Sounds like you've got penduncles growing. I have a serpens and that's what it grows. Except my buds blast way before their time! :o(

I had trouble recognizing my hoya flowers too when they first emerged.....sounds like flowers, I actually thought mine were dead and dry, but they grew and flowered. If you see the little balls, it probably is some flowers.

Here is a pic I found, that almost has the little ball things showing. Hope this helps

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f75/langlin/peduncle.jpg

Here is a link that might be useful:

Tammy are they hard to grow?

Trace the buds on my hoya look almost like the one in the picture, the only difference is that my hoya ones are a little bit bigger, and the part that keeps them attached to the branch is longer, it looks like a "C". Well it sounds like im going to have flowers soon. That makes me very happy.
Do you know how long it takes since you first notice the bud until it actually opens? Thanks.

Nuribi,

My serpens is revving up to flower, too. I have many peduncles forming, and one that is on the verge of blooming. They look different at differnt stages. At first, they just look like a stem without a leaf. Then they start to look a little furry at the end of the stem. Then you can see definite seperations of the "furry" parts, which are the individual flowers of a bloom. Mine has been developing for a few weeks now - I've seen them take up to 6 weeks from the "furry" look to full open flowers. Be patient - it's just a matter of time!

Denise in Omaha

Hi Denise!
Is any particular color on the bud? My hoya's buds are red, but I don't see any "furry" stuff on them. I guess I have to be patient, but being this my first flower it is getting very hard to be patient. =)

Nuribi,

If you can see the color, it's past the "furry" stage. It looks furry just as the tip of the peduncle starts to grow - at this stage, you're seeing the individual flower pedicels (I think that's the right word for them...)

This is my first flowering of serpens, too, but from the pics I've seen, they should be white and fuzzy. However, the flower buds on mine look dark, too, so I'm a little perplexed. Maybe someone with experience blooming serpens can help clear it up for us...

Denise in Omaha

Denise,
I noticed today that my hoya's buds have changed. They have been growing and don't look as redish as they used to. It is easier to see the details on them. I can see now how the individual flower pedicels started to grow and I noticed that little furry part. I just need some more patience with this little tiny flowers=). How are yours doing?

Nuribi,

The buds themselves have lightened in the last couple of days. They look on the verge of opening. It has several other peduncles - I wasn't getting my hopes up too high until this one started to devlope because I've had peduncles on it for the last year or so that haven't activated. Maybe this will catapult it into a bloom cycle!

Denise in Omaha

I've gotten to the age where I don't see as well as I used to. Cheaters help but when I really want to see what my hoyas are doing I have an opti-visor (like jewelers use) that has better magnification. I've also caught mealy bugs with the opti-visor. I don't know what I'd do w/o it.

Hi Nuribi, Serpens is easy to grow, if you don't give it too much water, and out of direct sunlight. Mine is in a garden window and does get direct sunlight for a few minutes each day, it seems to be happy there. Now if I can get rid of those pesky ahpids!

Hello ladies!

Denise, I hope you get alot of flowers this year. My serpens has only 2 buds, I got the plant last year off the internet and it is very healthy. It is very small to be flowering.

Laura, I use a magnifying glass to see the buds all the time. It is very hard to see them without any 'cheaters'.

Tammy I am careful to dont give too much water to my serpens. Now that it has buds I dont know if I should give it a little more water or keep it the same. The leaves look wrinkled, like it needs water, but the soil is still a little damp. Have you had serpens flowers before? How long it takes for the buds to open? Well like I have said bafore, it is very hard for me to be patient with this little one, since these 2 are my first hoya flowers. =)

Nuribi, this paticular hoya has bloomed for me once after I purchased it. It's beautiful. But now all I get is bud blast. It has ahpids, which I'm treating with houseplant pest killer. I gently sparyed the tips of the growing vines. If it's really hot where you live, wait a week before watering thoroughly. TammyPie

Tammy, I hope you can kill those aphids. It is so sad to see how our plants fight bugs. We always want to help them to do it easier.
I have no problems with mine so far because I have all my hoyas indoors. Im not sure if it is good for them. I have a very big window to the east, so my carnosas and lacunosa can enjoy an early nice sun. I have my 3 little hoyas (serpens, tsangii and another lacunosa) in an indoor greenhouse. They seem to be very happy there. They have and avarage of 75% humidity in there, thats why I dont water them so often, even now when the serpens have 2 buds. Indoors I get 80+ degrees when I am not at home, and when Im here I try to keep it under 70. I will water my serpens once a week as you recomended. Hopefully we will both have flowers soon!

At long last... My serpens has opened. The flower color isn't much to get excited about - I'd call it an off-white with a green tinge.
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The fragrance, though, is pretty spectacular, I must admit. I stood there in the sunroom, drinking in the scent thinking, "I KNOW this smell! What IS it?!" It took me a few minutes, but I figured it out - smells like star-gazer lillies to me.

Denise in Omaha

Beautiful flowers Denise!!! Thank you for sharing. The flowers look bigger than the plant...is that correct? It is very nice to know they have a spectacular fragrance. I need some more patience to be able to wait to see mine. I will post some pics too.

Very nice Denise! Don't you love digital photography? You can see how PERFECT the blooms are!
I know what you mean about fragrance. A few weeks ago I was at my computer and it finally dawned on me I was smelling the lacanosa that had opened!

Nice blooms Denise!

I have some of my hoyas upstairs in my bedroom with a south facing window, they get a tad of that hot sun with tons of light, plus these days it's been really hot, the temp in the house got up to 82 degrees. I gave my hoyas a good soaking yestersay, and will do it again on the 15th - every two weeks. I also put a small container filled with water next to the hoyas, so they get some humidity.

Hope everyone is keeping cool where they are. We are haveing a heat wave here in So. CA - the temps may get up to the upper 90's here.

Tammy,

Wow, every two weeks?! The ones I have in the house (where we keep it cool, cool, COOL) get watered once a week pretty much year round. I don't like to let them get too dry... The ones in the GH get water every few days as they're out in the heat. It's hard to keep up with the watering in the GH this time of year as I have lots of other succulents to stay on top of also.

That little serpens, though, is a bugger. I've found it's a tough one to water right. The fine line between too much water, which causes the leaves to yellow and drop, and too little water, which makes them dry up, is like walking a tight-rope! It's been doing pretty good lately - I put it in the sunroom late this winter because I read they don't like it real hot, and I think between the cooler temp and the ceiling fan that blows constantly, I've got the right conditions now.

Denise in Omaha

Denise, I'll try too wait two weeks, since I have my hoyas a really good soaking. If they get too dry out, I'll wait after a week. My Serpens is very forgiving, I can water her or let her dry out, she seems happy and now wants to put out buds. If they will stop blasting, and bloom like she did once, I'd be happy. TammyPie

The flowers haven't opened yet. Im still waiting....

Denise, I think those flowers are beautiful. Even the color, and I love the fuzzy little edges

I think I have lost the 2 flowers...the buds look so dry, they are still on the plant but not looking good at all... =(