sheperdii is doing really well for me and so is serpens

details, cyclonenat, details! I want the whole dingdang story, leave nothing out. Talk in paragraphs (Hubbie accuses me of that). Brag, brag, brag 'til the cows come home.

Kelly V

I bought them as biggish plants with loads of peduncles was worried that they were going to die because the temperature change etc but they didnt, serpens is starting to rebloom and sheperdii is still going strong, (its summer here).

Hoya Shepherdii is the hoya for me.

Once mine was a lush bloomer. Then I put it outside because DH complained of the smell. I then neglected it for months. The hoya dried up a little, had cobwebs, etc. I then took it apart, salvaged the good green parts and re-potted it and put it in my north facing dining room window. It's growing like crazy now, putting all these extra long, beautiful skinny leaves that only a H. Shepherdii can do

For sure my tricolour carnosa. I purchased it as a little 2 inch starter with no more than eight leaves. Two years later it bloomed for the first time. I've been told that's quite remarkable. IDK... Only one peduncle at first, then two. The following year it put on another 3 peduncles, I knocked one off, and I was practically suicidal over it. This past year, was it's third year blooming at almost 5 y/o & it put out a vine that had a peduncle at every node, for like 3 or 4 nodes in a row! My lovely starts her blooming season in March, and runs thru to early November. It will form buds, bloom, then I will notice a week after the flowers have dried and fallen off, the peduncle will start budding up again! This year was quite a show. It started slowly with one peduncle budded up, and one by one they all sprang to life. I had buds and blooms of all stages on one plant. It was something! I'm anticipating this spring.

I've taken cuts, and given away pots. Funny, I got two more of the same, shortly after this one, and I never got them to bloom. I put both little ones together in a 4 inch basket, and didn't see much. These two had a very rough start, mindu. They were pretty much given to me by the florist, because when she went to give them to me, they were dropping leaves like mad. Poor babies got pushed away from the window, and didn't get watered for a very long time. So I just gave them both in the 4 inch basket to my sis-in-law this summer. I needed to make some space!

Love them so much, I bought one for my MIL for Mother's day, to replace her sad pothos that was disposed of. Perfect for her, I told her it was much easier to love than the old stringy pothos!

Other than that, I love my lacunosa from Pike Lake Greenhouses. It is budded up and blooming constantly. It's not much for a lot of new foliage growth, as it seems like it'd rather grow new peduncles instead. I only got it in mid summer, but since it's settled in, its always budding or blooming.

If we are talking about growth rate alone I would say Hoya buotii, hands down. I am still a bit surprised that I got my plant to bloom but I believe this one just needs more fertilizer than many other Hoyas and that it will not bloom with anything less.

Hoya imperalis is another with an incredible growth rate but with this one that means giving up some precious growing space, it's a massive plant.

Hoya heuschkeliana in both it's colour forms is another good grower and constant bloomer if given enough light. Both of my plants are almost always in bloom.

Mike

Best grower is sp. Tanna Island. It's worse than a weed, really it's out of control. Even took cuttings in late fall, silly things rooted and are now growing. So I'm going to have quite a few out of control plants around. Now if it would only bloom.

For the one that grows and blooms well, probably my serpens. Seems to take my hot hot summers, and cool winters just fine outside. I just water it when everything else gets watered.

Renee

I agree wholeheartedly with Mike...H. buotii is a rampant grower...reaching out to twine around hoyas 3-4 feet away. A few days ago I used nearly 12 dragon clips to hold all of the vines together...this is a chore that's needed every couple of months. The blooms are spectacular!. H. imperialis is a "weed", mine has outgrown the sunroom..and nary a bloom! Other great growers are H. fungii, H. curtisii and all of the lacunosa's. Fondly, Patrick

I have to say Lacunosa is my best grower! Lush green -shiny leaves.. growing like crazy....My Australis is another good grower! Curtsii all kinds of new growth and serpens!
Funny Shepherdii is on your best growers list,
If only I knew the secret to your Shepherdii's? That is one I seem to be having trouble with.... dont know if I am keeping it too wet... maybe it doesnt like my soil (a coir mixture with perlite and orchid bark)?

I've always had success with Shepherdii. They do like cool temps, which is why I keep mine outdoors in my backyard that faces north. The nights probably get down to the 40's and I noticed some buds growing.

The soil mix I use for all my hoyas is: 4 parts perlite, 3 parts fine orchid bark, 1 part vermiculite; 1/2 part peat moss, 1/2 part potting mix.

I have my Serpens in a large glass vase with a cover in a south facing window, hoping it will do something other than sit there. That is one tempermental hoya!

TammyPie