You never know where you're going to find hoyas.

This past year I got interested in brugmansias and have ended up with a rather large number of them. Most were either cuttings or seeds that I started so I've been scrambling to find bigger and bigger pots for them. I like the black ones that you get from nurseries when you buy plants. A neighbour told me that she would often see them either for free or really cheap at garage sales so, needless to say, I've been heading off to garage sales the last few Saturday mornings. It's true....I've found about 2 dozen so far and some of them are really nice and large.

A couple of weeks ago a lady had a bunch of houseplants for sale. I looked to see if there were any hoyas, of course, and when I mentioned that she ran into the house and brought out a lovely big hoya. I asked if she would sell me a cutting and she said I could have the whole plant for $10. I said it was very nice and she said it was her favourite houseplant. I didn't want to take her favourite houseplant so I said I only wanted a cutting. So she snipped a piece off and gave it to me.

It looks a bit like my pubicalyx 'pink silver' because the leaves are long and narrow but they're smaller and don't have as many silver blotches. Can you identify them just by their leaves?

Last Saturday there was a lady selling hoya carnosa and Rat-tail cactus cuttings for 50 cents each. I bought one of each. I think going to garage sales might be dangerous. LOL

Sandy

You are sure making some hoya scores and a rat tail cactus..they are cool.....a good deal at 50 cents!..I seen one the other day at the nursery in a 6 inch pot for like $35.....

you will have a large plant soon if you get anymore cuttings of Pink Silver!!...looks nice and healthy too.....

Sandy

I think I'm going to have to start going to garage sales again too. ;) That price for a mature hoya is one heck of a good deal.

I received one that looks like the one pictured above from Milan and it too has less blotching. It also had much larger leaves than the one pictured below (another purchase from Pike Lake). PanamonCreel told me that the one I had bought would definitely get much larger leaves. I wonder if the blotching changes as the plant matures.

I'm certainly not answering your question.

Is that what it is Sandy, a Pink Silver?

I'm not sure if the Rat-tail cactus is a real Rat-tail cactus, if you know what I mean. I took a picture of it and I'm going to post it on the Cactus and Succulent forum. I looked up Rat-tail cactus in the plantfiles and I'm not sure mine looks quite the same as the one I saw there. I would love it if it was the same one because it was gorgeous. $35...wow.

Sandy

Way to go, Sandy! Sometimes I can find plants to at garage sales. Didn't find any yet.
:) Donna

Gee Pam, your hoya has way more silver colouring in the leaves than either of my pink silvers.

Makes me think the Pink Silver, like 'Krimson Princess', can have a lot a variation in them.

It sure looks like a Pink silver to me also.....I also bought one from Pike lake last year that looks like what Pam posted.....the cuttings i sent you Sandy, have much less splotching...but in both plants, the leaves do get more larger as the plant grows.....of course, neither has bloomed so I cant tell you if the blooms look the same or not :(

yes those rat tail cacti look neat...i will have to take a peek at your pic in the cacti and succulent forum......

Sandy

I think you are right Pam....but they all seem to grow fast and root fast too...thats why we are hooked like mad, we want them all! lol

Sandy

It almost looks like a heavily marked caudata leaf, huh? When I find pubicalyx like that, they usually are selling them as H. pubicalyx 'Splash'. I have heard it is really "Pink Silver" but just more heavily marked. So if it flowers, they will probably be like 'Pink Silver' flowers.
I have one like that, but if you put it in too bright of light, it looses much of it's pretty markings. I had to move mine back into a shaded area.

The rattail cactus I find in nurserys are usually priced by how long the stems are. This one nursery that was going out of business and selling everything for half price had a huge LONG one for 50.00, but since it was now 25.00....I couldn't pass it up. I had to hang it way up under the eves so it doesn't hang to the ground. I can't wait until spring to see the blooms.
Marcy

That's really interesting about the leaves. I'll grow mine in separate pots so I can compare them as they grow.

I've posted the rat-tail cactus pictures so I'll be interested to see what it is.

Sandy

I just looked at your pics of the cactus...sort of looks like a rhipsalis i bought a month ago.....not the cactus i was thinking of but yours has more spikes on it...i dont know the cacti lingo...i am a newbie at that too...lol.....sure looks very interesting though...good score for you.......i like it.....maybe it will bloom too.....

Sandy

I wonder if you can get the less heavily marked ones to get more splotches if you put them in a shady area.

I had heard of Rat-tail cactus but never knew what they looked like until today. They're really spectacular but you would certainly need a greenhouse with a high ceiling to grow them, I would think. I guess you could leave it outside all year where you live Marcy. That will be exciting for you when it blooms.

Sandy

I'll go look up the rhipsalis cactus and see if it's like mine. Mine's pretty small but it's already grown in the one week since I've had it. I think it likes the solarium. I don't suppose it'll bloom for a long time.

Yes i think it would like your solarium also.....i bet it likes the warmth in there......

I find the splotches on the pink silvers kind of weird...some leaves are very heavily marked and then the next pair can be barely splotched at all but mostly one plant is more splotchy than the other and mine grow side by side...but maybe being outside makes a difference....wish one would bloom to let me know....

Sandy, had the pink silver cutting you received recently bloomed for the person you got it from?

Sandy

Sandy...I looked at the pic of your rat tail & I think it is an APOROPHYLLUM. That is a cross between a rat tail cactus and an epiphyllum. They are neat too. I have several little ones myself. They bloom big flowers like the epies, but have more of the rat tail look to them. Look that up & see if you don't think that's it.
Marcy

I think she said the plant bloomed for her. I never thought to ask her what colour it was. I just knew it wasn't a carnosa so I wanted a piece.

Looks like Marcy ID your cactus......thats cool.....

Its nice she gave you a piece.....Your house will be full of pink silvers in no time....lol

I looked up Aporophyllum Marcy. You might be right but I find it really hard to tell. Mine looks so small and delicate whereas that one looks so sturdy and thick skinned.

Yes Sandy, if I'm not careful I'm going to have a house full of hoyas. I think they'll be a lot easier than brugs though. I can hardly wait for some blooms.

They probably take up less room than brugs do too!......has your bella cuttings put out any new growth yet?.....

Here's another good link for pics of aporophyllums:

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/cactusepiphytes/galerie_aporophyllum_de_ma_collection_photos.htm

Yes, I think they've grown one set of teeny tiny little leaves. One of them looks like it might bloom. I'm afraid I might jinx it though. I know that often when you take cuttings that were going to bloom that once you cut them off the buds end up shrivelling and falling off.

Yes thats true....Hopefuly it will get past the point of falling off and it will bloom for you....i love the look and the blooms last a long time......i think posting that new epi/cacti you got was a bad thing....another collection could be brewing...lol....i like the look of them.....especially when they are blooming, from the site Marcy posted.....

Sandy

Wow, thanks for the link Marcy. I think you are right after seeing those pictures. I had only looked at the one in the plantfiles. They're gorgeous. I hope I can get mine to bloom. I have three epiphyllums so it'll be interesting to compare them.

Sandy

Yes, I agree Sandy, they're beautiful. Do you have any epiphyllums?

I'm crossing my fingers that my Hoya bella will manage to carry it's blooms full term...lol. Seriously...I do. I didn't want to tell you this because you might think I'm a bad mom but when I looked closely at the buds I think I saw a couple of spider mites and the new leaves looked a bit spotty. I rinsed it off in warm water and I'll be keeping my eye on it. I'll rinse it every day for awhile. Water usually gets rid of them when you don't have many. Those darn brugs. Talk about spider mite magnets. Sheesh! I hope you're not going to ask for your cuttings back.

Nightowl - your leaves 'look like' a H. publicalyx cultivar...hard to tell which one from just a few leaves. Exciting to grow them out and get your first bloom. Even among the 'Pink Silvers' there are so many different clones and variations, that the flowers will tell. Even then...the flowers can vary so much in color/darker/lighter etc. H. publicalyx and H. carnosa are kind of really great mixed breeds...sometimes you get a real winner and usually they are, on average, terrific!!!

Carol

Hi Sandy....

couldnt stay up any longer last night to follow the thread....lol...well i hope they werent spider mites but they are the nastiest bug to get rid of....i have had to throw a bella away just because of the damage they do and they sneak up on you so quickly...if you think you got rid of them, just keep misting the leaves daily and that should keep them at bay.....dont worry Sandy, i have more cuttings i can send you if they dont make it.....so the brugs are spider mite magnets too huh? i will have to remember that...lol and your a good hoya mom i am sure!!

the only Epi i have was the 2 cuttings Jeanne sent me in the secret trade, the Queen of the night....i am so thrilled, they took and have grown roots and look like are doing well but no new growth on them yet.....

Sandy

I just wanted to say, great score! I have never though of garage sales as an option. Thanks for the heads up!
~Heather

Thanks Carol, it's nice to have an idea what the plants are so that I can find out what kind of conditions they prefer. I'm pleased to have more than one of the H. publicalyx and H. carnosa hoyas. Like you say it'll be interesting to see if the flowers are different.

Yes Sandy, brugmansias tend to get spider mites very easily especially when they're inside during the winter. I managed to keep them under control for the first few months. Only a couple of plants had them but by the time I could put the plants outside the spider mites were getting pretty bad. Once outside the rainy spell we had in June and the first half of July got rid of them. I'm sure I'll be able to get rid of them on the bella but it's very kind of you to offer a back-up just in case.

You're welcome Heather. I hope you can find some good stuff too. I've come home with a dozen pots for the price I'd have to pay for one. I just wash them up and soak them in a diluted bleach solution and they're as good as new.

Sandy

Hi Sandy,

Referring to what Carol said about there being so many different cultivars of pubicalyx and carnosas, here are 2 pics of my Pink Silvers.....this first pic has less splotches and the cuttings i sent you are from this plant.....

Here is my second Pink Silver and has many more splotches overall I think....thought you might like to see the differences....

Sandy

I have one like the first pic you posted Sandy.....thank you for confirming it is a Pink Silver.

I am assuming it is Pam...lol....sure looks like one to me from pics I have seen online.....the second pic is from Pike Lake last year and a cutting from Milan which i combined into one pot as they looked alike when i got them.....both grow like crazy and are easy to grow.......thats what i like about them....

LOL......well it is until someone tells us differently. ;)

Thanks so much for posting those pictures Sandy. It's really nice to see the plant my cuttings came from. I can only hope to grow them as well as you have. They are both absolutely gorgeous and so healthy looking. I find it really interesting that they can be so different and yet be the same kind. As I said on another thread...it's a good thing, since I seem to be collecting several of each. I'll be looking for one with more splotches now. lol So none of your Pink Silvers have bloomed? They look too happy I think. :-)

Sandy

Sandy...your second picture looks like what is called 'Splash'...a clone of H. pubicalyx 'Pink Silver'...great leaves.

BTW...your plants are exquisitely healthy....good job!!! they look great!

Carol

Sandy, the splotchy one is cool!
:) Donna

Thanks for the compliments :).....Carol, thats what I was thinking it might be......it seems most of the leaves have a lot of splotching then the odd leaf, not as much....It seems on this plant too that the leaves are a wee bit lighter in colour than the other one....

Sandy, I wish i could say they have bloomed.....I would of liked to put them outside for more chance of some blooms to happen but I have them trellised in pots and i didnt want them sitting outside on the ground for critters to make the Pink Silvers their beds over the summer so inside they stayed....I thought maybe by now one might bloom....i will be patient....lol

Yes Donna, i think the splotchy one is cool too.....they are a fun plant to grow because they grow so fast...So many variations, just not enough room for them all...lol...

Sandy

Wow..Sandy, those are some GREAT looking plants. So healthy and clean looking. You must take super care of them. I don't blame you for not wanting to take them out & subject them to the elements of the great outdoors. I can't believe they haven't bloomed for you. My pubicalyx have been blooming all summer. Of course..the leaves don't look as pretty as yours. :-(
Are they getting any sun at all? You might try some of the Eleanor's VF-11 on them. I spray it on everything a couple of times a week.
You can get it at Longs Drugs or I have also found it at Rite Aid. If you call the number on their website, they will send you a free sample. Give that a try.
Marcy

Thanks for the compliment Marcy.....I am probably over pampering them and they are punishing me...lol....actually I am in Canada so they dont sell Eleanors here but I live very near the border....I have been wanting to get to the mall there and check out Fred Meyer or maybe one of the stores you mentioned to get Eleanor's and Superthrive also.....So if those dont work, then I dont know...lol...Thanks for the info....that will be something to work on....

Sandy