Hoyas must thrive on rain and neglect because that’s what they have gotten this summer. The plants have more blooms than ever.
I love how shiny the surface looks.
The complex structure looks like an umbrella underneath.
I hung these in my workshop over the winter. No trimming. The blooms emerge from the trailing tips of the vines.
FLOWER
Why does the Hoya hang its head and hide its pretty face?
These beautiful umbels must be lifted to appreciate the wax-like flowers.
Another name for this type of plant is wax plant. They are named for Thomas Hoy from England.
These epiphytes look right at home hanging from the branches of trees.
During the winter, they hang in my laundry room.
FLOW
The blooms of the hoya do not look real.
They are complex and shiny.
They emerge from the stems that hang down below the main part of the plant.
They are best viewed from below, which means the plant must be hung high.
Flow
I love plants with variegated leaves.
That means that the leaves have patches that are not green.
The non-green parts can be white, yellow or other colors.
The point is that the non-green parts lack chlorophyll.
That means that an all white leaf makes no food of its own.
Therefore, all white leaves are parasites on the rest of the plant’s resources.
When this occurs, the pure white parts should be removed.
FLOWHITE
What a lovely spot to wait for lunch!
This Crab Spider needs no web. She is waiting for her food to be delivered.
She patiently sits inside this Hoya bloom
for an unsuspecting moth to stop by for a snack.
Then the moth becomes a meal.
Seems like the moth should notice the carcass dangling below.
Sneaky spider!
FLOWER
I have never had a Hoya that bloomed until now.
I think the secret is to ignore them. This one could not be reached with the hose.
My other three show no signs of blooming.
I first spotted little brown clusters hanging down from the stems.
Then the clusters enlarged and turned a pale shiny pink.
Then one by one the flowers opened to reveal the red, star centers.
The cluster slowly became a beautiful ball.
Today the clusters of flowers were fully open.
This is a real thrill!
FLOWER has a new flower.
floweralley 