Absolutely gorgeous!! How old was the plant when it first bloomed and how old is it now? I have one that is 3 years old but it hasn't bloomd yet. It has vines 2 and 3 feet long. I'm sure it must be root bound by now. There are so many vines and foliage at the top of the pot I can't get my finger to the soil to test for moisture.

How is the fragrance?

That's truly impressive! (I was happy that mine produced three inflorescences!)

Amazing! I guess I better start hunting for more on mine although I am happy that it bloomed at all (although I missed it)!

Hi - Is that an H. compacta or an H. "Krinkle 8?" The leaves look more like my Krinkle 8's.

Whatever it is, congratulations.

Julia

Hello,

The fragrance is fantastic, chocolate!

Actually, I do not know if it is Compacta or Krinkle 8 or something else. I just figured it was Compacta due to the flowers.

I purchased two of these plants in Houston in 1992/93. They told me full shade. So I did. Did not get any blooms, but the leaves were very dark green and healthy looking. When I moved, I gave one to a friend and she hung hers so it got 1/2 a day's morning sun and her's flowered the next year and mine in full shade did not.

So now mine get at least a 1/2 days sun hanging outside under the eaves on the east side of my house.

However, I am lucky as I have a friend who has a commercial greenhouse and he lets me store my big tropicals there over the Winter, 5 big Brugmansia and a 7 foot plumeria. Plus, I keep the hoya there and other plants. I started hybridizing Amaryllis a couple three years ago on a whim. Now we have 300+ top sell at the nursery to help justify all the space I take up...LOL!

So, the hoya, pretty much got full sun all Winter, I think that's why it is doing so well flowering now. Only watered about once a month or less over the Winter, but the greenhouse is cool, min. temp. 55-60 F during the deep of Winter. Since it has gotten warm in the green house with Spring, I'd water it once a week with a good soaking with no pot bottom, just drenching it until the water runs through.

Now that it is home and outside, I drench it at least once a week when the weather gets hot. I found if I skimp on the water, the buds dry up. However, since there is no bottom, it does not sit in water which is very bad for hoya's.

However, the leaves do not look all that great, not dark green at all, sometimes even yellowish, and sometimes get a little burned, but I get lots of nice flowers. In fact, the leaves can look down right bad.

So I choose lots of flowers over pretty leaves.

I really think the key on these is lots and lots of Winter and Spring sun to flower well...at least for this type. Probably less sun in the Summer as the rays are so much hotter.

About 3 years ago at Autumn, the vines got over 6 feet long so we whacked it back to about 1 foot and the green house made cuttings. However, even then I was not giving it as much sun as now and we would only get a dozen flower clusters all year.

I really need to get a bigger hanging basket and put some fresh soil in the bottom and replant this one...but not until it is done flowering...LOL!

They also have a smooth leave type with all green leaves with really long vines. I think it is a common variety as well. Their original one of these currently has about 6 feet of vines and 100+ flower clusters, beautiful. I'll get some pictures of it as well and post.

The other ones for sale there of this type (about $15) have lots of vines that are 3'-4' long and are flowering. But not many have sold.

Not many people in this area want to buy the tropicals at all. I mean, they have about two dozen waist high variegated Brugmansia that are flowering for $20, but rarely one sells. Strange. I love these plants too. The frangrance is incredible!

Wildcat

Wildcat , What gorgeous pictures !! You are so fortunate to have a commercial greenhouse for these Hoyas , especially because they are so large.
I read your growing conditions with extreme interest , because I have made the same type of observation this year with my compactas , Krinkle 8 and carnosas.
These are my oldest. I have had them for 2 years. They have grown well, in the outdoor Florida environment. All of my Hoyas live outside full time , unless we have a winter cold front come through.
Anyway , we lost about 50% of our oak tree canopy in the September hurricanes. This left the side patio area with almost no shade. The Hoyas received nearly full sun last Fall , all winter and into most of this Spring, ( the canopy has started to fill in and branch out ).
I stopped being concerned about sunburned and 'less than perfect', foliage ,now that I see the flower 'reward'.
I maintain Hoyas on the dry side in winter , and keep the soil moist during the warm/hot months. Compactas do not want to be dry while blooming. I use alaskan fish fertilizer
in with a bloom booster , and (liquid feed ) about every 3 weeks.
You are right about the fragrance. It's like liquid chocolate. Can you imagine if there was womens' perfume ,perfectly duplicated . I would wear it !!!

Florajilly

I too agree w/ Julia that it looks more like H. Krinkle 8 than compacta (hindu rope). Mighty pretty & quite the impressive display; thx for sharing it w/ us, congratulations.

Thank you everyone for the ID on my Hoya, I appreciate that.

Yes, I am very luck they let me take up so much greenhouse space at their nursery.

Hey FloraJilly, if they made perfume that smelled like this, it would be TROUBLE...LOL! I think you will like the results of the extra sun on your hoya's!

Here are some pictures of the other type of hoya they have there. Solid green leaves and can have big drops of honeydew on the flowers at times. A different fragrance, not chocolate, but nice. But a prolific bloomer!

Maybe someone can ID?

Wildcat

{{gwi:947430}}

{{gwi:947432}}

{{gwi:947433}}

I think the bottom one is a carnosa, but I'd have to see the flowers and leaves up closer. Your compacta is defintely a compacta, and is just gorgeous. I put mine, about the same age and size, in full strong sun for a large part of the day too for a few years, and got a massive amount of flowers, but found that the foliage faded immensely. Its essentially a trade off I guess, but not recommended by experts.
Christine.

Actually, if you look, you can see both compacta and 'Krinkle 8" stems together in those pictures. Wondering if they are genetically related or just got multiple different cuttings into the same pot. It is obvious there are both there in pics one and two.

Thank you for sharing these pictures with us!

I think you're right Cena. I just went over them again, and there's definitely two types of leaf. I have no doubt that Krinkle 8 and compacta are related. It could be that Krinkle 8 was developed first and someone created compacta from that, or the other way around. Either way, they're just beautiful plants with amamzing flowers.

Simply beautiful!

Billy Rae

Just to let everyone know, my Compacta/Krinkle 8 or whatever it is is going through a second blooming flush of about 50 clusters. I post a picture when I can get one.

Wildcat

To all,

OK, here are two pictures of it's second flower flush this year.

Since late May, it has been hanging under a East facing eave at my house. It gets full direct sun until just after 12 noon.

You can tell this by how the leaves look, especially on the upper half. The leaves facing my window are not quite so yellow...not as much sun...I have not turned the plant yet.

When I first put it out, I threw in a big handful of Osmocote. I soak it with the hose, until water flows out the bottom and over the rim, every 3-4 days.

The leaves look pretty sorry, but the plant is obviously very happy. I grow hoya's for the blooms...and the intoxicating chocolate aroma of the flowers.

Someone stopped by that was getting some brumansia cutting from me and love my hoyas so I did cut her off a good 12" long branch with several flowers on prior to this picture.

Enjoy!

Wildcat

{{gwi:947437}}

Wildcat-- your plant looks wonderful! I'm real pleased that mine's up to about a dozen inflorescences or bud clusters, but yours is amazing!

As to the compacta vs. 'Kinkle 8' issue, I suspect that cultural conditions may affect how tightly contorted compacta's leaves grow. I'll link a shot of a portion of one vine on my plant. At the top, there are leaves that twist and fold over on themselves, typical of compacta. Further down, the leaves straighten out and look very much like Krinkle 8, but down a little further yet they become more contorted again (getting out of the shot, but you can see the one cut off at the bottom is more in-folded.) Looking at Wildcat's plant's leaves I see the same sort of thing-- vines with leaves more contorted at certain levels (the base and the tips of her plant) and flatter but dimpled at other levels (toward the center of each vine.) I think it might be a reaction to periods of faster (more light, heat, moisture) and slower (winter) growth.

Here is a link that might be useful: H. compacta vine

Hello OooJen,

You might have a really good idea on that. Now that you mention that, I can see it on my own plant as well.

Either that, or maybe we have a rare hybrid we can sell for tens of thousands of dollars...LOL!

Wildcat

Oh, I like that idea better!!

Your Hoya is absolutely beautiful. My son had one that vined all aroud his kitchen and seemed to be allways blooming. I left mine outside last summer and watered it when they dried out in the winter but still no blooms. I think both my plants are about 4 or 5 years old. The one have lots of vines that are 3'-4' long and the leaves are dark dark green. I recently repotted them in pots with drain holes, moved them closer to the sun by the patio window which gets afternoon sun, and fed them with a middle high number fertilizer. Probably should put them outside for the rest of the summer. I am not sure what kind they are. Will let you know how they do. Will send a pic. Diane

I wish mine smelled like chocolate. Mine's aroma is musty/dusty, like an unairconditioned summer room in need of vacuuming/dusting. Love(?) the look of an exposed, pink brain. Makes for an interesting conversation piece!

Hey John3,

That's bad...if you want a cutting of my chocolate one just let me know...and it's 'snip-snip'!

Wildcat

Has anyone started a Hoya Compacta by seeds from the flower?? If so how long does it take? What is the best way to start it??

Hi Time,

Not the best idea. I myself have only grown Hoya lacunosa from seed, it germinated quickly. But when it as given me it was freshly harvested seed.

From what I hear & read, Hoya seeds are very quick to lose viability. Personally I don't know why, but I've heard this from numerous places.

I'm curious why you ask & would generally suggest to you, you'd fare better from cuttings if you can get them (tr the Exchange Page here for starters.)

Thanks for the answer, I received the seeds from a friend. I really wanted a plant.. I can't find a plant in our area.
thanks for your help.