I know someone will know this one. I went to pickup some orchids and saw this blooming in their house. He was generous enough to give me two cuttings. It had white little flowers blooming. I thought it was soooo neat!
:) Donna
Look what I found today!
Ooooh that is very nice foliage Donna. Great find! Can't wait to hear what the experts say. :)
It looks like the Hoya bella I just got in the Secret Hoya trade from Sandy.
P.S. It's lovely. I love mine.
This message was edited Aug 20, 2005 6:12 PM
Thanks, Donna and nightowl2. I can't wait to.
:) Donna
sounds like your bella are doing well Sandy...i am so glad..do your cuttings have any new growth on them yet?.....I have to agree, it looks like a H. bella to me.....looks like its got some wee blooms on it too....
Sandy
How come the leaves are so light in color? I have a Hoya lanceolata bella and it is much darker. Is this some special cultivar?
Hoya bella should smell wonderful !! That was a nice find.
They are pretty dependable for growth and blooming. You will enjoy it.
I know when i have grown my bella in a window versus under fluorescent lights, that in the window, the foliage is much lighter than under the lights......and edited to agree with Horsewoman that it smells very pretty when in bloom....:)
This message was edited Aug 20, 2005 7:54 PM
Congratulations!!! How lucky for you. Great find.
Carol
Thanks, Everyone! Shucks, I was hoping I had something neat that you all didn't have. I thought the dark vein in the middle and the little leaves was so cool.
:) Donna
If you grow your bella in low light, the green should match the center vein....
Is it better to grow them in an area with lover light levels?
The gentleman that I got the cuttings from had his plant right by the East window.
:) Donna
Watch out for spider mites! Bella is one of the few hoyas that ever seem to get them. Bellas also love moisture.
Lovely Bella Donna......I've just got one rooted cutting (so far;).
Thanks, Pam!
:) Donna
My olfactory glands must be different. Everyone says H. bella smells great. I have 2 huge ones and they are both have tons of blooms right now. I have sniffed them in the morning in mid day, even late at night......nothing! I cannot for the life of me detect any scent from them at all.
Also on the subject of scent, one thing I have noticed about hoya flowers is that they smell best right after the flower first opens. Then as days dwindle on...the scent gets less and less. Also, most smell stronger at night or very early in the AM.
Marcy
Nightowl2, lover light levels are the best for anything!!!
For me, they do best in the filtered shade with bright INDIRECT light (they aren't IN it but they can see it).
And LOTS and LOTS of water. They come from an area that rains a lot!!! Mine grows outside under a tree in really really lose soil and it is rained on every night. It is 3 feet long and blooms constantly!
Yes, they do love water. However, I did drown one once by having it in too heavy a soil and keeping it too wet. The roots do like to breath too.
What I found works best is nice loose soil mix and then sit the pot in a bigger pot or big saucer. When I water, I let the water run through until there is a cople of inches of water in the saucer/pot under it and I leave it there. When that bottom tray gets dry again, I wait only a day or so & then I water again the same way. When I am rooting them, I leave their little perilte cups sitting in a dish of water. I treat wee-bella the same & have had good luck with it doing this way.
However, I also did NOT have luck with the variegated one. It must be very touchy to water needs or soil, or something. Anyway, I don't think I will try it again. Not worth the frustration of trying to figure it out. I have too many others that are doing great. Ha. Also, one reason I adore hoyas is that they are so easy to care for and so forgiving, so when I get one that gives me trouble...hey....just don't need that one.
Marcy
GREAT philosophy Marcy!!! You are right...I don't think the variegated one is so forgiving.
I have had two hoyas I just couldn't get along with: H. hypolasia and H. linearis. Man...I killed more than I can count!!! So, when I found a little pot of H. linearis I had lost in the garage, growing like crazy (dry)...I started to ignore my bigger pot and LO and behold...it started growing like crazy!!! I coddled the H. hypolasia, moving it in the GH but it was never happy. So I took it outside, hung it on a bamboo branch and forgot about it...it has 2 peduncles now and had grown VERY well. Some just like to be victims, I guess. OK by me!
Carol