I listed it on the ID board and someone there said it might be a Hoya. It does look similar to some of your shots. Thanks!
Can you ID this plant?
I believe it is a Hoya Publicalyx....at least, that what I believe mine is and it looks just like that..but I'm far from an expert....Deb
I think it's Hoya Carnosa. The leaves on Pubicalyx are shaped a little differently, and are much more speckled than the leaves on both your plants. I could be wrong though :-)
HTH,
Gabi
Hard to tell. H. pubicalyx and H. carnosa are somehow related.... My best guess is going to be H. pubicalyx.
I would guess H. motoskei or the narrow leaved form of H. fungii, both of which are similar to carnosa and pubicalyx.
Cactus Patch...are the backs of the leaves "fuzzy" or "felt-like", or are they smooth like the front of the leaf to the feel??
It looks to be a H. carnosa to me, but the leaves on that and the pubicalyx, as well as motoskei are varied in plant to plant. A flower will tell much more.
Marcy
The back of the leaves are smooth just like the fronts. I wonder how long it would take for a new cutting like this one (rooted last Fall) to flower? Thanks for all the help!
I'm sticking with H. carnosa too. If the leaves are smooth on the back, it is not fungii or motoskei.
Marcy
I'd say carnosa too...
My Motoskei is smooth on the back....is anyone else's?
My daughter has one of these too and once she put hers on the porch last summer it really took off. So mine is on my porch for the summer. At least I now know what it is and can take proper care of it! Thanks to everyone for the help!
I had one of these carnosas for six years, and it only started blooming two years ago when I started putting it outside on an east facing open porch. It was my pride and joy - five feet tall completely wrapped around four bamboo hoops with dozens of flower umbels. It was a bear to move it out on to the porch, and now I'm sorry that I ever moved it out there.
When the plant was on the porch, I regularly inspected it for insects and gave it a good bath about every three weeks, but it was to no avail. About a month after moving it back inside in October of last year, I noticed the tell tale signs of aphid activity. The table that it sat on and nearby windowsill was covered with sticky honeydew. My heart sank; after looking the plant over, I discovered that almost every single stem had dozens of aphids attached. I have a long standing policy. If I see insect activity on a plant, I immediately dispose of it. It is simply not worth it to me to chance spreading something like this to the rest of my plants. On a plant like this Hoya, I'm sure that it would have required many applications of some toxic chemical like malathion to completely eradicate the aphids from all the possible hiding spots on a vine like that. So with heavy heart I destroyed the plant.
After this incident, I don't think I could bring myself to ever put one of my prize plants outside again even if it means that I will never see it bloom. I would rather look at the beautiful foliage inside and know that it is healthy and insect free than to take the chance.
OH...about aphids. They are harmless...just sucky and create all of that guck. Ants are the culprit.
AND - about Imidocloprid....the active ingredient in Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub: I had a pan full of it and was drenching my hoyas (found mealies) and my black lab, Thelma started drinking from it. Now...it is a given that labs will drink/eat ANYTHING and have systems of steel...but there were NO signs of any problem with her. IT is harmless for us folk...stays within the plant and doesn't poison anything except the bugs it is after.
A quick spray with 100% alcohol (not diluted) would have zapped them too. What a pity to throw away a beautiful plant because of aphids....
I was actually debating on whether or not to put my hoyas out on my balcony this year. I am terrified of acquiring a bug problem. I don't like to deal with them either. I recently had a very small aphid problem on my INDOOR Obovata (just a few on some vine tips and leaves), and used dish soap and alcohol. Seems to be ok, but comes back every now and then. I want my plants to grow well and bloom, but I don't want to deal with bringing bugs back inside. So I think I'm going to do a Neem oil treatment every 10 days as a preventative measure, and only put a few hoyas out there to see how they do.
Hoya_24, so sorry about having to throw away your plant. Must've been so tough. I completely understand what Carol is saying, but I also understand why you did what you did. I really don't know what I'd do in that situation....but a 5 foot hoya with tons of umbels???? I think I'd keep the bugs!!
Since I am in the desert we rarely have any pest problems. I don't like to use chemicals. I occassionally spray the roses with soapy water, but since I don't use chemicals (poisons) I have plenty of lady bugs to keep the aphids at bay. I also have some other beneficials in the yard. So my little plant will stay outside. I do put a hanging "stick up" type strip in a plastic bag and close up each plant in the bag for 24 hours before I set them in the house. This kills off all the spiders etc. when I bring them in for the winter.