Hoya imperialis does not grow nearly as well for me any longer and I have no real idea as to why. I have difficulty getting those really dark green leaves that I used to have without thinking about it. I suspect it is the lighting that I have moved to does not suit it like the old T-5 fluorescents. Anyhow I did just get this one to flower at a little over one year of age.

This is supposed to be a new clone of Hoya alagensis that is covered in peduncles, but never seem to bud up. I look at this plant every day looking for signs that it might bud up, but am always disappointed. This morning I had to move a few plants and when I stepped back I saw these massive buds almost ready to open. I could not believe it as I had this plant out 2 weeks ago to flush the soil and never saw them. Totally weird and totally cool, they are a gift from the plant gods I guess!

The flowers only last a day, but what they lack in longevity, they make up for in shear quantity of floral displays.

I came really close to losing this one, but it is back in the fold, growing well and just flowered this morning.

I left my tent for a second this morning and when I went back inside to grab something, I had a cat sunning himself under the grow light!

These types of thin-leaved Hoyas with campanulate flowers used to be easy for me to grow, but now it seems to be a real struggle. H. danumensis managed to put out these weak blooms this morning so I took a photo.

Hoya Rachel is a sweet little Hoya that make a fine companion for Hoya Rebecca, or just to grow on its own. It is an easy grower that would work well in any houseplant collection!

I received the following information from Antone Jones back in 2019 on the creation of Hoya Rebecca and Hoya Rachel:

This cross happened at my old nursery, Spring Valley Tropicals back in 2007 or 2008 (I can verify once I get home). The actual cross is Hoya lacunosa Langkawi Island (a smaller variety) x obscura. This one I did not do by hand (unlike Patricia and Naughty Noel) but I did witness and photo capture the moth/butterfly who pollinated it in action. The pod formed on the umbel not long after. Rebecca has a sister cultivar named, Rachel. They are from the same pod but the seedlings looked different to me and so I gave them each a separate name and tossed the rest of the seedlings away.

Antone Jones

This is kind of a cool feature of WordPress that I just discovered. Below is a slider that you can move back and forth; Hoya Rachel is on the left and Hoya Rebecca is on the Right. Move the slider to compare the two cultivars.

This plant has stayed in its original tiny clear pot and budded up and flowered in February of this year (2022). It is watered about twice a week because of the small pot size and free draining media. I plan to up-pot this plant soon.

Hoya Rachel was kindly given to me in a trade by an collector named Naomi from right here in Vermont. I rooted it in a clear 3 oz cup using coconut husk in June of 2021. It rooted quickly and immediately started putting on growth.