Hoya RHM-009 came to me as a freebie cutting in an eBay Hoya order from Ric Morier back in 2017. I knew nothing about it, but grew it out to see what would emerge. This cutting rooted quickly, was a good grower right from the start, and had the most beautifully glossy leaves. It grew steadily needing a number of up-pottings and finally ending up in an 8 inch pot. The plant finally flowered after two years on two peduncles.
There are so many Hoyas that have these same exact type of blooms. These flowers however were not nearly as fragrant as some, but they lasted far longer. Most of these type of flowers only last a few days at most, but these lasted around 8 days which was a big plus.
I recently contacted Ric Morier to ask about the parentage of Hoya RHM-009 and here is what he had to say:
“It’s one of my crosses. Hoya ridida IML 1424 is the mother. The father is mostly Hoya merrillii. It has large shiny leaves and grows fast. I took two blooming plants to my friends garden, and she keeps bees so I think the bees were the pollinators.”
So there you have it. It was an accidental cross that produced this very handsome plant. Hoya RHM-009 makes a most pleasing specimen plant if you can find it. The plant was an accidental cross that was worth growing out. The flowers while similar to many other Hoyas are fragrant and long lasting.