Here is a photo of a few Hoya blossoms floating in a sink that I took about 10 days ago. Today is the last day of a record breaking heat wave that sent temperatures 35-40°F higher than where they should be for this time of year. It has made the Hoyas perk up and start growing and producing buds after months of hibernation.
Anyone who lives in a slightly cooler area of the world should and must keep Hoya bella. As long as it does not get too warm and dry, this is an extremely easy Hoya to keep. Keep it on the moist side, and it will reward you with a multitued of beautiful flowers for most of the year.
I spent far too much time trying to get this close up. Between getting the camera all set up, and setting up the plant material, and trying to remember all of the little steps to get a good shot, I spent close to two hours to get a usable close up of an H. brevialata. This shot was taken with the MP-E 65mm lens at around 3 times the size of the camera’s sensor. It is completely uncropped or touched up in any way.
Hoya brevialata is a Hoya that I think that everyone should keep. This specimen is the second one that I have kept. My first one lasted about four years, and got so big that I finally threw it out after I had obtained a replacement. This plant is one that the Exotic Angel Company places in most big box stores such as Wal*Mart and Home Depot in the spring and summer. It will take off and flower profusely for you starting in the 2nd year after bringing it home. It is a Hoya that does not want to be kept too wet. Give it as much sun as you can especially in the Northern latitudes like where I live. It is a plant that you have to stick with as it can look poorly in the winter and bounce back strongly in the summer. I have only kept it as a hanging plant.
Here are two bloom photos of Hoyas that I keep at work from this morning: Hoya pubicalyx ‘Royal Hawaiian Purple’ and Hoya obovata.
I am fortunate that I have a desk at work that is next to a large window. It gives me a space on the job to enjoy a little bit of my hobby. The only probem with the space is that when the trees leaf out in about six weeks, there is not enough light for the plant’s needs. I may try to bring them home for the summer, but that is a lot of work, and I will probably just leave them where they are. They are very happy right now. Here is a photo from this morning:
Here is the entire plant:
Here are a couple of new photos of Hoya campanulata. I have come to really like this plant. When grown hot and humid, it is an extremely easy Hoya. It blooms on average once every three weeks or so. It is another Hoya that I grow in a conventional mix, and the plant does not seem to mind being kept almost wet. Maybe it is because it is so darned hot in that room, that it tolerates the wet soil – I have never tried to grow it in the main house, but I suspect that it would go into decline quickly.
