How much Hoya is too much?
The answer to this question, the ultimate question, the question of life, the universe, and everything is.....
4.
Ok, I may have recently watched The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and I may be a little goofy from being tired after a hard day's work in the garden. Back to the important things in life: plants.
My Hoya carnosa, which I recently included in this months Bloom Day post, is currently setting mass quantities of blooms. While I usually enjoy the strong, sweet scent, it can be a bit overpowering. One or two umbels at a time I can handle, but four clusters of flowers open at once and at peak odiferousness (who says you can't make up words?) are quite overpowering on a warm evening in a confined space. I feel that I can now empathize (slightly) with my mother, who has never liked the smell of these flowers.
I'm sure for those fortunate enough to grow hoya outside year-round, the scent carries pleasantly through the garden, but I'm actually glad that mine normally staggers its blooms, rather than opening many at once. It has many more flower clusters at various stages of development, promising a long season of sticky, sweet-scented flowers.
I won't be posting much next week, but when I get back to it I should have some cool pictures of the Okanogan area in eastern Washington to share!
4.
My Hoya carnosa, which I recently included in this months Bloom Day post, is currently setting mass quantities of blooms. While I usually enjoy the strong, sweet scent, it can be a bit overpowering. One or two umbels at a time I can handle, but four clusters of flowers open at once and at peak odiferousness (who says you can't make up words?) are quite overpowering on a warm evening in a confined space. I feel that I can now empathize (slightly) with my mother, who has never liked the smell of these flowers.
I'm sure for those fortunate enough to grow hoya outside year-round, the scent carries pleasantly through the garden, but I'm actually glad that mine normally staggers its blooms, rather than opening many at once. It has many more flower clusters at various stages of development, promising a long season of sticky, sweet-scented flowers.
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| A dangerous serpent guards the mystical, floating orb in the center of the hoya-verse. |
Well, the down-side of growing them outdoors is aphids - my plant seems to be a magnet for them. Enjoy your trip, Evan!
ReplyDeleteWell, no one can have everything. Thanks, my trip was great!
DeleteAmen. My Hoya is wonderful when there are only a few umbrels but right now I have FIVE and if I wake up during the night I can smell the flowers even though my bedroom is on the second floor and the plant is on the first! When it blooms like this I call it the Cloya plant (because the fragrance is cloying) and consider getting rid of it. But I don't. Because when it just has a few umbrels it's wonderful!
ReplyDeleteCloya, that's a good name for it when it blooms like this. Like you, though, I'd never get rid of it. I love the fragrance and it's a bit of a family heirloom by now.
DeleteYour circular support is a good idea, I have bamboo as a support and it is hard to get the vines supported. I have about 6 clusters open now, I adore the fragrance and also the taste of the nectar. I have had up to 12 clusters at once but gave my DIL some cuttings that had bloom stalks so have fewer now. They are my favorite houseplant.
ReplyDeleteI love hoyas, too. I only have 4 because they can take up a lot of space, but I always drool over pictures of them. This one has had that circular support since before I was born. It was my father's before I took over caring for it. I don't know where he got the support.
DeleteIt's been years since I grew a hoya but I love the fragrance and can smell it through the interweb! Perhaps it's time to get another! Your hoya-verse is amusing!
ReplyDeleteI think it is time for another hoya! I could give you a cutting of mine. I might even be persuaded to part with a cutting of my Hoya 'Minibelle', which has wonderful long, narrow, speckled leaves and the pink flowers have a less-cloying scent than H. carnosa.
DeleteHoya plats with their many varieties of flowers and leaves are never too much. what I like the most about these succulents is that they do not require full sun in fact they do great in 50% to 60% sunlight too. they grow fast and are easy to reproduce from cuttings.
ReplyDeleteAdeniumRose company rare and unusual cactus, succulent plants.
I have them growing indoors and outdoors.Hoyas are the only hanging plants we have decorating out house around the pool area.
ReplyDeleteAdeniumRose company rare and unusual cactus, succulent plants.