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World's Smallest Hoya Flower?

9 years ago

I'm thinking that Hoya ignorata has got to be the smallest Hoya flower in the world.

Here is what Christine Burton has to say about the plant:

"I havenÃ¢ÂÂt seen an actual plant of this one but, judging from the on-line illustrations I found, my opinion is: Ã¢ÂÂSave your moneyÃ¢ÂÂ¦. even if itÃ¢ÂÂs only Confederate money or Monopoly money. That is the ugliest thing IÃ¢ÂÂve ever seen next to cow pies and horse hockey pucks! I canÃ¢ÂÂt imagine anyone wanting to grow it. IÃ¢ÂÂd not ignore it though. If it grew in my yard, IÃ¢ÂÂd be just as diligent in eliminating it as I do poison ivy!!!"

Despite that less than ringing endorsement, I have found it to be a quite pleasant little plant that gets nice leaf color, and well worth growing. For a size perspective, here is a photo of a peduncle of 10 flowers next to a single lacunosa bloom." The flowers are even smaller than Dischidia blooms.

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Comments (13)

Denise
9 years ago
Wow, Doug, that IS tiny!! That's some amazing macro photography. I looked up ignorata and I didn't find it in the least ugly - I'm not sure why Christine finds it so unappealing... There are Hoyas that I find a little ho-hum when it comes to leaves that I still grow for the flowers - one of which comes to mind is vanuatuensis. And I think, really, that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so even though vanuatuensis might be somewhat ordinary to me (or another as appealing as a "cow pie" to someone else!), the next person might find it very attractive.

Can you show us a photo of your whole plant to give an idea of the size of the leaves? That flower is just adorable with the little golden orbs in the center!

Denise in Omaha
aurorawa
9 years ago
They are cute!
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Very nice photo arrangement! Jan, I have several Hoya obovata. They do great as housplants. I used to leave mine in the house all winter and move it onto a covered porch in spring, where it would bloom all summer! This year I left them in the Greenhouse all winter and have two covered in blooms! One has been on the porch since early spring and has been blooming nonstop! We have simular weather conditions, I'm sure this one will thrive for you especially if you have a spot to hang it outside! I have several Hoyas that start budding indoors for me, but I normally hang them outside to decorate my porch. I do have H. pubicalyx 'Red Buttons' ready to bloom in my dining room and am not touching it.... this is the first bloom on it! I think the key to getting blooms indoors is temperature related. If you keep the AC on 68o and have a cold house I'd say your chances are slimmer than if you keep the temps in the mid 70's.
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awesome!! this is exactly what i was hoping you all would be able to provide. obviously, i'd love to hear that i was just doing something wrong and a little tweaking on my part would result in some beautiful flowers or at least a growing plant. thanks SOOOOO much for your help. i'm torn...it's so cute in its little red pot, but it seems like it'll likely never do anything exciting. i don't have the heart (pardon the pun) to toss it out or anything like that, but all of her friends are moving and shaking. it's hard to see her sit idly by. hills, yours is beautiful. i'd even be happy if it planted but never flowered. :) oh well. i think i'll just have to readjust my expectations and just enjoy the love its giving. :) thanks again for your help guys!! this sounds like a wonderful forum that would be a joy to be a part of. too bad in the world of hoyas, i wouldn't have anything to contribute. kate
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greedygh0st
9 years ago
LOL Thanks for sharing that quote. I would read CB's writings just for her scathing dismissal of various Hoyas. Makes me grin.

IGNORATA'S VOICE
Well, excuse me for living!!

It does look like a weed to me, too, but awwwww teeny Hoya blooms are so cute... like the plant is whispering, or in some cases, mumbling.

I love moths. I love moths. what the... is that a camera?!! perv. -_-

And those button-type flowers always remind me of something May Gibbs would draw.
vermonthoyas
Original Author
9 years ago
Yes GG, CB has said quite a few funny things over the years; there is no doubt about it. She sure doesn't pull her punches:)

Here is a photo of the front of the plant growing in hydroton:
vermonthoyas
Original Author
9 years ago
Here is a photo of the plant from the back showing the peduncles that grow at every node:
greedygh0st
9 years ago
Oh, of course your plant looks much lovelier than the other pictures I saw. Leave it to you, Doug.

It looks kind of lasiantha/praetorii-ish. Is it similar in disposition? Or a completely different animal?
vermonthoyas
Original Author
9 years ago
GG, I can't really say what kind of animal it is yet as I have only been growing it for around six months. It has similarities to lasiantha and praetorii for sure. I'm not even sure that growing it using semi-hydro is the best way; I just happened to start growing it in hydroton where it seems to at least be holding its own. It came from as a tiny two node cutting from Sweden,was rooted in the UK, and forwarded on to me in August of this year. Here is one last macro of the flowers:
greedygh0st
9 years ago
Oh wow that is an amazing photo!!!! I could stare at it all day. Bugs live in an exquisite lollipop paradise, don't they?

What a globetrotter! And look how fast it's grown from practically nothing! Hoyas sure are something.
rennfl
9 years ago
It's definitely interesting. As usual, you have great pictures Doug.

Renee
vermonthoyas
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you Renee!

Doug
greentoe357
9 years ago
Srsly, those pictures (and of course the plant!) are orders of magnitude more attractive than anything on the first couple of screens of google search results.

And yeah, Christine has quite a way with words, doesn't she!
greedygh0st
9 years ago
Dangit, greentoe. I thought English was supposed to be a second language - how do you consistently put stuff so much better than me!! (Ã¢ÂÂÃ¢ÂÂÃ¢ÂÂ)
PRO
Jan Sword-Rossman Realty 239-470-6061
9 years ago
Doug, I think those flowers are just cute as button. Great phtography too. Thanks for sharing!

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