I have big Mac. and Archi. I found them easy to grow, I keep them dry in winter, bright light.
sue

I have Hoya macgillivrayi, archboldiana and imperalis and I would say that Hoya macgillivrayi and imperalis are the easier of the three to grow. I got a nice cutting of Hoya obtusifolia this spring and I am hoping that it grows as well as my Hoya imperalis has.

Mike

For me H. imperialis was the fast grower out of the four I have, MacGillivrayi,Archboldiana, and Onychoides grows about the same rate for me...Onychoides flowered the soonest as far as how long I've had it.

I grow it similar to Sue...dryish in winter and regular watering/fertilizer (moist)when its warm/hot.

The imperialis is the only one I've had trouble with. It grows fine during the summer but one died on me once in the fall. I would not be surprised that if ones conditions stay on the warm side, no problems are experienced. Mine dip a little cold, so I have to be protective of temperate species. I find macgillivrayi and archibolidiana and onychoides all easy. I let them dry out.

I do find these three more attractive, too, leafwise. And their vines are nice and thin and flexible.

Where would be the best place to obtain a particular variety? Should I trust the local HD or best to order from someone online? Also may I ask how to take the now very long branches of my new discovery and wrap them up or tie them up so I can move it safely and then it can stay that way.. and (greedyghost) Thanks for your response to my first timer ques. and to answer yours, I'm quite sure my surprise is a carnosa!

/Eileen.

I responded to your questions in a new thread. ^_^

Here is a link that might be useful: Carnosa Care (For Eileen)

you got mail
sue

GG you are too funny - the warm lovers you try to keep in that icebox you call home. I swear I could not live in those temps you keep in your home. I keep my temps around 74 in the 'winter' here. The idea of keeping indoor temps in the 50's and 60's at night make me shiver, LOL

Dee

True, but when you walk into the house from below zero temps knowing that you can see, smell, and touch all the glorious green vines growing all around you, all efforts make it so worthwhile. I don't think I could live in Minnesota if I could not grow plants indoors.

Lisa

Yes, I am quite crazy with some of my selections. I went through a phase after imperialis died, where I insisted (to myself) that I wasn't going to take on any more temperate Hoyas. Well, that didn't last long! They won't ever perform as well for me as they do for someone with a better location, but it's still fun to see their pretty little faces. ^_^

And Lisa put it very well, there's nothing like shaking the snow off your boots and finding yourself in a mini tropical oasis!

Plus, if you shiver at 50s and 60s, keep in mind that I turn into a sulky irritable slug in temperatures over 75. >_

Potting soil, pH and light intensity has a lot to do with the flowering aspect of hoyas.
Montane species tend to like a cool drop in night time temperatures, even if just ten degrees. Lowland and bog hoyas tend to flower prior to a dry season and usually seed during the wet. Of course most hobbyists can't duplicate this but the plants don't know it. After the first thousand years, it's a habit hard to break.

I would define large flowered hoyas like Hoya lauterbachii, gigas, imperialis. These species really requires good light and heat. I know the Swedish Hoya Society can make many "difficult" species grow and flwoer with what seems with ease. I believe it is because they are blessed with high light intensities during the winter (or summer) months with the extended daylengths and foot candles.
Medium would be most of the eriostemmas, the mac-arch group, etc.
This group of plants really needs to be broken down into their subgenus groups and recognized as such. This would make sense in crossing species to like species for successful pollination.