Hi Billy Rae,
I got this one last year and was worried I'd kill it instantly. Luckily, I discovered it was extremely easy to root and it grows very fast, producing beautiful humungous furry leaves along the way. Last winter I left it on the heat mat as my house gets quite cold and my heating wasn't working very well, but this year I'm going to experiment with leaving it with the rest of my plants and keeping an eye on it to make sure it's not suffering. I think it does prefer warm, bright conditions but I reckon it's quite tough too. It likes to be fed, like the rest of my hoyas and it's quite thirsty. It doesn't branch often, so it needs to be cut every now and then to encourage branching. The advice I was given was to let it grow up high and then back down again, and then only then it'll flower. I wait to see if that advice holds.
As for name - I'm probably off too. I see it and say the "lau" a bit like laughter, and the "bach" bit like back, but I could be wrong. I went to a talk recently when the bloke pronounced publicalyx like "pube" which sounds rude to me! But apparently, it's because of the furry flowers...

Hi Billy Rae,
I bought mine in March from Logee's. It seems pretty easy and fast grower for me but I live in a hot & humid Florida. The plant grew so much since then. I love fuzzy and bronzy goldish new leaves. When the plant reaches 6-8' then it should flower. Mine are about 3.5' tall, I can't wait for the flowers. Hoping to see flowers in the spring.

Congrats on your new hoya :)
Ok, let me take my chance at pronouncing this one! Isn't it funny that when we *read* hoya names they sound right in our head, but then we have to say them aloud or hear someone saying it and we don't even recognize what it is! For example, try saying nummularioides out loud!

Ok..here goes:
lou (as in "loud")
ter (as in "turn")
bah (as in "bar" with a boston accent :))
kee (as in "key")
I (as in "eye", or "I")

Eddie taught me that if a hoya name has a double "i" at the end, it is basically somebody's name (I think), and so the last "i" should be pronounced like the word "I" - maybe a way of saying "*I* made this name". Am I making ANY sense?

Gabi

I am in "hot" and "humid" Florida as well. Though I haven't yet purchased mine from Logee's (love that place!) it is on my next purchase list! congrats!

Here are some photos.
March 2007 8" tall.

Thank you all!

It sounds like this hoya will be a happy grower and NOT suffer!

hills,
Thanks for the pronunciation lesson! I'll practice! Furry leaves? I didn't know it had furry leaves! Where was I? Ok, that will be nice.
I think my longer pronounced (what I think is the right way) to speak it version of "pube" is probably not much better, lol.

Jan,
Logee's is where I'll be getting this hoya from too. I heard nice things about this place and thought I'd give it try. I hope you see those big beautiful flowers in the spring too! Thanks for posting your pictures, It looks very happy and healthy!

gabro,
Ok, here goes, louder, bar, (bar said with with boston accent) key, IIIII. Cheers!
Sounds pretty good. Yep, I was way off!

head_gardenerd,
I'm sure you will love your order! Can't wait to get mine!

Thanks again,
Billy Rae

Hi Jan1:

I love your photos and particularly your bamboo hoop. Where did you get the hoop? I can't find anything like it. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places. My garden center has really long and narrow hoops that don't stand up well in a small pot.

Thanks

Hi Fragrantgardener01, I got them from ebay. I have some extras. email me maybe I can trade you for hoyas if you have any.
Jan

I get mine from Ebay too. Pretty reasonably priced...
Gabi

Anyone have flower pictures of lauterbachii? I've got some cuttings on the way...

Sadly not. Still waiting. But you can google lauterbachii and get loads. Logees has a good pic of hoya lauterbachii.
I just managed to root a cutting of mine (trying to make it branch and be a fuller plant) but it's not a very happy bunny...

Here is a link that might be useful: Simone's Lauterbachii picture

Jen,
I remember Carol putting some flower pics up on DG...you can search there for a pic.
Gabi

Hills, I remember reading on your blog or somewhere how happy you were to get that one! I have seen pics online, I know they come in several colors but I was just wondering if any of us "mere mortals" (without greenhouses) had ever gotten one to the blooming point.

I'll check DG when I get some time....

Ooooh, I didn't realise they come in different colours. That is interesting. Maybe that's why it comes in different smells? Or that could just be an objective thing, like cummingiana.

I also would like to know if anyone's got theirs to bloom without a greenhouse. Then, when it eventually gets to size, I can suggest to mine that it might like to flower.

I am still waiting to find this one available to Canada. It would be way to expensive to order from Logee's :( hopefully next year!

I have seen the flowers ranging from pink to orange to red. I got my cutting today, so soft and fuzzy!

Kookie, I cant find your email in my email, I know we have spoken before, but email me again novastar27@gmail.com

I found some hoyas online that I think might interest you, and they are totally affordable.!

Tracy

I was doing research on lauterbachii and like hills had mentioned this plant seems to like to grow up and than come back down before it flowers. It has to reach about 6-8 feet before it does this. Also where it comes from, it apparantly likes to climb trees to the canopy where it than finishes it's climb to a "happy spot" correct light conditions, etc where it than descends a little to flower. Whoever is lucky enough to get this beauty to flower should defineatly share!!!! :)

Well...lets see...I guess that means one has to be living in the tropics where we can let it climb up the trees, or else have 8 foot high ceilings with a sun roof up there. Ha.
Marcy

Marcy,

What I was going to try is putting the plant on the floor under the window that is warm and sunny, and plant it with a piece of cholla wood, or the like and let it "get the feel of a tree" and work it's way up to the sunniness of the window. I only have ceilings that are a little over 6 feet, so we'll see what happens...

I'm a little late posting this, but here's a pic of Hoya lauterbachii from Logees that came in the mail about three weeks after ordering. It was already a foot tall when it arrived, so I was very pleased!

{{gwi:985224}}

Billy Rae

Gosh aren't these the cutest hoyas youv'e ever seen????!!!!

I've decided to rearrange my hoya lauterbachii to give some height but I think I am going to go back to the way it was because it looks kinda funny. I put buch od plants together in a large pot. What do you think?

Hi Jan,

Your plants look great! Nice and healthy! Your Hoya lauterbachii is just Gorgeous!!! That one I might keep on the floor, right in front of a window, especially with that tall hoop, a window in front of it would show it off more I think.
I really like that wooden hoop you have.
Is that specifically made for hoyas, or all climbing plants? Where did you get it if you don't mind me asking? I could sure use a few of those!

Billy Rae

Hi Billy Rae, thanks. I got the tall hoops at the HD and looked better with 18" hoops on lauterbachii before. I have extra 18" hoops if you want to trade with hoyas. I have lauterbachii on my front entry, I will put it on the floor for awhile I decide to keep it that way or display all in individual pots.
Jan

Jan, give it time to acclimate to the hoop. It will fill out and look the way it did before.

Thank you Jan!

There's a HD not too far from here and I'll take a look. Hopefully they will have some hoops that are different sizes.

Billy Rae

Wow Jan that's the most length I've seen on a lauterbachii yet!! You must be proud :)

Thanks Sugar, I love my lauterbachii. Maybe just maybe with some luck I might get flowers in the spring? crossing my fingers and my toes.
I know that warm and humid Florida weather is ideal for the lauterbachii and most other hoyas. LOL
Jan

Jan - I'll cross my fingers and toes too, just to be able to see a "real life" bloom!!!!

Jan - I forgot to ask, how big was the plant when you first got it, and how long did it take to get to the size it is now? Just trying to gauge what I'm in for, seeing I live in RI....

In March 2007 8" tall. So I had them for 8 months.
Jan