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popmama

Curtisii rescue story

I bought this curtisii from the Lowe's clearance rack for $5 this summer. It was horribly overwatered. Honestly, I'm not even sure it was worth $5 but I just couldn't leave it there. I brought it home, repotted it and left it outside all summer. Yesterday, I spent about 30 minutes trimming all the dead and dying stems and foliage off it and this is all that's left. This will be the "chronicles of a struggling curtisii".



Comments (31)

  • moonwolf_gw
    3 years ago

    Give it some time and a little TLC and it should bounce back. I think I tried growing it once, the little tiny plant that it was, and it got too dry. This one seems to like it drier and brighter, almost succulent level. Hard to do in the dark and dreary winter.


    I'm actually on the hunt for a Hoya linearis, myself. The flowers on it are just too fabulous to not try to attempt to grow. I just ordered a Monstera adansonii off of Etsy today, so I'm anxiously awaiting until it gets here. Thought I'd try something new to mix among the Hoyas :).


    Brad AKA Moonwolf

  • popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Brad, I actually am propagating some linearis right now. If you can wait about a month, I should have one to give. It would be small. But I'm willing to ship and share. I will take some pictures tomorrow for you. I put 3-4 cuttings in each pot so hoping they will amount to a decent little plant.

    I have several adansonii. I seem to be obsessed with them right now as well. I bought one on a totem a few months back and since then, I acquired two other small propagations at local plant meet-ups. Post pics when you get yours!

  • popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Here are the three pots of


    linearis propagations. The other two items in here are a hoya bella cutting and african violet babies. I've been told that the linearis take about a month or so to root and show signs of new growth this way. We shall see.

    I also put a longer cutting in leca and it has already rooted. But it is a single strand. These pots have 3-4 cuttings each.

  • Bill M.
    3 years ago

    Ive never had luck with linearis. I tried them in sphagnum and they all died. I see a lot of people grow them, but for me, the two cuttings I was given just didn't root unfortunately. Best of luck with yours.


  • popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    William, the leca worked for rooting the one long cutting. If you ever get another cutting, you might try it. I used a small orchid pot inside a small yogurt cup. I retain about 1/2" of water in the bottom and it's under a grow light.




    I confirmed I can see at least one root has formed.

    The others are in soil in a jar to retain some humidity. I worry about them rotting but so far they have not.

  • popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    I think I'll make a new thread for Linearis experiments.

  • Bill M.
    3 years ago

    Popmama, sorry for the long delay, but I just saw your post. I really like the leca cup within a cup idea. If I manage to get some cuttings of any hoyas in the future, I will be sure to use your idea. Thank you.

    popmama (Colorado, USDA z5) thanked Bill M.
  • popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Update: every time I would go to water this curtisii, it looked worse. I'd cut out the dead parts and it just dwindled further. Today, I removed the three parts that looked good and put them in leca. Last ditch effort here.

  • Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)
    3 years ago

    Good luck!! Those small leave ones are so hard to keep happy at times. Keep us posted ok... MIke

    I have had luck with just straight peat moss moist and plain sphagnum moist in warm conditions.


    popmama (Colorado, USDA z5) thanked Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)
  • popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    I have two other curtisii. This one was trouble from the start! i've been tempted to toss it at least six times. But I just can't seem to give up on it. If I can keep these three pieces alive and showing signs of new growth, then I will probably give them away or try to use them to trade fro something else.

  • Carri Gallagher
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Wow! A post discussing Curtisii, Linearis & Adansonii? All at once? Paths to my heart, My little collection of Hoya & other tropicals Is smallish (compared to what I’d like it to be), but it’s always growing-and I’m always looking for fun new plant trading friends. if anybody decides they’d like to swap, I hope they let me know.

    (and yes-I’m SUPER new around here and have no clue about protocol. Please excuse & ignore me if I’m out of line. I’m not trying to be😁)


    Happy Gardening!


    popmama (Colorado, USDA z5) thanked Carri Gallagher
  • Bill M.
    3 years ago

    Carrie, welcome. We aim to please! 🤣

    Hang around on here, listen and ask questions, and there is a wealth of knowledge to be had.

    Stay well and stay safe.

    Enjoy....

  • Carri Gallagher
    3 years ago

    Thank you for the warm welcome Bill! I guess I finally got fed up enough with my other gardening site that I wandered over here. I’ve been lurking for quite some time, just never ventured any further in. Glad I finally did. So much info to absorb! I’m sure my plants will love it. I’ve got a small backyard area in which to house a whole lot of tropicals-and said yard is pretty much desert-adjacent so I can use all the info I can get😊

  • Bill M.
    3 years ago

    I know what you mean about some sites. They can be a real pain in the butt at times! I'm a member of some Special Forces sites (I'm former SF) and you should hear us go at it, but something as inoculus as a garden site shouldn't have to get nasty.


    You'll find the people here are very helpful and there's a free exchange of information. We all share the same hobby and we all try to help each other.


    I've learned a lot just from browsing the topics and just looking at the pictures.


    You stay well and looking forward to seeing and hearing about some of your plants.


    Bill M....



  • popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Welcome, Carrie! The more the merrier. Start a thread. Post a picture. Ask a question. Whatever! The best way to keep the forum alive is to keep it active! This forum has been around for years and years. I've read posts 12 years old and more. I'm a relative newbie to hoyas. But happy to have the resources here and kinship!

  • Carri Gallagher
    3 years ago

    Thank you! I absolutely will!

  • moonwolf_gw
    3 years ago

    Welcome, Carri! Tropicals can be fun, especially the Hoyas. They're very addicting. I have mostly Hoyas, but there's a few others in there, as well. My favorite non-Hoya right now is my String of Hearts. That's one house plant I think everyone should try (outside of Hoyas). I've been here since '09, and I've made some great friends here.


    Brad AKA Moonwolf

  • Carri Gallagher
    3 years ago

    Very nice to meet you Brad. It started because my man thought the Hindu Rope “looked like a cool houseplant”-and just snowballed. They really are addictive! I decided to lay off adding any for awhile when I lost track of how many I have & which pots they’re in (cuttings went into hanging pots with other cuttings so I have at least 4 hanging pots that contain a sort of Hoya amalgam). The man wasn’t too happy when his Rope turned into a patio plant instead of a house plant, but the Rope’s certainly happier. It’s gained about 4’ in about 3 years & blooms like a monster. Gotta love the Hoyas!

    Strings of hearts are lovely, aren’t they? I have an obscene collection of succulents (because SoCal). The intention was to sell but usps & Covid kinda put a damper on that for the year. I love them but wow there’s a lot. Sadly, we recently had a plant accident that wiped out a giant hanger full of trailing succulents. My lovely little hearts were lost in the battle (among other things-but I miss those most).

    My babies though are my Passion vines. The vines are gorgeous, the flowers are insane, the fragrances are intoxicating, the fruit...meh-it’s well loved by other people😉—and for most of the year my yard is a butterfly bonanza. Passis are harder to collect because they need so much room, but they’re just as addictive as Hoya.

    I’ve got all sorts of other lovely plants too, but the Passis & Hoyas (and all these succulents) are pretty much my main focus.

  • popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    That sounds like the makings for a beautiful garden, Carri! I'm so envious of your ability to grow so many things outdoors year round!

  • Carri Gallagher
    3 years ago

    Thank you! It soothes my soul. It only recently really dawned on me that plant people in most of the country have to overwinter & plan well in advance & contend with seasonal changes in general. I’m in awe of that. My garden is only impressive because of the growing conditions. I don’t think I’d be a quarter as successful if I had to factor in all their seasonal needs. Don’t get me wrong-I appreciate my handicap, but I do recognize it😁

  • Bill M.
    3 years ago

    Carri - I grew a passion vine one year on my back deck. It's a full southern exposure and the plants received full sun during the day. I live in eastern PA. The vine grew like a weed and bloomed profusely. They truly are amazing flowers. I never got any fruit on it because there aren't any pollinators here, but that didn't matter as it was grown for the flowers alone. Unfortunately, once fall and winter arrives it had to come inside and sadly didn't make it through the winter. I can imagine how your yard looks filled with these vines. Oh to live in a warmer climate....


    Enjoy your holidays and keep posting.



  • stupidlazydog CT zone 5b/6a
    3 years ago

    Popmama, curtsii is one I don't have. I sure wouldn't have been able to resist a $5 one, no matter the condition. Well, maybe if it was dead I wouldn't buy it :-)

    I admire all the Passifloras whenever I go to Logee's. I have tried to grow them in the past, but they never do well over the winter for me.

    I do have a M. adansonii, love those holy leaves! I've been wondering how it would do with a moss pole to climb on. Wonder if the leaves would be larger. I may start a cutting and try it out.

    Here's mine...

    I had it on a table outside last summer, and by September the stems were long enough to trail on the ground. I kept stepping on them, so I whacked it back. I should have started a cutting then.

  • popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    What was left of the rescue curtisii did fine in leca. It looked pretty good. Last week, one of my plant friends mentioned that she wanted one. So I gave it to her. It's not a lot, but it was free to her. If she finds a larger one later, then she can give away the small one or use it for a trade.


    I have two other curtisii. One is a decent sized one that I purchased in a 5" pot. Then I have my "special" one that I grew from cuttings from my friend's nursery. That one has thicker leaves. I guess because it came from a more mature plant. Not sure.


    When spring comes, I'd be happy to send you some cuttings from my larger one if you are interested.


    Yes you should definitely have started a cutting of that lovely adansonii! I have seen many grown on poles and they do seem to really love that. But I also like your hanging one. I have one that I purchased and it was already on a plank of wood. It struggled for a while until someone told me that I probably needed to water the wood plank because it may be depleting water from the plant. So I started taking the whole pot into my sink and showering the plant and the pole with my sink sprayer. And well, I'm happy to report that she was right! It is a lot happier now. It is growing new leaves at the top and they are nice and big leaves. So, the moral of this story is that if you do put it on a pole, don't forget to water the pole.





  • Carri Gallagher
    3 years ago

    Brad-I have an Alatocaerulea currently taking over my front porch. I love the big fat creamy looking petals & I’m a fan of their fragrance as well. It’s an awesome hybrid-all the beauty of the caerulea, but at the size of the alatas (they’re in my back yard). I’ve got a incarnata hybrid called Blue Velvet that I just love. Not sure about it’s weather needs, but I know incarnatas weather well. When the weather warms & the postal service chills out, if you’d like cuttings from it just hit me up. It’s lovely. And a monster. And a flower monster. It’s also getting on in its years so I’ll be cloning...just as soon as I start cutting. I also have some actual incarnata seeds if you decide you want to grow some. I’ve got plenty more than I need-and they’re best used fresh so...time!

  • Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)
    3 years ago

    Popmama, I meant to tell you that I actually bought two from E-bay and got them in great condition. Within two weeks they rotted sitting on top of the peat mix and now I only have one little piece left. I'll take a pic. Poor pathetic thing.

  • Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)
    3 years ago

    Stupidlazydog, I had NO idea you were into Hoya like me, well maybe I just forgot. lol. Hope you are doing well my friend. Beautiful plants as always.

  • Tika Land
    3 years ago

    Popmama, I received a curtisii on Thursday and it’s in bad shape. I repotted it and am thinking I might need to put it leca. Here is a pic. I am not sure it will live 😩 Any tips would be appreciated. I did get a refund on this sad plant.


  • popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Some of the stems look like they have good, healthy leaves on it. Some don't look so great. You could leave it for a while and see how it does, then take the healthy parts and put them in leca if you see decline.

  • Tika Land
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Thank you!! I have a couple stems that had no roots so I will put those in leca to try to save them.

  • popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Good idea! I hope it works. I was able to trade the ones I saved to a plant friend who was happy to have them.

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