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Hoyas
kim_wa

Hoya conservancy?

11 years ago

I am in a conservation bio class this term, and its really been making me think a lot about this hobby and possible impacts on native ecosystems. I have started digging into the more scientific literature, and keep finding information about habitat loss and dwindling ranges on many of the species we love so much in the trades.

Don't get me wrong, I want my house full of gorgeous Hoyas as much as the next collector. And I really want to do so in a way that is as sustainable as possible for the ecosystems these plants are native too. In that spirit, I would like to create a discussion around ways to approach this. Does anyone have ideas? I can't seem to find much in the way of conservancy groups for this genus, and sellers don't have much information regarding the plant sourcing. Sure, there is a lot to be said for collectors supporting species continuation, but we all know how dodgy naming can get and i think very few of us could pinpoint our plants origins to a GPS waypoint or other information useful to research and study.

I get as excited over species like H. lockii as anyone, then when I read that the original discoveries of the species pushed in their publication that this species should be declares critically endangered that excitement fades. And it turns to sorrow when I see cuttings from overseas selling for $ 30-50 and likely harvested directly from the wild. We are losing species across the board at such an alarming rate... And the only hope to halt or even slow this is putting our heads together and talking about it, Hoyas or otherwise.

I find very little information on sourcing, I would prefer to buy stock raised stateside than something fresh from the wilds. Sure, has to come from there originally, I get that. I am curious, has anyone thought of this, and what do you do to keep your collection sustainable?

Comments (5)

  • 11 years ago

    In most cases, I don't think you really have to worry about Hoyas becoming endangered. Where they grow and how they grow is conducive to their continuation. There may be a few species that are slow growers, but not too many and I have a feeling in their habitat that they are not slow growers. And I'd bet that the few that are endangered are not endangered due to harvesting but because their surrounding habitat is endangered by deforestation. Then add to that all of us crazy Hoya folks - even if one went extinct in the wild, there are likely hundreds, thousands of that species being grown in homes. I guess it would be kind of like animals in zoos - there could come a time when there are no more (for example) tigers in the wild, but hopefully we can keep them going in captivity...

    Denise in Omaha

  • 11 years ago

    There are many benefits to being enthusiastic about a genus that is essentially weed like, this is true. ;)

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  • 11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Great points, Denise, and I agree. I'm not well traveled in Hoya circles (or history for that matter), but from my experience, there's never been anything akin to tulipmania or The Orchid Thief type of interest in the Hoya genus. This, along with the ease of propagation, gives these guys an advantage.

    Props to you for thinking about it, Kim. One thing I'm doing to make my hobby more sustainable is fabricating a rainwater catchment system (per my city's requirements) to water my Hoyas, a la SRQ. Next step is to invest in solar because I'm that person who wants to run *another* T5 to boost her plants.

  • 11 years ago

    Interesting TG... Many cities are forbidding people from collecting rainwater these days, which seems like a crime against nature to me... Where do you live that they still allow it?


    Denise in Omaha

  • 11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Oops, sorry, I didn't articulate well. My city allows it on a very limited basis, so we are trying to figure out how to fit within the parameters. I agree, it seems counterintuitive to be anything but resource conservative these days.

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