Free Spirit Hoyas

12 years ago

Okay, I have a general announcement about Hoya megalantha. It does not like it when YOU tell it how to grow. Every time I take its vine and loop it around a hoop, the leaves go from vibrant and green to yellow and dropping off.

This leads me to freak out and leave it alone and sure enough it shoots a vine heavenward and fills it out with new leaves. If I then take that vine and move it, megalantha throws another hissy fit! (I know, I know, I'm the dumb one in this scenario)

Do you guys have this experience with any of your Hoyas? I can't really think of another Hoya that has treated me this way, but I'm pretty sure someone else has mentioned this problem in an old thread somewhere.

If anyone else grows megalantha I'd like to hear their experiences too. :) Pretty please!

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Comments (7)

mitzicos
12 years ago
Unfortunately I don't grow megalantha yet!!!
greedygh0st
Original Author
12 years ago
No one ever does. It's kind of weird - why doesn't anyone like my favorite?! kellyknits has one, but she's the only person I know. This is probably one you'd have to stow in your suitcase, Mitzi. Its leaves are thin like buotii.

Well even so, I know for sure that this isn't the only Hoya that will not stand for having its vines tinkered with. I'm interested in whether there are certain characteristics (e.g. scrambling) that might tip us off.
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Laura_Carnosa
12 years ago
My leucorhoda seems to take exception being tinkered with.
It's certainly a sure-fire way to abort juvenile leaves by trying to rein it in & clip the wayward vine to the trellis.
And I do my best to be gentle!
Ren_Flowers
12 years ago
In cases like this, I thought the problem was a lack of humidity? I've heard some Hoya get too dry with their vines up in the air. Though I can't speak from experience!
PerrenialGirl
12 years ago
I had to look this one up. It sure does have gorgeous blooms!
Laura_Carnosa
12 years ago
Ick. Just whacked off a vine of leu. 5 nodes and all leaves aborted. I am a bit harsh, huh? Meh. There are other growth tips. *shrug*

Sure doesn't like being fiddled with, that's for sure....
greedygh0st
Original Author
12 years ago
Laura, I was told the Swedes are investigating the possibility that with certain Hoyas, the main plant will die when a cutting is taken. That seems a bit extreme, but perhaps they are just even more sensitive than your Leu.

Ren, lack of humidity can certainly cause this kind of behavior, but in my case, the plant lives in an aquarium with high humidity conditions and is being satisfied by a normal water and fertilization schedule. It only displays distress when I try to loop its vines. The rest of the time it seems very vigorous. When it stays dry for too long it will usually allow one leaf to yellow (to shake its fist at me). But when I move the vine, all the leaves on that section fall off almost instantly, not even pausing to turn yellow.

Perennial, there are 2 different collections of this species and one has a full bell shape and the other has a more open shape, similar to patella and pauciflora. Its leaves however are nearly identical to those of Iris Marie. They just don't have the reddish color when new.