All good things always come to an end and so does the discussion of Hoya onychoides. This is a plant that presented me with unexpected challenges, but I think the extra effort was well worth the results, but if I could only grow one plant between H. macgillivrayi, H. archboldiana and Hoya onychoides, I believe that I would choose H. macgillivrayi, because of its heavenly scent, and easier bloomibility.
You have to love the large claw like flowers of Hoya onychoides; I think it was well worth the effort put into growing the plant. Below is probably my favorite photo that I have been able to take of the flowers.
I had read on Christina Karlsson’s site that her Hoya onychoides had a strong scent of gardenias, which both my Mac and Archie have as well. The strange thing about my Hoya onychoides is that the flowers had no scent at all. It has now flowered twice for me and still no scent. We must have different clones.
Three times was the charm as far as starting over this plant. It finally took off and made steady, albeit slow, progress. It grew almost exclusively in the same artificial conditions that would bring my Mac and Archie into flower in 12-18 months, but it took 3 years with onychoides. Why – I just don’t know?
The cutting rooted quickly enough, but then the roots rotted for no real apparent reason. When it had done nothing for about 6 months I started it over. It grew slowly with stops and starts and after 2 years it quit growing all together. I was forced to start it over yet again!
I had grown Hoya macgillivrayi and Hoya archboldiana for years before finally picking up a cutting of Hoya onychoides from Aleasgarden in Thailand in 2013. I figured no big deal to grow and flower this one, as its close relatives were so easy for me to cultivate; nothing could be further from the truth of what happened.
Hoya onychoides was first collected on the Boana Road, Morobe Provence, Papua New Guinea in October of 1990. It is funny that while researching Morobe Provence, I learned that there are 101 languages spoken there. Communication must be difficult to say the least!
It seems like a couple of months now since I brought you the buds that were growing on Hoya onychoides. Well I finally found the time to work on the photos and bring the plant to this site. I will spend the next week or so discussing this large growing, large flowering plant. Below the flowers begin to open:
If I had to come up with a list of the ten most photogenic Hoya flowers, Hoya ruthiae would be near the top of the list.
I sold a number of cuttings of Hoya ruthiae in the spring and was afraid that I might have destroyed my plant, but I have to say that it has come back stronger than ever and is still flowering.
