Hoya of the month?

Hey, I noticed that when everyone was talking about Fraterna, the IHA bulletin, several people mentioned wanting an in depth forum about specific Hoyas, with cultural information, history, personal comments, and of course, pictures. That sounds great, but why do we have to wait for Fraterna to do it? Why don't we do a "Hoya of the month" in this forum? There are plenty of knowlegable and experienced growers here. We could select a plant, and someone could start a thread with a brief historical treatise, then someone could add cultural info, and then everyone could add comments and pictures. We could of course do more common Hoyas, like australis, that everyone has experience with, and also exotic or new to cultivation Hoyas, like Waymanae. Is there enough support for this? Let me know what you think!

p.s. the picture is of H. imperialis.

Oh wow Mark.. Is this blooming for you now? I have always wanted to get one of these. But I just don't think I could grow it. I think it's a great idea.

Tami

Yeah, Mark - awesome bloom! I think you're idea sounds marvelous!

YES...I think the idea is really great!!! Perhaps it should be hoyas that a lot of us find difficult to grow... Mark...you are a gem. Can we leave it in your capable hands?

Carol

I think it's a great idea too. Over the last two evenings I've been reading some of my "historical" hoya information and trying to think of an educational thread as well. Great idea.
Go for it....

Speaking as a newbie, this is a GREAT idea!! Not sure I can add much, but I'd love the learning experience! And your bloom is beautiful!!! Karen

Great photo Mark, what camera do you have?

Linda

Great idea Mark. We can share our experiences with each species.

Tami, I bet you can grow it as long as you have plenty of room. It is a very reliable bloomer for me and blooms at least 4 times per year. I do not consider it to be a picky plant!

I also think this is a great idea. Only thing I would say is to not assume everyone has experience with any one particular Hoya, even though it may be a common one. I got my first Australis from Carol just a couple of months ago and even though I've done some research on its culture, wouldn't mind seeing the details that experience has taught those who grow it successfully to bloom.
Your idea is a sound one. I am very much looking forward to seeing the results on the board.
Thanks!!

Barb

Mel,

Do you have yours in your greenhouse? I stayed clear of her because I thought she HAD to have lots of humdity. Maybe I will try it then, as I love the flower. Glad to her that she is a good reliable bloomer too.

Nuf said, I'm in. Dec. 1 tomorrow. Why don't we start with your hoya pictured tomorrow? What a fantastic idea!!!!
Heather

Carol, yes! I'll figure out a Hoya to start with and do some research. I'll go briefly into history of cultivation, publishing, plant statistics, varieties, natural habitat, etc. I have a good botanical library nearby, but it would be helpful to have access to an authority and explorer. Do you think Dale Kloppenburg, Ted Green or Ann Wayman might respond to an e-mail for info? Would you be interested in saying something about the culture, in the next post of that thread? Then it would be open to all.
Tami- the H. imperialis bloomed this summer, it's an old picture.
Nightbloomer54 (Susan?) can I ask your input since you have some literature?
LindaSC, see the recent thread titled OT- camera.

I'll think on what Hoya to start with, off the top of my head maybe australis (since mine is about to bloom and it really is one of the best and eaiest Hoyas) or chlorantha, since it is so amazing, and puzzling to me. It usually looks a rather insipid green-white in photos, but Carol, your clone is gorgeous, love the subtle brown streaking and pink corona.

Mark....Meltn, Susan (Nightbloomer) and I (possibly many others) have all the publications of The Hoyan...the information organ from the now defunct International Hoya Society.....we can copy what they say, or condense it to the pertinent information. I also have Liddle and Forster's publication on the Hoya Australis (es)...would be glad to share. The publication data can be very dry and stiff....will try to condense it. I think that asking Ann Wayman as well would be interesting...there are many camps of taxonomy....

Anything I can do to help.

Christina...you there with photos?

Salut,
Carol

Hey....a second thought: should this information go into the Plant Files? Is there room? Wouldn't this make our Hoya Plant Files just the bees knees!!!!

Milan...would it work?

We could post on a thread when a new entry has been made.

Carol, I was doing some preliminary research on australis, and found a german website that had references to the Forster/Liddle work. What I seem to be getting from it ( I recomend translating anything with that google translator, it's hysterical!) is that a lot of ssp. had been published previously, and they filtered the information, straightened out the errors, and republished 5 subspecies. I've seen more recently, that need to be looked into. I'm going to hit the botanical library on my next rain day, and check out the most recent Hortus. That info would be great, do you have a scanner? If not, what I really need from it is the list of subspecies and their publication dates, original and revised. I don't think we want to get too technical here. I guess I should be e-mailing you on DGmail, huh? For suspenses sake, at least.

Yes, I have a couple of years worth of copies of The Fraterna and The Hoyan. I was checking some of them out last night. Found a lovely drawing of H. imperialis. I'm in.
Would be nice if we could organize the material into some format that would be handy for everyone in the future.

Maybe post it as a thread for everyone to read and organize the fine points into the Plant files later?

Susan

p.s. I am getting excited about receiving The Fraterna again. Ann is excited about the changes in format and promises a wild ride.
Please join if you are able to spend the 18.00

Would there be any copyright laws get in the way of this? Just thinking that when you go copying different publications and putting it on a website, sometimes you can get in trouble, huh?
Anyway, sounds great to me. I think if we just all add our (sometimes limited like mine), knowledge about each one listed as to growing quirks or conditions, it will be a great reference to have.
Marcy

Sounds exciting. A newby like me would certainly find that helpful.

Mark, I'll look the thread up, by the way - what does OT mean?

It is my understanding that published material can be quoted, cited if used for educational purposes.

OT means off topic- i.e. anything thats not strictly about hoyas.

Thanks Mark

Tami, my H. imperialis stays in the greenhouse through winter and I move it under my gazebo outside in summer. Once it warms up, I will be happy to share a cutting with you!

I believe Carol is right, Marcy. If we post others work, we need to be careful to site the author as well specific documentation where we got the material. It would be the same as citing references in a research paper.

Perhaps we could start with each of us taking a species, research it, post our findings, and then let others add personal growing experience or additional data.

Okay, I've decided that the first Hoya of the month will be Hoya australis, Brown. I'm still doing research, but there are a number of subspecies that are in contention. I'll leave out three this time, ssp oramicola, ssp rupicola, and ssp sanae, as these are all more succulent than the viny types, and have a different enough growth form that I think they will deserve their own month sometime in the future (they ARE the same species, though). So the first month will be: Hoya australis ssp. australis, ssp tenuipies, and possibly the following, if they seem legitimate and have enough info available: ssp. tonga, ssp. pubescens, ssp.naumanii. Also hybrids and varieties of all these, so get your best pictures ready!
This will be rather informal, but of course all quotes and information will be properly credited. And if this material appears elsewhere, for informational purposes or to be critiqued, don't let's worry about it. We ain't scientists, you know?

Whoa, so naumanii is an australis? Boy, I've got a lot to understand. ssp. means subspecies right?
Heather

ssp. does mean subspecies, different from the type but not different to warrant it's own species. The naumannii I'm refering to here is different from the one Carol has.

Oh wow Mel, that is so nice of you, and I will take you up on your offer. Let me know if you want me to send my list, I would be more than happy to swap something with you. I'm def. getting this rooting down now.. :)
Tami

I just sent Mark an email from David Liddle.... ssp. Tonga, ssp. Naumanii are all made up names...just as ssp. Keysii. There was an arguement one time that H. naumanii was a hybrid...and it happens NOT TO BE. It is a species hoya.

I thought H. australis was published by Forster and Liddle? Recently. It IS known as the definitive work on the species.