Hoyas in Hawaii

I spent ten days in Hawaii this week and last, and two of the higlights of my trip were visits to Ted Green and Carol Noel, on Oahu and the Big island (Hawaii) respectively. Both visits were real eye openers- I got to see and smell many Hoyas in bloom that I had only seen in photos before, and saw Hoyas climbing high into palm trees and over shrubs and small structures.
I'll write more and include some more photos for an article in the summer issue of Stemma, but I wanted to share a few photos here first.
I visited first with Ted Green. We took him out to lunch after being given a wonderful tour of his gardens and laboratory, and I took this photo of Ted just as the food came. Ted only ordered a fruit salad, despite my picking up the tab, but when it came it turned out to be this awesome pile of tropical fruit and rainbow sherbert piled into a halved pineapple. Ted looked very much like the cat who ate the canary when this item arrived.

Teds house is a short drive up from the water in Ka'a'awa, a smallish town on the windward side of Oahu. The beaches here and in nearby Kailua are some of the most spectacular tropical beaches in the world.
Ted's house is wonderfully landscaped with lush tropical plants (Ted is a landscape architect by trade). Hoyas and Dischidias climb up many of the trees surrounding Ted's house.

Everywhere you turn at Ted's there are masses of Hoyas, Dischidias, Orchids, and other tropical delicacies. This planting is a tumble of Dischidia (nummularia?), Hoya cumingiana, and various Orchids.

This photo is of the hybid H. 'Kaimuki', a cross of H. archboldiana and H. macgillivrayi named after the district near Waikiki where the seedling was raised. The flowers are over 2" across.

This is an (I think) unidentified Dischidia species growing on a palm trunk. The leaves are up to 5" long, light green, and stand almost upright. Ted pulled a leaf down and split it, showing us the plants roots that had grown inside the hollow leaf (where the air remains more moist) along with a bunch of surprised ants

Ted's property is lined in most places with bamboo fence which is hung with Hoyas in baskets every few feet. Along the back of some of these sections were huge swathes of H. meliflua ssp. fraterna (with foot long, dark green leaves) growing up into the trees.

The second part of our Hoya visit was to Carol Noel (or Hoya Carol as she is known in the islands). Carol lives at a higher elevation than Ted on the outskirts of Hilo on the Big Island. Not far from her home is Volcano Park, where an active volcano pours lava into the sea, expanding the surface of the Big Island daily. Carol's locale is considerably cooler and wetter than Ted's property on Oahu. There is more rain and, incredibly, more mousquitos!
This is a collection from a morning walk at Carol's. This is a tropical fruit (Carol- name?) with a single blossom from a Strongylodon vine and the twin seed pods from a Hoya lacunosa follicle.

Carol's place, like Ted's, is planted with many Hoyas which have grown onto nearby shrubs and up into trees, becoming valuable landscape plants. There are at least 5 Hoyas in this grouping- H. meredethii (aka H. vitellinoides) is among them.

In Carol's shade house I saw many Hoyas in bloom for my first time. Here is H. vitiensis.

Here is H. subcalva. It does indeed smell like grape juice (I say more like grape Kool-aid) in the evening, and has lovely dark rose flowers.

This is H. archboldiana. I surprised myself by not liking the fragrance of this one (and macgillivrayii). The scent is so incredibly sweet, to me it seemed cloying. The flowers are stupendous though, maybe the most beautiful in the whole Genus.

There were some surprises at Carol's too- this one is H. cominsii. The plant is amazing- the leaved are suffused with red like some clones of H. pottsii, but the pattern is more interesting, and the leaves are very variable, sometimes heart-shaped, sometimes oblong or of another shape. Very striking and neat looking plants. The photo is taken from beneath.

This is H. sp. 'Abas'. The veins are extremely pronounced and wide, and the leaf is quite hard and dark green. This one is a pleasure to touch and quite attractive.

Mark, your pictures are awesome!!!

This ones identity is not certain. It has been circulating as H. aff. finlaysonii, but is almost certainly not that species. The flowers are a very unusual dark (very) canteloupe shade, and smell of melons. This flower caught my eye from the other end of the green-house. The color is hard to describe properly, and seems to me to be unique. A new favorite!

I have tons more pictures, but you have to stop somewhere! As I said, I'll write a more extensive article with different photos which should appear in the summer issue of Stemma. (The spring issue is due out May 1st- I just received a VERY well-written article on mounting Dischidias and Hoyas from Antone Jones for this issue- very exciting!)
Oh well, one more. This is H. sp. IML 1391. The backs of the leaves are a rich purple-red and the flowers are creamy and very fragrant.

Mark - what a great (photo)accounting of your trip - it must have been incredible!! I'm jealous! Although I have to admit, my heart did a little jump at that strongylodon jade - I'm going to go search for one!! Thanks for sharing your trip!
Karen

Great photos, Mark!!!! That fruit is an ABIU - How are the lacunosa seeds? They are coming up in everything around here!!! You and Kevin were such great fun...come back again soon!!!

Carol

Just so you don't think my vacation was ALL play, here I am after having been put to work in one of the establishments mentioned above. Having to water Hoyas in paradise, WHAT A BURDEN!

And Yikes! I forgot somehow to include this photo of Carol wearing the worlds most glamorous lei- made from living Strongylodon blossoms.

Wonderful pics and sounds like a great time-------someday ..................

Oh, Mark. Thank you so much for your story and photos!!! I can't wait to read more about your exploits with Hoyas and their people (i.e. Ted & Carol)!!!
Ann

Yes...having accepted the determination of this hoya as H. finlaysonii ('the real one') as gospel, the blooms rocked Marks' sharp mind....and we started the search. AHA...this hoya turns out to be H. vitellina!!! and it matches the Herbarium data very favorably!!

No, this is NOT the H. vitellina with the dark margins...who knows what that one is????!!! (Anyone?)...this one's flowers are definitely 'egg-yolk yellow'...unmistakeable (wow, that spelling seems off, way off)...and the fragrance is a melonlike fruity scent. LOVELY. If it weren't for Mark, I would have complacently trudged along thinking this is still H. finlaysonii - and it ain't no mo'!!!

As soon as I figure out what is happening with the files, I will post a great picture!!!

OK...here is the bloom. The yellow is SO rich...it is gorgeous. OH...and Mark did such a good job watering...tried to get him to stay on...my personal waterer...but he had fatter fish to fry!!!! Hopefully, he will come back. My cats miss him!!!!

This message was edited Apr 13, 2007 8:10 PM

I never met any cats. Only Thelma & Louise. Did you hide them for my visit?

Jeri

LOL. In the winter they spend a lot of time in the 'attic' where it is really warm!!!

Amazing. Thanks so much for posting these pics and lovely account of your travels. Can't wait for more.
Marcy

Hey, doesn't anyone have any questions? How big are the flowers of X or how does Y smell?

how many new plants did you come home with?

Å good question! For the three days I stayed at Carols, I nipped into the greenhouse and pulled plants every chance I got for my next order. I think I picked out about 7 plants. One was that aff. finlaysonii (vitellina), which really is a great plant. Also H. chlorantha, which was in bloom and very impressive, H. archboldiana, which I've managed to rot three times so far, and H. lobbii, which is a really interesting Hoya. H. lobbii is seriously bushy, with very rigid upright stems and thick, hard leaves. It looked more like an epiphylum, in a way, than a Hoya. I almost bought another H. 'Iris Marie', as there was one in bloom and mine is quite young still. The most impressive overall Hoya I saw on my trip was a huge 'Iris Marie' at Carol's. A very graceful, cascading plant that always seems to be in bloom. The flowers are quite large and fragrant- a different scent from most Hoyas and nicer even, I think, than H. cembra (odorata).

Mark, I am interested in what you thought about the archboldiana and that wonderful macgillivrayi/archboldiana cross. I have H. sp. Abas and just love it. Did you notice the underside of the leaf? Great color. Glad you had a good trip and can't wait to hear more about it. God bless, -joanne

PS- nice sleeve :~)

Thanks, Joanne!
I didn't see the underside of the sp. Abas leaf. What's it look like?
The 'Kaimuki' (the archie X mac cross) was really pretty. The one I photographed at Ted's was past its prime, according to Ted, and he said the last batch of flowers were even better. It looks a bit more like mac than archie, don't you think? I wonder if the hybrid isn't a better bloomer than either of the parents, does anyone know?
Archboldiana itself was amazing to see in person. Those huge cup-shaped blooms (over 1-1/2") are really impressive, and the color range is great. I was hoping to see Ted's archboldiana 'YM Excellent' in bloom, but I was out of luck. That one is supposed to have a solid red rim to the cup and a white center with red stripes. The scent is extremely sweet. I can see it being a bit much in a confined space.

Wow it must be the hoyas that makes Ted look so young! Sounds like you had a great trip Mark, and the pictures are wonderful!!

Blessings,
Awanda

With our busy schedule trying to fit EVERYthing in...we usually got to the greenhouse late in the afternoon...the first time was at night. Now..I don't usually go out there at night and found the fragrances in there just intoxicating!!! H. archboldiana has a wonderful scent...to me...

Mark...try growing 'archie' in a loser mix and cut the watering way back in the winter...I think that is the big helper!!!

Speaking of greenhouses....off I go!!

Carol

Oh man, I am so jealous. It looks and sounds like you had a wonderful time. Please continue with the pictues, you don't have to stop...... I bet is really something to see all the hoya's growing up the trees and scrambling over the fences.

Yes, Mark,

Please show us more!!! I must live vicariously through you. I am sure my ticket for the Hawaii trip just got lost in the mail........That is ok though, just keep posting the pictures. HA!!

Not envious in MT,
Sara

Well, Mark. Since you asked ... I would love a list of scents that these blooms give off. Also, I would love to know if you can compare some of your blooms to Carols, given that I find less color in mine living in Western Oregon vs. hot and humid Hawaii. Are there differences in bloom colors between yours and hers?
Thanks!
Ann

My question is, seriously, did you see a hoya you didn't care for? For example, I don't particularly care for nummularoides or polyneura, and would stay away from them because I don't particularly care for the leaf of either. Num's leaf seems too "leathery" for me, and polyneura, for some reason, doesn't look like a hoya to me. I do know some people love them - my sister, for example, loves her nummularoides. Anyway, with all you saw, were there any where you thought "eh, I'll pass?"
Karen

Here's a picture of H. camphorifolia climbing up a tree along with a eriostemma and an epiphytic Medilina (sp?). See the reddish leaves clinging to the trunk? Look around them and you will see tiny clusters of magenta flowers that run all the way up to the top of the tree.
Scent-wise... subcalva- grape kool-aid, archboldiana (and macgillivrayii, onychoides, 'Kaimuki')- sickeningly sweet bubble-gum, aff. finlaysonii- melon, 'Iris-Marie'- not sure, very sweet, nice, but what is it?, cembra (odorata)- artificially scented lime bathroom cleanser (others love it, subjective, you know), all the lacunosas- carnations and some sort of light perfume, bella- freesia, pachyclada- camphor, nutmeg and rose.
As to passing, let me think over that one...

Okay, after thinking about it there were two Hoyas that underwhelmed me- H. sp. biak (or biakensis) and H. odetteae (some say is the real tsangii). Both had rather boring leaves (odetteae was more lacey, might make a nice foliage plant) and plain dingy yellow or cream flowers. It's all subjective of course, I happen to be a fan of H. polynuera and H. nummularoides both!
Also regarding scent, H. hueschkeliana, DS-70, and burtoniae all smelled exactly like buttered toffee, as advertised. Really a wonderful and different scent for a Hoya. I tried to detect the fragrance of a couple of eriostemmas, most had none I could find but a few did smell like pencil-erasers, the old fashioned kind we had in elementary school that were rectangular with a beveled edge.
A couple people pointed out that I was mixing up names- the one I refered to above as aff. finlaysonii was actually identified as plain old H. finlaysonii, the aff. finlaysonii is a different plant with highly reticulated veins in the leaf.