Hello Linda,

Yes, the Hoya Compacta "hindu rope" does bloom although,
I have had my Hoya Compacta for 3years and it has never bloomed for me or grown very much for that matter! I am def. not pleased with it and it seems to me that it is a very hard hoya to please. If I were you I would go with a h. carnosa or a h. obovata to start with. That is just my opinion.

You can order hoya's from many differant companies on line or just wait to find one at a local nursery or a home depot. That is when the weather clears up in your area cause, yes it would be hard to find .

Sahara

Hi Sahara...Thanks so much for your reply. I had an absolutely wonderful day...went to Lowe's and found a hoya carnosa, a hoya kentiana and another one whose tag was missing but I bought it anyway. I feel like I found a "gold mine" today. The hoya carnosa even had a bloom on it. Smelled heavenly!

Guess I should take a pic of the hoya with no name and see if somebody could help me identify it as well as do a search. The only thing I can describe is that it has thick green leaves...not much help!

Linda

Linda... Not a problem. I love to go hoya hunting it is so much fun. Wow. That is alway's better to find blooms. I have had my carnosa for a few years and not one bloom. I'm sure that it will bloom soon though. I hope. As well as all my other hoyas. Non the less I like them just as much.

I would love to help you figure out what type of hoya you have but there are many with thick green leaves. If you post a picture maybe I may be of more use. Also I have posted a link below that you might find usefull.

Sahara

Here is a link that might be useful: my hoyas

Hi Sahara....Gosh....talk about having a "gut feeling"!! We have a local Home Depot and figured I'd just "look" there to see if they had any hoyas and by golly they did!! Talk about embarrassing moments....here I am all by myself finding a hoya and I was so excited I didn't have anyone to talk to!! I was beginning to feel like a "new" mother. I was so sure I would NEVER find a hoya in my area! Well...they had two...one without a tag that looked like it should have been composted weeks ago and another one that was just absolutely breathtaking! I could just see the two of us on a "hoya shopping spree!!" You know that little baby made her way into my shopping cart....it was a hoya rubra! They had this hoya hanging with other pothos so at first I thought that was what it was.

I have absolutely NO idea how to post a pic here but maybe if I took a pic would you mind if I sent it thru e-mail? I'm sure it requires the same growing requirements as the others but I just like to know for sure. The one that I saw in Home Depot that I didn't get because it looked dead had really really small leaves..smaller than all the hoyas I've seen.

I just cannot believe how lucky I feel right now...hmmmm...maybe I should play lotto???

The bloom on the carnosa smelled like gardenia or jasmine..can't decide...but all I know is it will probably be the only bloom I smell on a hoya for the next few years as I know it does take a while for these babies to bloom.

Just out of curiosity....when should I start fertilizing these? The tag says to fertilize with a 20-20-20 but didn't say when to start..I figured Spring time??? Old Man Winter is visiting us again today so I'm beginning to wonder if Spring will arrive sometime in August???

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner but I'm not being notified of responses to this post. I checked the box for this to be done but nothing. Will just have to remember to check back more often.

So tell me...what types of hoyas do you have and how long have you had them? What other types of plants do you have?

Linda

Wow~ you are really lucky. I def. need to go hoya hunting with you so we could both be exited at the same time! Maybe you would be good at the lotto! That is amazing. I found a rubra about a month ago in a 7' pot full. I was really amazed but, it has not bloomed for me yet. I also have a few other hoyas that I just got as 1 and 2' pots from a real good friend! I have a h.ruthie, h. optimistic, h.cummingiana, h. pubicalyx, h. austrailis, h. tanna islands, h. kerrii X2, a three year old carnosa not sure if it is krinkle 8 or what, a three year old compacta, and two other noids. Not couting the ones that are coming in march. I am getting a lg H. callistophylla, H. heuschkeliana, H. sariae, also a lg pottsii. I also ordered some cuttings from austrailia and I am getting 7 different kinds. I am so exited for spring to get here! I don't really grow much of any other plant. I have 1 christmas cactus, 1 bamboo, and some sort or cycad not sure what kind. I am a hoya girl though. You are more than welcome to e-mail me. I would love to see some photos and keep in touch so maybe one day we could go hoya hunting were do you live?

What other plants do you have?

Oh yeah fertilizer. I actually just requested a sample of elenors. I have been misting them with that everyday and watering with that as well. I don't stop fertilizing but, you don't have to do it that way. I have also been advised to use bloom buster in the spring. So I am going to try that this year. I also have tried african violet food witch worked fine but, I now have been using elenors and I am not going to switch back. Also there is another web site that sells fertilizer and it is supposed to be really good. I have posted there link and you can check on that. I have only heard good things so...

I hope to hear from you soon.
sahara

Hi Sahara....I sure wish I would be notified by e-mail when I get a response! I checked the box but nothing.

You forgot to put the link to the other place that has a good fertilizer! I do the exact same thing...but I mean well!! I just got my Eleanor's so I'm waiting to see. I have a pretty sick looking Zebra that needs a lot of help! I misted my plants with Eleanor's but I wasn't sure whether to mist the hoyas or not as they are succulents...is it okay? Instead of misting them I threw a little on the soil of the hoyas.

My goodness...you must live in a mansion to have all those hoyas!! I have a south window (yep...only one window) that gets pretty good sun but I have to fight for "window rights" with my cat. As SOON as she hears me come into the room...she runs for her place in the window! I bought myself one of those clothes rack from Wally World to hang my four hoyas on so they get bright light but I'm pretty sure if I don't stay locked up in this house 24/7, I'm going to need more room soon! How many years have you been collecting hoyas? On the hoya rubra that I just bought, there are two shoots that look like they have buds on it...isn't it too soon? I thought it took "years" for hoyas to bloom.

Oops..almost forgot to tell you...before we plan on this "hoya spree"...I live upstate New York. Nowheres near where they are getting all the snow but we sure do have plenty here in our area. I don't think this town is even on a map it is so small!! We have two traffic lites and they are one block apart! I see that you are in zone 7...where's that?

I'd be curious to know if you sprayed your hoya leaves with Eleanor's. I'm using the stuff on everything I own! If you think of it...I'd like to check out the other fertilizer that is also highly recommended.

Linda

Hey Linda... Yeah it doesn't notify me either I wish that it would to.

Oh yeah the fertilizer... Well I actually put the link in but, it won't let me post it. I think that that site is blocked from here. I might have an idea as to why but, that would be for us to discuss maybe on a seperate email address. I would be more than happy to discuss it though and def. give you the link to some great fertilizer. If not Elenors is fantastic! I love it. I have been using it for a week now and all of my plants are so perky and growing very well. I do mist mine everyday. Actually more than once a day! If you think about it they come from areas were there is tons of humidity, and that is were they thrive! So I use a humidifier and mist. I also have a small 4 shelf greenhouse and, I put my babies in there and fill a bowl with boiling water in the very bottom, close the plastic and it humidifies them with very warm air for about 30 minutes or so. They seem to like that very much.

Actually...If I had a mansion, oh gosh don't even get me started! No I don't think I would ever like to live in a mansion. To much space, not enough hoyas. I guess that could change though! I live in a 3 bed 2 bath apartment. I have a total of 5 windows. I only use 2 windows and, all of my hoyas are in one room at the moment. I like the jungle feel that it has! I actually haven't been collecting long I had only 2 hoyas in December. January I went to my friends house and she had rooted a whole bunch of cuttings for me. I just kept adding on with the few that I have found and I have orders placed at the moment. So I have only been a "Collecter" for a couple of months. I am hooked! Hoyas can bloom as cuttings so it is def. not to early. I hope it does bloom for you that is so exiting!

Oh yeah, the hoya spree will have to be done quite a ways from now. I have never been to New York and I don't travel much. Not that I don't like to travel but I think funds is what keeps me away from doing it. I actually am a long ways away from you. As I am in a small town in Arizona. About 2 hours north of Phoenix.

What other plants do you have? Maybe we should exchange e-mail adresses?

Sahara

You know, I acquired a Hoya at Lowe's that was incorrectly labeled (quite common for them)....you might want to post pics to confirm IDs.

Mine was labeled Hoya carnosa and it was actually H. lacunosa (and in bloom).

Webkat5....Sounds like I've got a lacunosa...it had a white bloom on it which smells like jasmine. I can't believe how long the bloom has lasted. I need to find out how to post a pic here so I can post a pic of the one I bought that had no tag. I went to EA web site and they had all their hoyas listed but I didn't see the one I bought without a name tag. The people in the store assured me that it was a hoya tho...gosh..I wonder if they have a bridge real cheap they want to sell!! *L*

Linda

You could try Photobucket.com A free, easy site to upload pics to, then post here. We'll try to help from there : )

Jen

Here are the pics of mine that was incorrectly labeled.....
Does it look like this?

Hey Linda,

Did you get my email? Those pictures are beautiful!

Sahara

Webkat5....Oh my gosh...the flower is identical..BUT the leaves are much MUCH smaller. The leaves on your plant look like the hoya I bought that was marked Kentiana. Do you think that it is just the picture making the leaves look bigger?? Your plants are gorgeous!

Sahara....No...didn't get any e-mail yet. Was just getting ready to send you an e-mail. By the way...I stole your idea of putting a bowl of hot water in my 4 shelf greenhouse. I even bought some lites at Wally World and hooked them up to the shelves.

tjsangel...I need to get up off this computer chair and go take the pics. Gosh...I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the plant that I bought..if I take a pic of it maybe somebody might be able to identify that one too.

Linda

Hey Linda,

That is so cool, there is a post on the h. lacunosa not to far back on this forum. You can read up on them and see some other pictures of the different types.

I sent you a email from this forum with my email address. That is really wierd that you didn't recieve it yet. Did you open your account here with your current email? Maybe that it the deal. That is awesome that you used my idea. I am a big fan of sharing. I hope that helps them. Although I would be carfull with the lacunosa cause they do not like warm weather very much. I might just stick with misting it. Just a thought maybe some one could give you a little more insite on them though as I don't have one. Just yet anyway! I would like to see pictures of your contraption, and your hoyas.

I hope all is well,
sahara

Linda, the center pic is of one leaf across my two fingers (most are smaller than that)....the third pic does make the leaves look much larger than they actually are (an illusion).

Webkat5....Thanks so much for taking the time to post the pic. That is definitely the plant I got. I went to Exotic Angel's web site to see if I could figure out what kind I bought that didn't have a name tag. I took pics of it as well as the others that I just bought but can't find any instructions on how to post pics on this web site. Just out of curiosity...have you been collecting hoyas long?

Sahara...Finally got your e-mail today! Must have been attached to a slow moving "snail mail"! I cannot tell you the huge difference in my plants by putting a bowl of steaming hot water in my GH for humidity. I left the plants in there all nite. Isn't it a little risky to do this on a daily basis to hoyas? My zebra plant now looks like something out of a magazine! I'm trying my alocasia polly tonite to see if the humidity will help that! Did you get the e-mail I sent you?

Linda

Hey Linda,

Nice don't you love snail mail? I am glad that your plants are liking the humidity. I use a fan at the bottom to keep the air moving. They like that aswell. I also do it only once a day for about 30minutes to a few hours. I certainly don't think that you should do it all night but, maybe someone else could give a little more insite. As I am still a bit new to this kind of care. I did get the email that you sent to me and I mailed back already. I hope that you got my reply. Oh I would love to see a picture of your zebra plant sounds gorgeous!

Sahara

Webkat does your lacunosa have spots on the leaves? Supposedly some lacunosas do but I have never seen one. Your third pic looks like spotted leaves...

No spots, Fred, those might be either tiny little scars or bird poo....there were some loose birds in the store.

Lboyce, don't trust the EA site...their plants are even mislabeled there...lol!

I have some of their Calatheas and they were not labeled nor depicted properly.

I only have a few Hoyas, actually...the H. lacunosa was ID'd here (as I mentioned above) and I just brought home a H. serpens...hope I can keep that one alive! It is very cute...was sold in the cacti/succulents section of a local nursery.

Then I have Hoya carnosa rubra 'Krimson Princess' and Hoya carnosa 'Krimson Queen' (both from another local nursery)...they were "starters" so are still very small. I think I will have to "downsize" their pots....

Hey Fred,

I'm at the office (plants are at home), but I believe my Lacunosa has the spots, I call them flecks or speckles, much like those of Pubicalyx & Motoskei, but fewer in number. I'll check at home tonite & post back abt this.

I just found a source for Eleanors VF-11 locally, the original quotes were for gallons, by the time I got back to it, they're only quarts. Approx $7 per qt.; 6 qts. per order (my local Ace hardware), in order to order it, he wants me to buy half the bunch, so I'll be getting 3 qts. for approx $21, no shipping. Hope to place order Fri & get it in a week.

Maybe VF-11 can finally kick my old sluggish Carnosa in gear, here's hoping!! I've got a small sprig of Kentiana/Shepardii working on a tiny spur for months now, am hoping VF-11 will make that develop too!

Hiya Fred,

I checked my Lacunosa & it IS speckled, but not like Pubicalyx (all 3 varieties of mine have oblong, elliptical speckles). The speckles on my Lacunosa are small, round ones more like those on my Obovata & Motoskei, for what it' worth.

Hi PG,
I've heard mention of the speckled form of lacunosa but I've never seen one. Mine (I have two now) are the big box store variety with thin solid green leaves and a hanging rather than a climbing growth habit. The place in Hawaii ( I suppose its still taboo to mention the name on GW )that sells alot of Hoyas had pictures of the speckled lacunosa at one time.