was unsure that it would live. I remember thinking that I sent such a big cutting and what I got in return was so small and while I said nothing, I was not looking to trade with this person again. This is a wrong way of thinking, and now regret that I was upset.

This little cutting grew very poorly and was started over a number of times through the years. Somehow I was always able to save it in the long run, but came close to losing it many times. I had always suffered with Hoya thomsonii as it just never did well for me. It is a fall bloomer and never did well on my windowsill, but under lights it would not flower, because it needs decreasing day length to trigger it. Finally I discovered the secret of flowering Hoya thomsonii under lights.

In August of 2021, I started my remaining two cuttings of Hoya thomsonii ‘Pink’ in a 3 oz cup of coconut chips, put it in my humid grow tent and hoped for the best. It took off and actually grew well and formed a number of peduncles in all of that humidity. I made a decision thinking about its fall blooming cycle. In January of 2022, I moved it from a day length cycle of 14 hours of light to a new shorter 12 hour day length, and almost immediately buds began to form on all of the peduncles. I could not believe the crazy amount of buds! The small pot that Hoya thomsonii lives in needs to be soaked every 3 days as it dries out pretty fast. Perhaps that is part of the secret to keeping this species happy. It seems very susceptible to root rot when grown in conventional mixes. The flowers when opened are extremely fragrant and perfumes the grow tent and half of the basement where it lives.

Hoya thomsonii ‘Pink’ presented a real leaning curve, but was extremely rewarding to grow and flower. I now know how to flower this one by manipulating its day length cycles, and know that it can be flowered at an extremely young age. This is a wonderful little Hoya and one that I give my highest recommendation to!