It can sometimes be murder waiting for a flower to develop... I have a nicholsonii that got the "fuzzy" look to it's one peduncle and I got excited. It stayed fuzzy for quite awhile. Then it started to show signs of maturing, but it was at such a slow pace, it was excrutiating! It took many, many weeks for it to finally fully develop and open, but it was worth the wait. Here's where it got stuck for the longest time...
{{gwi:938376}}

Then it got to this point and stalled...
{{gwi:938378}}

...The curiosity of what it would look and smell like drove me crazy! But, finally, it opened...
{{gwi:932485}}
...and I was in Hoya heaven! My mother always says "the anticipation of an event is far more exciting than the event itself." I would say that's true of most things, but not Hoya blooms!

Denise in Omaha

Thanks Denise for those WONDERFUL pics! And yes, you are right, the anticipation is great because when they open I will just be floored.

Do you or anyone know how long it "usually" takes from the buds to the flowers (second pic to third pic). I'm just curious if there is something wrong with mine. Does is usually take 3 or 4 weeks? Any ideas?
Thanks,
Gabi

So I took a look at my buds today, and when I picked up the peduncle, the "stems" that lead up to the buds were very limp and lifeless. Then as I let go of the peduncle 4 stems with buds just dropped off. Is this "bud blast"? I knew it was too good to be true! I was about to watch the first flowering of a hoya (not counting the multiflora that I bought halfway into the bud-opening phase). I really hope some buds will still open, but I am thinking they are done for?

I don't know Pachyclada, but Hoya blooms can take varying amounts of time to develop & then open, I've had blooms on Obscura (quickish), Krinkle 8 (quick, bloomed as a cutting in water!!); Finlaysonii (don't remember), Obscura (pretty quick), Tsangii (quick & very short-lived & buttery smelling); Nummularioides (quick, sweet & lightly perfumy); Multiflora (can take quite abt btwn pix 2 & 3), from those I recall. I've had some friends get quite exasperated from waiting on Multiflora.

That said, I have the tiniest beginnings of a spur on a Kentiana/Shepardii type which tiny nub of spur has been there for MONTHS. It's definiately a spur, I can see its tiny 'microphone head' under magnification, but its glacial pace is killing me. I think it's a cutting from Lesli from 2 yrs. ago, just a small sprig which I've kept in a condiment cup to see if giving it the tiniest pot humanly possible would expedite its blooming. Who knows, am hoping my new VF-11 will kick its but into gear!

I make it a point not to touch the peduncles/spurs at any stage of development whatsoever, I don't even touch that stem. Sorry you lost some, I'm GUESSING that spur's finished.

Thanks for your reply PG. I was hoping someone would get back to me. It just stinks to get that close to seeing a bloom and then losing it! Oh well, that Pachyclada (which is 2 little plants that I combined into 1) has a total of 8 huge peduncles, and there's another one that looks like it's starting to get moving, but I'll just have to be patient. My Multiflora is back in action again...3 of its peduncles are in the same stage as Denise's first picture but they're growing everyday.

I will take your advice on not touching the peduncles. I won't even breath on them! Congrats on your Kentiana! I'm dying for my Kentiana to bloom...such nice flowers on that one. My Calycina has been doing the same thing...moving at SUCH a slow pace. I've seen that "microphone head" for maybe almost 6 months now, and it hasn't changed a bit!

If I have learned ONE thing while growing hoyas, it's patience :-)