have somehow managed to hold on to my Hoya soligamiana plant. It like many Philippine Hoyas flowers virtually continuously all year long given the right conditions. Here are a couple photos from this morning:

Hoya soidaoensis is such a great Hoya and while the flowers look similar to H. flagellata, it is far easier to grow, and much more forgiving. My current specimen is growing and flowering in an amended bonsai mix, and seems quite content. Here is a flower from this morning:

People don’t believe it when I say that I garden 365 days a year, but with grow tents everything is possible.

I had to start Hoya sp. EPC-209 over last year, because it got too big, and I sunburned the leaves when it was moved outside last summer. I currently have it in a grow tent, where it presented me with flowers this morning. This is a must have species if you have a humid environment; grow for its huge leaves; the flowers are just a bonus.

Usually once every one to two years I will get a seedpod on a Hoya with the exception of Hoya papaschonii, which has them continually. Last year it was Hoya bella that got the pod and a year or two before that it was Hoya manipurensis. This seedpod shown below turned up virtually over night, and is growing at a rate of one inch per day on Hoya ruthiae. I know this is really rare, because in the book A Guide To Hoyas of Borneo it says that fruits are unknown. If fruits have not been spotted in the wild, then it is a rarity indeed and will really be fun to watch develop.