I love my Hoya Carnosa. It resides in my porch (unheated in winter) and
really copes with my gross neglect. I leave it alone all winter and water
when I remember, spring to summer. The perfume wafts through the house as
if an air freshener. Just a leaf shoved in the soil around the plant, will
take root. It is very easy to cultivate but is slow to grow - then if you
feed it, it runs away. I think the purple or magenta Hoya is called Hoya
Imperialis. I have never heard of the other one.
"Matthew Durkin" wrote in message
...
"jane" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 21:54:04 GMT, "Matthew Durkin"
wrote:

~Hi All,
~I recently purchased my first hoya plant (I don't think it will be my
~last!). I love the lush foliage, and am looking forward to the highly
~scented flowers that I'm lead to believe they get (mine had 2 tags -
~australis and carnosa - difficult to distinguish I think before flower,
~though I think it's an autralis).

My best advice is DON'T place the plant over upholstery, carpets or
nice wooden surfaces.

Those flowers drip lots of sticky nectar, onto the leaves (which then
go black with sooty mould) and onto everything below, and I'm sure you
won't want to ruin your carpets. It's a total nuisance for this.

Mine is about 10' long and in the tiled conservatory. The flowers pong
at night like cat pee.

Don't deadhead the flower stalks as the next flush grows on the same
stalk.

Clean leaves regularly with clean water and a sponge.

~
~I have a few of questions:
~Does anyone know where I could buy hoya seeds in the UK? Can't seem to
find
~anyone with a range of different seeds. I like growing things from seed
so
~any advice here much appreciated!
~Failing the seeds, does anyone know any place in the UK with a good
range
of
~plants?

I'm tempted to say you can have mine (a carnosa I think) and welcome.
It's got to the point of having 20-30 flower clusters per flush, and
I'm sick of cleaning up after it. You anywhere near the Chilterns?

~Also, if anyone has a Hoya macgillivrayi and wouldn't mind taking a
cutting
~for me please let me know!! It has wonderful big purple flowers and is
~nicely scented.
~I've also been looking for books on hoyas. Can't seem to find any at a
~reasonable price - advice here much appreciated also.
~Finally - what is everyone's favourite hoya? Seems they're not that
comon
so
~I'd be interested to know if there are any fellow hoya fans out
there...

I like the flowers - but think mine was crossed with a triffid.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

Sadly I'm not near the chilterns and I may already have a carnosa. I've
heard of them sometimes having bad smelling flowers - I think it depends
on
the exact species and to some extent luck of the draw!!
I have mine wound around a circle so it's quite neat - copefully the
carnage
will be less than what you experience when it flowers.