Helping to keep this forum active -Lacunosa question

17 years ago

Hi all,

So I bought a bunch of lacunosa rooted cuttings from someone on ebay several months ago, and they seemed very weak and "flimsy". So she sent me another batch. I had these all potted together, and lots of leaves came off with time.

I'm not a big fan of this hoya anyway...I like hoyas with big/thick foliage (my faves are Carnosa, Pubicalyx, Limoniaca, Obovata, Kerrii, Anulata, Calycina). But I've heard Lacunosa blooms are very fragrant. So that's why I was interested in it. And it seems that no hoya collector is without a Lacunosa!

Anyway, I thought maybe it was the person I bought from, so I bought a nice size, well established plant from Cowboyflowerman on ebay. Now he sends great rooted cuttings with each plant, and a lot of them too. And I've always loved the quality of his hoyas. But these were the same as the others I got! So now I KNOW it must be the plant, not the seller. I just got the plant last week, and leaves have already fallen off, and they just seem dry and paper thin. Some leaves are yellowing too. Is this just the foliage of Lacunosa? Maybe the foliage is too weak and thin to be shipped? I can't see it being something that I'm doing, because I treat this hoya like my others, and all mine are doing great. Any comments, tips, suggestions?

Thanks,

Gabi

Featured Answer

laura1

17 years ago

Thanks for the input you guys.
Gabi-I'm with you! I'll have pictures up on this forum in a heartbeat when I finally get a bloom. And I want to see your pictures, more is better.
Laura

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Comments (61)

gabro14
Original Author
17 years ago
Sorry you lost your plant. I'm seriously days away from tossing mine. Every day it gets more and more flimsy, and more leaves drop off. I really want one of the thick shiny ones. I'm gonna wait for one of those...hopefully I'll find it in the Spring. The only thing is, I don't want to have to wait for blooms! The main reason I want this plant is for the blooms...so I'll try to find one with blooms. By the way, even though the leaves on my lacunosa are so dry and flimsy, I keep it much more moist than my other hoyas, and have it sitting on a pebble tray. Not sure what else I can do. Anyway, good luck with your new lacunosa, I'm sure it'll be fine :-)
User
17 years ago
Pls. don't throw it out Gabi, but don't check it every day either (depressing, I know). Gotta give it time, consider adding a wick to make sure it drains fully (trick I learned from Tapla Al who specializes in Ficus), or take it off the pebble tray once a wk).

I hear you're eager for blooms, pls. know many of us have waited for years. Hoyas are not known for quick flowering (just so you know).

If you've got Lacunosa on a pebble tray & are keeping it quite moist, it MAY be too much water.

I haven't seen a thick-leafed variety to buy, personally.
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gabro14
Original Author
17 years ago
Believe me, I know hoyas are not known for quick flowering!
I just want one with blooms because I'm not crazy about the foliage...it's a hoya I just want because of the scent of the blooms.

I actually just started it on a pebble tray, and I've been keeping it more moist since the start of this thread. The only difference in how I'm watering this hoya is that I don't wait until it's COMPLETELY dry, like my other ones. I'm basically following what you said to do: "I don't let this one dry out completely & mine is always on a pebble tray (as are ALL my Hoyas)" :-)

I know I shouldn't look at it so much...it is quite depressing. I check on it every day just to check the pebble tray. It's in my office at work so it goes the whole weekend without me looking at it and without water on the tray...so it gets its "break" then.

I don't know, it's just such a pain this plant! I'll hold onto it until it's beyond salvaging, but either way i really don't like these leaves. I want that thick-leafed variety that Leon has in his second pic. I'm sure I'll find it in the Spring. Someone is actually selling a BIG lacunosa on ebay that's currently in bloom. It's not too expensive either...25 dollars plus 18 for shipping. It's in an 8" pot. I considered getting that one but I think it's a little too big for me. I'll attach the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lacunosa on Ebay
User
17 years ago
While it may be lovely, I think it's too cold to ship plants into NYC right now, especially since Lacunosa seems on the tender side. I except this would freeze in transit (or a day or 2 in the process). My two cents.
gabro14
Original Author
17 years ago
You know what PG, you're absolutely right. I actually asked the seller if she ships with a heat pack, and she said no. I guess that means she doesn't care how her plant arrives! Anyway, you're right...it would probably not make it here in the shape it's in now. Even though I already decided not to get it because of the MASSIVE size, thanks for saving me the 45 bucks (who knows, in a state of weakness I might've bought the thing).
:-)
User
17 years ago
Gabi,

Sorry for the typo for "I except", when I mean to say "I expect", was rushed at work.

Anyway, glad you got the idea (even tho' you'd decided against it).

I do very little mail order, but swap w/ numerous GW folks; traditionally we just don't swap in winter, esp. w/ 2 of my GW friends (in Omaha & Minnesota). FLA mail order nurseries tend not to ship to this part of the country during winter, seems to be the accepted norm. I read it as not that they don't care how the plants arrive, but exactly because they do.
Denise
17 years ago
Gabi,

Don't waste $45 on a lacunosa, and most especially if it doesn't particularly thrill you! They're so common, and EA plants are cheap and usually blooming size. Just check your local HD, Walmarts, Lowes and I'll bet you'll find one in the not-too-distant future. I don't feel quite as bad if I lose a $12 plant, which makes me a little more relaxed about taking care of it... I've bought a few small Hoyas (rooted cuttings) off of eBay and haven't had a whole lot of success with them. Seems like the ones that make it struggle and take forever to start growing for me. I have more success with unrooted cuttings - the down side, of course, it that you (usually) have to wait longer for blooms. But it certainly makes you proud when you finally get them!

Denise in Omaha
gabro14
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks Denise. That was my plan. I'm gonna wait till I find the "less flimsy" type at a local garden store or big box store. I know they are very common, I'm just hoping I find one that has blooms...or at least peduncles. I'm patient with my hoyas in terms of blooming. This is just an exception for reasons stated above. But I'd be pretty happy if I find the thicker leaved one. Thanks everyone for your input. Hopefully I'll be able to post pics of a blooming Lacunosa in the near future (or a blooming anything, as none of my hoyas have bloomed yet).
Gabi
fred_grow
17 years ago
I had my lacunosa, which is the EA big box store type, in a very cool sunny area with Krimson Queen, tsangii- DS/70, and kentiana. On nights when it is very cold and windy outside this growing area will dip into the upper 40s. I let the thick leafed types get quite dry between waterings and they appear happy. Lacunosa was not. It began yellowing and dropping leaves like you describe, Gabi. I moved it into a sunny but much warmer growing area where the temp stays in the 60s for a low. I have been watering it more, never letting it dry as it does get a lot of sun. And of course it has recently been introduced to Eleanor. I think now the problem is the furnace vent blows on it, as it appears all in all much happier but still not truely content. My pot is an 8 inch EA basket with lots of relatively newly rooted cuttings, no really long vines. I have recently seen the larger ones in great shape at local Lowes, HD, etc., but have decided to try to bring mine around before buying another. I have decided I will not get overly concerned about the loss of an occassional leaf in the dead of winter, hopefully in another month or so our plants will start responding to the longer days...
gabro14
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for the bit of optimism Fred. Mine is in a coldish area, but lots of sun. I try to keep the heat up in the office to counteract the cold window it's close to. The thing is, I have just a bunch of rooted cuttings in a 4 inch pot. So as much as I'd love it to pull through, I don't have as many leaves to spare! I haven't found any at my local Lowe's or HD, but I've decided to stay away until springtime. I actually have to go to my local garden center to get something, so I'll take a peak there. If they don't have one, then maybe it's fate's way of telling me to stick with this little guy I have. I keep trying to remember to bring my camera to work so I can post a pic...one of these days. Anyway, good luck with yours, I'm sure it'll do fine with Eleanor's stuff and with it's new location.
Gabi
langlin2000
17 years ago
OK Gabi, now that you got me looking at my lacunosa which have never bloomed and I noticed this:

Then I looked closer and peeking out between a couple leafs was THIS:

This is an EA hoya and I couldn't be more pleased. I should be able to talk about the great lacunosa aroma very soon.

-Leon
gabro14
Original Author
17 years ago
Wow Leon! Congrats! That looks like it's coming from your second pic up top (the more "robust" one). That gives me hope. I've never even had a peduncle on a hoya (well, it looks like my Calycina MAY have one, but I'm still not sure). Anyway, please please tell me all about the scent when they bloom (I'll try to hide my envy). Maybe someone can figure out a way to put a "scratch and sniff" on computers.
langlin2000
17 years ago
It's open tonight, smell is just wonderful, like a thousand honeysuckles.....

Hard to photograph at night maybe a better picture in the morning light?

-Leon
laura1
17 years ago
Leon, you luck dog!
I have a bunch of noid hoyas that have not bloomed yet, I've had them a year or less. Most were taken from cuttings. I have this one that is quite limp, it always looks in need of water. However, it is a health green and growing like crazy. Looking at the pictures posted, hoping to find one that looks like mine, none are as limp looking.
Does this look like a Lacunose?

Laura
langlin2000
17 years ago
Hi Laura, I am certainly not an expert in identifying hoya, I can only compare to the meager 40+ kinds that I have and there are hundreds that I have not even seen. I would say that your picture is not lacunosa and there are many that hang like your plant which by the way looks very heathy to me.The leaves look similiar to kentiana, or shepardii, or longifolia but they seem wider and shorter than my plants of those names. It is very hard to ID a plant from pictures or in my case even from looking at the live plant, good luck on finding the name but enjoy that healthy plant, when it blooms it may be easier to ID.

-Leon
langlin2000
17 years ago
Here's a daytime picture, hope I'm not posting too many pictures but I never had a lacunosa bloom before :D

-Leon
gabro14
Original Author
17 years ago
Leon,
There is no such thing as too many pictures. I think we all can agree that we love seeing pics, right? Those are the cutest blooms...so fuzzy and small. I'm really happy for you. I can't wait till the day I get some blooms on one of my hoyas. You can be sure I'll be blasting this forum with pics! So is the scent really worth it? Would you say it's the best scented hoya you have or is it nothing to write home about? Just curious...
Gabi
mfyss
17 years ago
Laura's photo will bring out several opinions, but H. kentiana is going to garner the most support (maybe). It also gets tied up with H. wayetti, but doesn't fit in with my notions of H. shepherdii or H. longifolia; Leon may be the one with the right answers, though. I have similar problems with H. tsangii and H. DS70. Yale
langlin2000
17 years ago
Gabi, you are right it is the second of my pictures at the beginning of this thread and it is an EA hoya from Home Depot that was labled "Hoya mini waxleaf". The scent is the most powerful of any of my hoya so far and I like it.

-Leon
fred_grow
17 years ago
Laura's Hoya looks like EA kentiana to me.
User
17 years ago
Pls. don't forget there IS the Picture Gallery, which hasn't got much use lately.

Lookin' fabulous Leon, I hope my Lacunosa is paying attention. As it's abt 10 degrees in NYC tonite, seems certain I'll be waiting 'til Spring at least. Bloom on you lucky guy!

Sidenote: Can I ask pls. how you place your name in the photo? I'll be needing to learn that before I can post any pix.
laura1
17 years ago
I can tell you how I can insert text. I use the program Camedia. Select the "image" file and then "insert text". Pick a text style size and color and type in your message and click...(your picture should be up on the screen). Your text should appear in the picture and you can move it around to the location you'd like. I'm no computer geek, I'm pretty lame, so excuse the lingo-less explaination. I would assume other programs have something similar. I use photobucket to load my pictures on the internet and I don't know what you can do on that website. I make any changes (other than size) on Camedia.
langlin2000
17 years ago
Hi Karen, most computers come loaded with some sort of picture handling software as do most digital cameras today, in fact I think the one Laural mentions, Camedia, comes free with Olympus cameras. I use Photoshop which is probably too expensive unless you also have a photographic hobby or profession but there are many others that sell for under $100 that work well. There are also freeware photo programs available to download but first you should search your computer to see if you don't already have a photo processing program such as Microsoft Picture It! or the lesser version of Adobe Photo. With any of these programs it is very easy to sign and date your photos.

-Leon
User
17 years ago
Thanks, I'll have to check into it.
fred_grow
17 years ago
My lacunosa is going to bloom! I somehow didn't find the peduncles until last night, either because they are so small or maybe they just formed? Anyway I've spotted three or four of them. Hope I don't have to wait too long for my first Hoya blooms.
langlin2000
17 years ago
That's great Fred, we await the pictures, your really going to enjoy the smell.

-Leon
gabro14
Original Author
17 years ago
Although I am extremely jealous of you and Leon, congrats on your upcoming blooms Fred!
Gabi
Denise
17 years ago
Laura,

Can you measure the leaves on your Hoya - give us the largest and smallest (mature) sizes? To me, it doesn't look like kentiana, especially since you describe it as "limp" growing. My kentiana's vines aren't exactly wirey, but they aren't at all limp. It seems we're only seeing the back of the leaves - do the tops of the leaves have a dark rim? Of course, this isn't as obvious if you're not growing kentiana in good light. New leaves on kentiana in good light are bronzish, and the dark rim remains after the leaf matures and turns green. I agree with Yale that it doesn't resemble shepherdii, but I don't grow longifolia yet, so can't comment about that.

I'm wondering if it could be a hybrid...

Denise in Omaha
langlin2000
17 years ago
Denise, I agree Lauras plant doesn't look like any I have and I have three of this "type". (actually the leaves on my plants are more different than the pictures show, they really don't look alike at all which is why you can't use photos for ID's)

Click to enlarge

longifolia

sheperdii

kentiana

However, here is a link to a photo of "longifolia" that looks very different from mine, the leaves seem to be wider and shorter.

-Leon

Here is a link that might be useful: Another longifolia
fred_grow
17 years ago
I won't be able to post until I break down and buy a camera, but I would really like some information. I have the peduncles on my lacunosa and 2 on my compacta. The compacta had them when I bought it a couple months ago but I'm curious. Could the peduncles on my lacunosa have just formed? If so I didn't overlook them. Just because I have peduncles is that pretty much a guarantee of blooms? How long? Does a Hoya produce blooms from the peduncles forever or just for a period of time? 6 months ago I barely knew what a Hoya was and considered them boring. Now I'm not sure what to expect. Only I am convinced they are anything but boring.
langlin2000
17 years ago
Ah Fred, so many questions, so little time.... ;)

Here are my stabs at the answers:
I have one lacunosa that has had a peduncle on it for a year, it makes little buds that dry up after growing a little and it has done this ten times. It now seems to be really going to bloom after an other lacunosa bloomed. On the other lacunosa I didn't see the peduncle until the day it opened blooms and it has two others now. I would guess it takes several weeks and maybe a couple months to develope.

Some hoya like carnosa bloom over and over (I don't know about "forever" that's a long time) on the same peduncle while other hoya like multiflora most times only bloom once but sometime will set blooms again.

I really expect that if it is the first time for the plant to bloom, you should not be surprised if the peduncle dries up or "blasts" off the plant without flowers and after the plant matures, the peduncles will be successful.

Be sure to leave the peduncles on the plant, they will probably develope at some time in the future.

-Leon
fred_grow
17 years ago
Thanks Leon!
langlin2000
17 years ago
You're welcome Fred, now go get a digital camera, it is not allowed that you keep all your hoya blooms to yourself, you have to share them with us.

-Leon
langlin2000
17 years ago
Fred, Here are two pictures taken 10 days apart showing a lacunosa developing buds.

TODAY

10 DAYS AGO

-Leon
fred_grow
17 years ago
Thanks Leon. Mine are just a little (maybe 1/2 inch tops) crook branching off the main stem. I bet they are newly developed. Oh well, at least the lacunosa is trying. Yes I hope to get a decent camera this summer so I can share my pretties with yall.
laura1
17 years ago
This picture of my NOID might be a little better...more light with ruler. I see the new growth is not quite as limp AND it seems happy in Florida! I took it outside for the picture it is usually on the screened porch with no direct sun. Denise...Leon...?
langlin2000
17 years ago
Well with that new picture and the size reference I now say it looks like my H. davidcummingii. As I said before I only know the ones I have seen and there are more I haven't seen the I have seen. Anyway here's a photo of my davidcummingii.

and it does look like it.

-Leon
Denise
17 years ago
I don't grow davidcummingii, but I have to say the two pics look quite similar. I think you've got a winner!

Denise in Omaha
laura1
17 years ago
Well, I guess that we won't know for sure until it blooms. Leon, I want to try your trellis trick. I read about it a while back. I can't hang everything and the trellis would give me another option.
langlin2000
17 years ago
I was at Walmart yesterday and see they have restocked the garden department and they have the "fences" I use for trellis back in white and bronze for $2.50 again this year.
Amanda (asarumgreenpanda, z6MA)
17 years ago
Oh, this is very inspiring; thanks for all the photos. (More, please?)

I just rescued a big pot of the succulent, climbing EA lacunosa from HD. I'm trying not to spend /too/ much time staring at it, willing peduncles to appear.

Amanda
gene87
17 years ago
I try to read and understand all threads. In fact 3 Hoyas species can be founded :
Hoya lacunosa
Hoya lacunosa "borneo"
Hoya lacunosa "tove"
leaves are quite similar but blooms are different.I am sorry, my pics are loaded on photobucket, but I cann't show you them because I have some "technical" problems.
Sorry Leon you do your best to help me.
Gene from France
langlin2000
17 years ago
move : edit : share : delete

lacunoas3.jpg

URL Link
HTML Tag
IMG Code

Gene , you will see something like this on PhotoBucket with each of your pictures and you can copy this "code" directly to GW posting any of the three and they will link to your photobucket pictures. The "HTML tag" is the best one to use.

Another way is to click in that little box and then look at the bottom of the page for a button labeled

"Generate HTML and IMG code", clicking this button will generate several codes that can be copied directly into your GW post and create links to your pictures.

Please try it

-Leon
gene87
17 years ago

Here is My Hoya lacunosa "tove" I hope you all see my pic thanks to leon.
Gene
langlin2000
17 years ago
Gene, yes we see your picture fine, congratulations on mastering the skill and now we will look forward to seing all your photos. Is that your lacunosa "tove"?
gene87
17 years ago
Yes it is , below Hoya lacunosa and Hoya lacunosa "tove"

You'll see leaves are different. Lacunosa "tove" has buds and when blomms will be openend, I wil put pics.
GeneviÃ¨ve
fred_grow
17 years ago
My lacunosa peduncles are gone! Guess they blasted. :-(
It looks like one coming on my kentiana now!
langlin2000
17 years ago
Fred, my hoya lacunosa that has tried to bloom for a year unsuccessfully has finally opened flowers so I'm sure yours will make it soon.
here is a link to our gallery.
-Leon

Here is a link that might be useful: It is the third post on this thread
nany17france
17 years ago
To Laura1 : perhaps salweenica ?