Is there any difference between the bellas with 7 or 8 flowers per umbel? (if that is the property terminology).....i noticed on some of the pics on here and elsewhere on the internet, some show pics of 7 and then some show pics of 8..I was just curious on why that was if anyone knows?
Sandra
umbels
Sandy that might do with the age of the umbel / bel?
It may be that each plant varies, some species are very varieable. It just might be the clone that you have. It also could be as the umbel developes more flowers are formed. Ask Carol, she will know for sure. Norma
Thanks Norma...i was wondering it was the species or just one of those things that happens that has no rhyme or reason to it...
Sandy
Looking up the answer to your question, Sandy...I learned some interesting stuff... H. bella does not keep her peduncles from year to year, but drops them and then forms new ones when she is about to bloom again. There are a few hoyas that do not keep their peduncles...
Usually when people speak of flowers per umbel there is a spread....like 6-9 or 55-66. Although I had a H. australis ssp. Tenuipes bloom once with 146 flowers on the umbel...it was HUGE. In a picture in Chris Burtons' "Hoyas I Know and Love", there are two umbels of H. bella with the leaves...one has 7 flowers and the other has 8.
So...perhaps she put those two variables in the photo on purpose. That I don't know....but the numbers of flowers per umbel can vary.
Hope this helps. :o)
Yes that is interesting Carol, thank you for answering....i was just curious...I thought maybe because of different variety of Hoya bella within the species would cause it to have either 7 or 8 but i guess just one of those things....why i asked it as this one i was looking at on mine had 7 then when i went to look up the pic on here, there was one with 8 flowers....as for your australis, 146 flowers must of been just massive....i can't even imagine...it would of been very showy for sure.....well thats one more thing i learned :)
Sandy
I didn't know that Bella is one of those Hoya that don't keep the umbel. I did notice that it only flowers on new growth. One more bit of information. This is a first one that I owned. Norma
Do any Hoya species grow any blooms on old growth?...now that may be a silly question.....
I would sure like to get to the point of actually having one bloom then dropping off when its done instead of blasting it before it gets to blooming...lol....its getting close though!
Sandra
I have quite a few that bloom along old stems.
Sandy, try these: when the umbel is forming, don't let the plant dry out at all; keep it away from sudden drafts (outdoors is OK, they seem to know it)...but doors or windows opening suddenly can send a hoya into a tizzy; keep it misted if your environment is dry. Don't change its location when it is forming an umbel...it is happy...
Good luck!
I was curious if some hoyas bloomed along old stems....thats interesting to know....and I have been trying to keep it happy and misting it too!.....I guess misting does help.....I am leaving the bella where it is but its getting kinda big for my sill...i know i am going to get a pic of it when it happens....lol..thanks Carol
Sandy