Staci,

I don't think you've made any mistakes. Granted, most people think you shouldn't cut back Hoyas, but I do it all the time - just make sure you're not cutting off any of the peduncles (the old places where they bloomed before, as they will rebloom from the same location...) And repotting wasn't a bad idea either - they need some additional room once in awhile and giving them moor root-room will eventually translate into more growth above the soil line.

Is your Hoya the variegated one or the plain green? What exposure are you giving it? You say no direct sun - is it sitting in from the window or close to the glass? If it bloomed when your dad had it, it's pouting for some reason and you should try to closely duplicate your dad's care of it. I don't know how dry you let it get, but I used to let mine get pretty dry and after I read an article that said Hoyas need more water than so-called "authorities" claim, I started watering mine more and started seeing good growth and blooms. So I would start letting it only begin to dry out. And do you feed it? Have you tried Eleanor's VF-11?? If you don't know about it, do a search of this site for some feedback, and google it to find it on-line.

I think it's interesting that your dad called it "Christ's Tears." I remember about 20 years ago, my husband's aunt took one look at my Hoya and said, "Oh look, a Jesus' Tears plant." I'd never heard that name and haven't since (until now!)

Denise in Omaha

Denise:
Thanks so much for responding. I don't see any peduncles. It is possible that I cut above them when I trimmed. I did that about 7 years ago, way before I knew anything about hoyas. I did get a few flowers about 6 years ago, but nothing like it used to and nothing since. New vines will start to grow, but after a couple of feet they just dry up to where they started.
I believe it is a variegated, the flowers look just like the bunch on the opening hoya forum page. I keep it in a small bathroom that gets lots of light from one window that faces southwest. It sits about 5 foot from the floor and about 5 feet from the window. It has been in this location for about 3 years now. I thought maybe the move from my dads and then the move to a new house might have "upset" it so I have left it in the bathroom. I used to let it get alot dryer than I do now, mostly watering about every week or so. I have not tried feeding it, I guess since it seemed like it was barely hanging on I never thought about it. My father had at least 5 different plants, all dead now except for my sad little plant. The vines on all of them were over 10 foot and would be covered in flowers when they bloomed. He kept them on a sun porch that he barely heated in the winter but would get really warm in the summer (in southern Illinois)
I appreciate your help and any other help that may come along. I find it really interesting to hear that someone else referred to it as a Christs/Jesus' tears plant!

I've never heard that name before, interesting. I wonder why the tears reference, like maybe nectar dripping?

When was the last time you changed the mix? Could that be the problem if it's several years old. Does the mix harden when it dries, can the plant really drink?

PG - once I got my Hoya kerrii to bloom, it occurred to me that maybe the reference to "Jesus' Tears" may have come along after someone saw that one bloom since it drips heavy red nectar.

Staci - I'm going to guess your Hoya wants more light. If your dad kept it on a sunporch, that's a lot more light than 5' in from a window. I grow almost all my Hoyas so they rest against the glass. A few grow hanging from the cieling, but not more than 18" in from the glass. And one more thing - since it seems to be doing poorly (I'm not sure why it would produce new vines that would then die back...), I would take several cuttings where it's healthy and start a new plant. This way, if the old one doesn't make it, you'll still have a part of it. It's not the best time of year to start cuttings, so if you could wait until about March, they'd root quicker. But if you feel it's in a downward spiral, I'd take the cuttings right away.

Denise in Omaha

Hi there,
Sorry to intrude but may I ask what Hoya are you referring to as christ tears? I thought it was the Hoya serpens that was called christ tears but I am only quite new at growing Hoyas so I'm still at the learning stage,thankyou Karen...

Thanks to everyone for the info!
PG: I figured it was called that from the nectar that drips from the flowers when they bloom, but I really know nothing about hoyas and just kinda muddle my way through-obvious huh? The reason I replanted it was because there wasn't any mix really even in the pot. It was so rootbound, that when I watered it, the water ran right through. I figured that no matter what the plant, that can't be a good thing.
Denise: It could be the light thing. I can try switching it with a different plant I have in the window. It isn't really dying, it just isn't growing. It has been the same for over 5 years now. It has a few vines that are about 2 feet long with nice dark green leaves with white/light spots. When the vines start to grow longer, they grow about a foot to 18 inches then start to dry up from the end and keep dying until it reaches the original starting point. That's why I didn't move it. I thought maybe the new growth was getting bumped in its old location but it is still doing it.
Kazzy: I believe it is a rubra but I really don't know for sure. It isn't a serpens, I do know that. It's been a long time since it bloomed but if I remember correctly, it looks alot like the ones on the opening hoya forum page-if you get that pic.

KazzyKaren - When it comes to common names, you can never really be sure which one they're referring to. It could even be many. The old common name for Hoyas was "Wax Plant", which I think has been given to various ones by people who don't care to learn the botanical name. When my husband's aunt used the "Jesus' Tears" name, she was looking at a plain green carnosa. But as I said, I have a feeling the first person who pegged that name may have been looking at a kerrii because of the dark red sap. But who really knows? My favorite common name for Hoyas is "Porcelain Flower" as I think it aptly describes the perfection of the flowers.

Denise in Omaha

Hi Denise,Staci & everyone else,
Thankyou for explaining that to me as I am pretty new to growing Hoyas and I just love the name "jesus Tears" it sounds so sweet,Thanks again,and a very,very happy 2008 to everyone in the Hoya forum...Karen....

I had been given a plant from a 102 yr old woman. She also called the plant "Christ's tears". I have found the true name to be Stephanotis florabunda. Check into this if you wish. I think this is perhaps the plant you were given.