Does Larua from Florida still hang out here?

9 years ago

In 2007, a kind soul named Laura posted about finding some Hoyas for sale at a botanical garden in Florida. I had commented about how great it would be to make this discovery and I'd be snatching up all that I didn't already have. She got hold of me and offered to get a few for me and send them to me, and I gratefully accepted her kind offer. She said they were not tagged, but I didn't have a lot of unusual ones at that time, and I was willing to take the chance of getting some duplicates to hopefully acquire a couple of new ones. Well, I don't even remember how many or what others showed up, but to my delight, one of them was a beautifully grown Hoya mitrata. At first, I had serious doubts that it was even a Hoya because it was so un-Hoya-like. But I did some research and found it was, indeed, a Hoya and I was thrilled. And it became one of my favorites with its opulent leaves. Well, I lost mine this late winter/early spring and I'm heartbroken. When I did a search for mitrata, it took me to Gardino's site, where it says "no longer available". I contacted Paula and she said they had lost theirs, too, and were on the lookout for it, and they would put me on a "waiting" list for it. I told her how I had come about mine, and her question was "do you know what botanical garden?" So, I'm posting to see if Laura is around and remembers where she got that lovely mitrata.

Denise in Omaha

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Comments (18)

Denise
Original Author
9 years ago
While I'm waiting to see if Laura responds... I thought I'd tell you guys that I found one on eBay that ricnfl was selling. It ended before I could bid, but apparently he didn't get a bid and relisted it. So I marked my calendar to bid when it got close to the end date (I didn't want to get into a bidding war with someone 'cuz when I want something bad enough, I can lose my mind!) Well, when I went back, it had ended again! I contacted ricnfl and he said it had gotten a little sunburned so he ended it because he didn't want to sell anything that wasn't in great shape. So I'm hoping maybe that one will pan out at some point!

Denise in Omaha

Here is a link that might be useful: ricnfl's mitrata
greentoe357
9 years ago
Denise, you did not want to ask Ric to just sell you that plant or a cutting outside of ebay? (Yet again I am reminded that many people have way better self-control than I do. Sigh.)

By the way, mitrata looks like it could be another candidate for the type of leaves that do not photograph well. It sort of looks gritty and gnarly and rugged - not your typical "pretty" hoya, but handsome none-the-less in its own right.

About that Florida Botanical Garden... I am assuming you saw this, right? http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/hoya/msg0721024110946.html. It's not from Laura, and not from 2007, but hey it's a BG in FL that sells hoyas, so maybe...

What was Laura's username? Perhaps you can hit her with a PM, even if she does not hang out here any longer. A google search can also be more successful if you know the username.Tell me (if you know), and I'll try a few tricks to try to find that thread.
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Sorry, I didn't mean to do a post and run. I've had a crazy weekend. My name is Deb, and I've actually been on GW off and on since 1999. I post mostly over on Florida Gardening, Brugmansias, and sometimes on Cactus and Succulents. I write articles...lots and lots of articles. I also have a few blogs that are sadly neglected, so I'm trying to get them back up and running, especially my gardening blog. I'm in my late 50's, have lupus, and of course, love to garden. I live in SW Florida and am soon moving to Gainesville, a whole zone north of me, where I will not have a yard at first. I'm going to try to get into a community garden there, so I can at least grow my veggies and some of my plants. Moving at my age is hard, and I thought I'd never leave here, but circumstances forced me to make a choice, so I'm leaving. This yard is too much for me to take care of anymore. I need a break from all this physical labor, but I know I could not live without gardening, so I'm thinking my African Violets will be my new indoor project. I have two sons, 25 and 37, and they both live in Chicago. No, we aren't from Chicago, the older one was there and the younger one was in Seattle and decided he wanted to be with his brother, so there they are. So far, they are both doing well, just going through the normal trials of life, which they moan to me about just like I moaned to my mother when she was living. I am estranged from my family by choice, so my sons are my only family. I'm happier that way. I'm a Pantheist, which is not Christian, but I do believe in God. I just define him differently. To me, God is nature...all of nature, including humans. I searched for many years to find a spiritual path I could follow, and tried everything but Satanism in the process (but I did read about it and it is very scary...totally based on 'self' and making yourself happy, no matter what the consequence). I settled on Pantheism because it makes sense to me. There is no one and nothing to blame if things go wrong or bad things happen. It is all just part of the cycle of life, and that is hard to accept sometimes, but it makes more sense to me than angels and demons. I do pray, so I will be asking for and giving out many prayers. Enough for now. I'm sure you will learn more about me as we go along. Thanks again for the welcome! Here, have some chocolate. I just happen to have extra. Here is a link that might be useful: My Gardening Blog, in case you're interested
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greedygh0st
9 years ago
That's so weird that mitrata is such a hot item these days. I have to say I've been getting a lot of trade requests for it, too.

I find this plant a bit mysterious, so I'm quite anxious at the moment about keeping both of mine aliveÃ¢ÂÂ¦

My main mitrata was in S/H and it had been doing okayÃ¢ÂÂ¦ doing this thing where it would grow a lot and then lose some leaves and then grow a lot and then lose some leaves. The whole time while living in an aquarium with very stable conditions. Then it just started losing too many leaves in a row so I chopped it up and am currently trying to save it.

Then, I have one from Jack, that looks fine. But they always look great when I get them and then die within 6 months, so clearly I haven't cracked the code. But I have to say that he has the most delicious collections of mitrata. If I can get this one to survive for a year, next year I will buy every other mitrata he has.

Or maybe I'll just do that next month. ;)
greedygh0st
9 years ago
Mitrata leaves kind of remind me of if caudata and waymaniae had a baby. They're big and have these rolling curves like they were shaped by pressing a mold onto a knuckled fist. And they are pale green and heavily speckled underneath. The tops are very licheny looking with that matte mossy green color and faintly rough texture.

Anyway, they just fit into that group of Hoyas that look like they are on a covert mission.

This post was edited by greedyghost on Wed, Aug 6, 14 at 16:54
Denise
Original Author
9 years ago
I've always described the leaves as looking like they have an clear but slightly opaque layer that shines on top of the leaf, so kind of shimmery. And I'm intrigued with the way it grows in clumps (or as Ted Green describes it, "cabbage-like growth") then it will get a vine that's a foot or two long with a grouping of leaves.

And I, too, always found it a bit temperamental. It would go through cycles where it would lose leaves, then recover. But I find it's VERY hard to root, or I'd just get a cutting from Ted. Which I may do next spring, during "ideal" rooting time, if I can't get one soon...

GT, unfortunately, I don't have Laura's username. And I see on the member search page, there are 44 pages of "Lauras". A lot to wade through!! BUT, after your posting I went back and narrowed it down by state, and there were far fewer in just Florida - 2 pages!! So I think I'll do some checking through those as that's very manageable...

And yes, GT, you must see mitrata in person to truly appreciate it.

GG, next time you order from Jack, perhaps you could give me a heads-up and I might just add a mitrata and give it a whirl. You have such good luck with ordering from Thailand, but I don't dare!! Here's my "$200 Hoya" (as I call it) - the one that survived the 2012 Thai debacle...

It's absolutely lovely, and I got my first flowers just a few weeks ago - so small and hard to photograph...

ALMOST worth it!!

Denise in Omaha
greentoe357
9 years ago
It looks like a million dollars, Denise! So hey, you got a profit of $999,800! :-)

What's its name?
Denise
Original Author
9 years ago
Oops, I did forget to say what it was! Cv. 'Rebecca'. And a photo of the lovely mitrata I lost...

Denise in Omaha
laura1
9 years ago
Well, Denise it looks like you found me!! My ears should have been tingling-hehe. The name of the garden is University South Florida Botanical Garden. It is run by volunteers and donations so it struggles along. They have a member who donates the hoyas. You could contact the garden and talk to Kim and see if they have that hoya. I don't think they would ship but I go to the garden or near the garden regularly. If the garden does not have it there might be a way to find out who the grower is.

Good luck and let me know what is going on. I will check back regularly or you can email me.

For now...work!
Laura
vermonthoyas
9 years ago
I bought a mitrata from Ric on Ebay early on in the season. He seemed to have a lot of it as it was listed there for weeks. Mine rooted in no time at all. I'm growing it in semi-hydro, and so far it has been a model citizen. After reading about everyone's troubles though, I will have to keep a close eye on it.

Doug
greentoe357
9 years ago
I am glad the mystery is solved! And it turned out to be the same Botanical Garden mentioned in that more recent thread!

That mitrata looks great, Denise - no wonder you are trying to get one back into your hands again.
teisa
9 years ago
Denise,

I remember you posting that pic before and it is a Gorgeous plant. I've looked at sights for years for anything that looks close to yours. Its a Beauty.
Denise
Original Author
9 years ago
I'm so glad you came by, Laura! I'll call the folks at the Botanical Gardens and see what I can find out. And I'll let Paula know if they do have them as she really wants to get it back in their stock, too. I'll be e-mailing you privately, too...

Denise in Omaha
wanna_run_faster
9 years ago
Denise,

I contacted the USFBG to see if they had a list of their hoya collection / offerings but they didn't have one available. If you DO find the original benefactor and get a list of her / his collection and / or donations to the gardens, I would love to get a copy!

Helen :)
patrick51
9 years ago
Denise...there's a H. mitrata listed on Ebay as of an hour ago...ends next Saturday...go get it!! Fondly, Patrick
Denise
Original Author
9 years ago
Helen, I haven't had a chance to call them yet - I'm in the wedding biz and we had a BIG one last night, so I was crazy-busy all week getting ready for it. Thanks for checking - I'll have to do some digging.

Patrick, I did a search of eBay and nothing is listed under mitrata. Any chance you could post a link??

Denise in Omaha
patrick51
9 years ago
Denise, sorry I don't know how to post a link...you know how computer illiterate I am!!! Just type in Hoya Mitrata under Ebay Home and Gardening...there's only the one listing...it's currently at $9.99. Best wishes and good luck! Fondly, Patrick
Denise
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks, Patrick - I found it! Well, I tried bidding on it and quit at $30 (with shipping). I will check in on it again toward the end. Perhaps I'm just not destined to have this one right now, and that's ok. I will get another at some point...

Denise in Omaha
patrick51
9 years ago
Sorry Denise...it'd probably be best to wait for Ric Moreira...he'll be back home around September 8th...you can contact him then. It's so strange how fast those prices/bids can get unreasonable. It's truly best to wait!! Fondly, Patrick

Does Larua from Florida still hang out here?

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