Tish,

I find lacunosa hard to bring back from the brink. Once the leaves become even a little dehydrated, they are (for me, anyway) goners. So I think you were wise. Just keep your fingers crossed that they get more. In fact, I would ask the plant manager to call you when they come in. I've heard this works at some of the box stores, though it hasn't worked fo me here (yet). Maybe I need to "bribe" them with a finder's fee!

Denise in Omaha

Interesting post, I had much the same happen yesterday, but w/ different results. I checked out my local box store; I was in a plant looking at mood & just wanted to look around. Well they had 4 large Hoyas, seemingly waiting for me. They'd seen better days but a Sno Cap Lacunosa (is that a real name?) & a Polyneura which I saw first hanging above me -- yikes, I bought it, I was so startled to come upon Polyneura like this. They were in tough shape, but each had healthy new growth too, so I bought 'em (not cheap, $21+ each w/ 15% off sale). I'm down to a last few springs of Lacunosa, so I got them & spent a nice time last evening cleaning them up, & take cuttings to try in water, mix & hydro.

BTWN the original Pots & cuttings in 3 techniques, I figure SOMETHING ought to work.

These are EA plants, but the mix seemed better than usual. Also, the plants were almost dry, that seemed a good start. There'd also been 2 KPs, but on inspection they had Mealy bugs so no go, had to leave those behind.

Last summer I bought 5 Hoyas (forgot from whom), most of which died, including a Speckled Lacunosa, so I'm feeling like this is here for me to try one more time!

I'm trying Gabi's idea of leaving them in their existing mix, but removing the drip dish & seeing how they do.

I also lucked out into a beautiful yellow Phal yesterday at a supermarket no less, whoopee.

Tish, hope you find a nice healthy Ruby Sue in your area soon. I haven't seen any new hoyas in my big box store for months, not that I need any more right now. My snow caps def. has plump thick leaves...so its probably good you didn't buy them.

PG, Congrats on your new hoyas and hope they root and do well for you. Enjoy!

It's a shame the way the plants are taken care of at the big box stores. If you don't get them within a couple days of their arrival then you can forget it. I'd ask the manager of the garden dept what days they get their plants in. The HD's in my area get new indoor plants in a couple times a month but I don't know if that's the case for all HD's. The local HD's only buy from Bell Nursey and anything they don't sell goes back to Bell so they never even mark down questionable looking plants. It's really no great loss because they so rarely have anything interesting anyway. I've seen other HD's with much nicer varieties of plants.

Congratulations PG...I've never seen a H. polyneura at any of the big box stores...you got a real blessing!! Plz. keep in mind that the polyneura prefers cooler temperatures. Mine was constantly having leaves turning yellow and dropping...I moved it into my garden room, where the temperatures are much cooler...I keep the room at 60 degrees....the plant has done superbly since then...it's grown at least 8 inches and zero yellow leaves. Enjoy, Karen!! Patrick

I think I'm glad I walked away. Hopefully I'll find the Ruby Sue fresh and new in the Spring. All of the Hoyas at this HD were on sale for $9.99...

I did go to the HD Saturday that I usually patronize to get my pots and looked at hoyas there. They had the common stuff and two huge Polyneuras, about 5 hoyas all together (better condition than the other HD, but not by much). I've seen Polyneuras there before. I have a small Polyneura and it is nice to have some smaller hoyas because they don't take up so much space. It was neat to see how they look all big and filled out though.

I'm just hoping all the HD get some new Ruby Sue's in the Spring and I don't have to go search them all. I only go to that town that I went Friday evening to go to Gymboree to get my grandson clothes. Other than that, I have no business there...

Tish

Tish, you will also have to keep an eye out for Royal Flush, you will probably like it as well. I actually prefer it to the Ruby Sue...IMHO.

Pug, I thought I saw somewhere on the web that 'Ruby Sue' and 'Royal Flush' were the same,that EA called 'Royal Flush'-'Ruby Sue'. I saw your 'Royal Flush' on the Leaf Expo thread. That's what I want. I'm so confused...

Tish

Hey Pug,

Pls. clarify, are these 2 you mention above (new) varieties of Lacunosa?

Also Patrick,

Thanks for the warning abt Polyneura & cooler temps. I hand't known that, maybe that's why my last one suffered yellowing leaves & then death. Hum, I don't really have any cool rooms to give it. Will have to think abt this - thanks again for the heads up!

Hi Tish and PG...Yes Ruby Sue and Royal Flush are varieties of Lacunosa...I believe they came out May and July of last year? I use to have both...but now I only have the Royal Flush...My Ruby Sue looked very similar to my reg. lacunosa so I decided to trade mine. Then a nice friend sent me some rooted cuttings of Royal Flush, which I much prefer.

Ruby Sue, to me looks very similar to my reg. lacunosa but gets some red vines and some of the new leaf growths are red(in very bright light)...on Royal flush it is more like Snow Caps(flecks) but as you saw on my picture it can have red sometimes almost purple leaves with flecks. To me much more interesting leaves.

I attached a link to an old article on Stemma Magazine that describes the two varieties...RS and RF. Scroll down to the article on page #4 "Talking with the experts by Antone Jones" Its an interview with the head grower of Exotic Angel... HTH

Here is a link that might be useful: Interview Article with Exotic Angel...Stemma Magazine

I'm buumping this up so Tish and PG can see the article on Stemma :o)

Thanks Pug. Unfortunately I cannot open pdf files for reasons unknown. I saw your Royal Flush and that is the one I want, so I'm just going to look for it. I would like it even better if Gardino's gets it this Spring so that I can start off smaller...

Tish

Hi Tish, I sent you the article on your private email...and it is NOT in PDF file form so you should be able to read it.
I hope Gardino's will carry for you also...like you I don't want to have a large 8"pot...takes up so much room. Good luck with your quest!

If you don't get the email...let me know.

tish,
Do you have Adobe Reader loaded on your computer? Adobe Reader is a free program and is necessary to read documents in pdf format.

I've linked the Adobe Reader download page below. This should fix the problem (hopefully, it's this easy of a fix!)
Mike

Here is a link that might be useful: Adobe Reader Download page

Hiya Pug,

Thanks so much, it was thoughtful & kind of you to bump this up so Tish & I could read the Stemma article about Ruby Sue & Royal Flush. I can't read pdf files at home either (I don't have current versions of Adobe Acrobat, Tish that mey be your problem as well).

But my office computers are current & much more secure than home; was able to read it no problem (& of course, the pix are SUPERB. I even recognize pix of Gabi's H. multiflora, from later in the issue). Fascinating to hear from Herman Engelman's nursery man about their planning to upgrade their mix. I like that they copped to having made up the name "Snow Caps". Wish they'd do the same for "Stripes" which is actually Curtisii.

Now, if only there'd been a way to ask why so many of their plants come mis-labeled. Guessing that wouldn't have been too gracious for a visitor to their greenhouse.

So these ARE 2 new variants of Lacunosa, like I didn't love it enough already!

But the one that really makes my heart flutter is the Lacunosa that has small dents in the leaves, almost like a miniature Krinkle 8. Is this the one they call Lacunosa 'Tove'? I find it from time to time, but don't have any currently.

Anyway, thanks again, VERY interesting reading!

You are most welcome PG...I'm glad you were able to read the whole article and see the (pictures). Yes, Gabi's multiflora is featured on their website, very cool! I'm afraid I don't have the Lacunosa 'tove' so I will let someone else answer that question.

I did get it Pug!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to send it to me, you are so very kind!!!

Thank you greenthumb Mike!!! I downloaded it and it went smoothly. Now I will be able to see a lot of emails that I wasn't able to in the past. Whoohoooooo!!!

Tish

Karen,

'Tove' (I think) is the one with the littlest leaves (can anyone confirm this?) Mine is the first lacunosa that EA offered...

But back to EA plants. Don't worry about keeping your polyneura cool enough. I found it didn't do particularly well in the GH in the summer, but it does fine in the sunroom, which we keep about the same as the rest of the house - 65 to 70+ degrees, depending on the time of year. I have several little potfulls of polyneura started in the GH right now (while it's not hot) for my C&S club sale this spring. They love it when it's not 95 degrees out there!

Well, I guess I'll have to check some of our box stores - see if they have anything new and interesting...

Denise in Omaha

You are so welcome Tish and I'm glad Mike was able to help you with PDF files...I always have to ask DH when it comes to computer problems, thank goodness he doesn't charge me,lol...

Denise...lovely plants as always. Its weird but the EA Lacunosa that I have(bought it as Snow Caps) only has about 20-30% speckled leaves...it was the only one left when I bought it. I have a bunch of vines that looks like yours Denise...very different than the snow caps vines/leaves. I'm guessing I got a pot full of 2-3 different cuttings of lacunosa in the same pot? Just a guess?? Wonder if 'tove'
is mixed in there.

Yes folks, that pic is my beloved Lacunosa Tove. I only learned of that name much later.

Hiya Denise, long time,

Yes, thanks for the pic, that's Tove. Yes, you're right, it's a different kind of dent, rather than dimple, but you understood my description. I just love that texture, one of these days I'll find one.

Thx for reassuring me abt the Polyneura, not to worry abt giving it cool temps (wich I haven't got). I think this may be the new EA mix in these pots; it's got a different kind of sponginess to it, but not the sort of dead weight the old mix had. When I brought them home & watered when they were mostly dry, they took up water faster & better than prior EA mix I've had. We shall see.

I watered & misted w/ VF-11, all the new growth looks really upright & perky!