New Here + Need Help Figuring Out Which Hoya is For Me - Please Help

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Hi,

I've been lurking and decided to post something. I'm new to Hoyas, but I'm good at growing plants. I want to buy a few Hoyas, but they are all so different. I'm hoping you can help me with suggestions given my needs/wants. Here they are:

1. Attractive leaves - I figure I'll be looking at leaves more often than flowers. I don't have a preference - I like obovata, clandestina, macrophylla, finlaysonnii, calyphina, wayeti and incrassata. I'm sorta open on that front. Ideally they'd all be distinct and even bold.

2. Compact size - I live in a small apartment in L.A. with lots of indirect west-facing light (no curtains!). I don't want a plant that'll get incredibly wild or six feet tall with trellising. I'd like something that can hang down. I might be open to a simple single trellis (up to 3 feet), but I don't really want to deal with the big ball of tangled leaves/branches style of trellising. If it can get 6 feet tall standing on its own, I'm interested. Or, if it could flower and be healthy with pruning that keeps it a certain size - that would be okay.

3. A pretty flower would be nice. The incrassata ball is especially pretty.

4. Not too many special needs - not a lot of water required (I'm in California!) - 1x a week, some food. I'll do the work, but I'm not interested in being a slave to a plant. I just want one that will grow and be pretty healthy after I've done what I need to do - like my other plants.

5. Scent - would be nice.

And that's it, or all I can think of.

Thanks for your help! I'm hopeful I'll get a few ideas.

Featured Answer

aurorawa

8 years ago

*lacunosa - attractive, small leaves, fragrant flowers (floral fragrance), compact, hanging

*variegated kentiana - attractive, variegated leaves, compact, hanging, never seen flower, but assume it smells like regular old kentiana...caramel scented

*deykeae - beautiful, elongated heart shaped leaves. Splashes on leaves, and nice veining. Pretty flowers with a nice fragrance (hint of citrus). Trellised (easily on 18 inch trellis)or wrapped around and up hanging pot.

*mindorensis - plain jane leaves, but flowers are amazing balls of fuzzy and come in a rainbow of colors. Trellised (easily on 18-24 inch trellis) or wrapped around and up hanging pot.

*balansae - pretty little leaves, pretty little flowers, easily grown hanging, twined around and up hanging pot.

*incrassata - attractive foliage, which can come in an array of styles, from variegated to plain. Needs a bit of space, but could easily be maintained around a 3 foot trellis.

*clemensiorum, finlaysonii, callistophylla - all similar, yet different in their leaf looks. Boldy, high contast veins with beautiful leaves, ranging from dark to light green, many with splash patterns on them. Small, pretty flowers with a light citus fragrance. Easily grown wrapped around and up a hanging basket or on a 18-24 inch trellis.

*australis - can get big, but easily maintained with cuttings (don't cut areas with peduncles, or you won't get blooms on the mother plant, unless she has some still, or she grows more..this goes for all hoyas). Can be grown hanging or on a 24 inch to 3 foot trellis. Beautiful, fragrant flowers.

*pachyclada - EARLY to put on peduuncles and bloom (in my experience), pretty yellow cream flowers, likes it slightly drier (water once every 8-10 days). Thick, succulent leaves with beautiful color and aesthetically pleasing.

*elliptica - gorgeous turtle shell leaves, compact, can be grown wrapped up and around hanging pot or easily on 18-24 inch trellis. Beautiful porcelain flowers with red or golden coronas. Subtle fragrance.

*many of the pottsii varieties - beautiful leaves that get a red tinge grown in high light, pretty, fragrant flowers

*scortechinii or sp. UT-001 - pretty leaves that get gorgeous veining in high light (leaf size is generally not big, but I have had a couple of ones that got a bit exhuberant with their growth). Pretty flowers!

Most hoyas only want to be watered weekly (there are some that are less thirsty and some that like it a bit damper). Feed them when you water (1/4-1/2 strength water soluble fertilizer).

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Comments (8)

amaranthineglow
Original Author
8 years ago
thanks! i was hoping you'd respond.
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Denise
8 years ago
Wayetti is a good choice as it typically stays compact and won't get much bigger than a basketball. Nice small flowers. I would agree with all of auroras suggestions, except maybe the austrlis - I have two, ssp. australis and ssp. tenuipes, that are monsters. Beautiful monsters, mind you, but space gobbling monsters nonetheless! Verticillata is one that hangs beautifully and flowers easily and wow, the fragrance will knock your socks off!

Denise in Omaha
themockturtle
8 years ago
Hello!

I recommend Hoya fitchii. Beautiful leaves, fast grower, pretty flowers, compact size, nice growth habit, easy peazy, non-complicated, but not very common. I feel like this species has no fault.
aurorawa
8 years ago
I agree with fitchii! Too bad it isn't more common.

My austrails (lisa and ssp. oramicola) didn't get the memo. They grow slowly for me, for some reason.
amaranthineglow
Original Author
8 years ago
@Denise

the wayetii is very pretty and i like the shape and color of the leaves. Thx.

@themockturtle

the fitchii is also nice, but the only place that might have (srq) is out of stock. otherwise, i think i'd actually buy it. pretty leaves.
User
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Keep an eye on eBay, too. I bought my fitchii there from rareflora (Gardino's) and beastlyflower2012 has had them listed as well (some were huuuuge). I'd offer you a cutting of mine, but it's slowly recovering from a puma attack.

ETA: macrophyllas get really big, awkward even, so I wouldn't recommend that for your living quarters. Obovata splash is really pretty and grows fast (for me), and easy to find (I bought mine from cowboyflowerman on eBay). You can barely tell from the pic, but the splotches are turning pink now that spring is here.

Ohhh Susan has a nice blooming size obovata up on eBay right now. Maybe that's too tangly for you tho, they can get kind of wild.

What about H. krohniana 'Eskimo'? They're easy, fast growing, compact, prolific, fragrant, cool leaves. I bought this as two baby started plants last fall and now look at it.

Gardino's has a pusilla available right now. Also another fun, fragrant, vigorous, compact trailing plant.
amaranthineglow
Original Author
8 years ago
@tawnygrissette

actually i was just looking at the eskimo plant the other day - on the kartuz website. i like it! and your pic is just as nice as theirs which makes me think it's actually a great plant.

since i'm in l.a., i think i'm gonna go down to kartuz in vista in the next couple of weeks and pick up some plants. they told me they have more for sale at the nursery than what's on the website.

even though i've seen pics of obovatas looking like big tumbleweeds, i think i want to try and let it hang down. i'm in love with the leaves. i would probably prune it to keep it a certain size.

and i'll look out for the fitchii. i'm sorta interested in the obscura too!

thanks!

New Here + Need Help Figuring Out Which Hoya is For Me - Please Help

aurorawa

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amaranthineglow
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