Identification Help: Identification of Houseplant

watchman · #1 July 29th, 2006, 11:27 PM

Hello,
Someone gifted me a plant she'd had for a long while. Neither of us know what it is.
I wasn't all that interested in finding out but had been rather baffled that it seemed healthy, but hadn't had any new growth in a year. It's had this little bit of trailing stem but that was it. That is until last week when I noticed this interesting very long runner it has produced with little leaves that are starting to shoot out of it here and there, similar to a spider plant. See the right side of the first photo. The runner is about 3 feet long. The deep green leaves are thick and shiny with splotches of grey. The stems are tough like texture. Any clues? I'm new here and appreciate your help a great deal.
Thanks much!
Pam

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**wild-rose-43** · #2 July 30th, 2006, 01:01 AM

Possibly a Hoya Bella. Has it ever bloomed?

**terrestrial_man** · #3 July 30th, 2006, 01:05 AM

Check google image Hoya for flowers.

**Marn** · #4 July 30th, 2006, 03:45 AM

it is a Hoya ..just not sure wich one it is as there are so many out there and it would be better for you to search google for Hoys and look .. but it is a Hoya .. i cant remember wich one it is ..

Marn

**Chester** · #5 July 31st, 2006, 01:06 PM

Not Hoya bella. Probably Hoya carnosa or australis.

Koehle · #6 August 2nd, 2006, 10:04 AM

Oh yeah it's a hoya and get ready when it blooms! We had one in a hanging pot that bloomed the most beautiful soft pink flower clusters but boy did they stink! Fortunately you really only smell them if you are close to them or have it in a small space. Otherwise, they are a wonderful plant.

**Nandan Kalbag** · #7 September 17th, 2006, 08:46 PM

See the photo of reddish-brown colored flowers of Hoya purpureo-fusca. If flowers will be white, then it will be H. carnosa

**Rima** · #8 September 18th, 2006, 04:02 AM

Just in case you're holding your breath - hoya don't usually flower til they're a few yrs old (8-ish).

**Nandan Kalbag** · #9 September 18th, 2006, 08:27 AM

Not really, at least in India. Here they flower within a year or two after planting a small sapling.

**mandarin** · #10 September 21st, 2006, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koehle

... but boy did they stink! Fortunately you really only smell them if you are close to them or have it in a small space.

Some Hoya species smell bad, others have a very sweet, candy-like scent, and several do not smell at all.

**Chester** · #11 September 21st, 2006, 12:01 PM

Nandan, I like the way you swoop in with your wealth of knowledge, exactly when needed :)

**Nandan Kalbag** · #12 September 21st, 2006, 02:18 PM

Thanks,chester. However, I too need help in identifying certain plants, for which I have started threads.
Nandan

**Ines** · #13 September 22nd, 2006, 08:28 AM

It is either a hoya carnosa - the old fashioned wax plant, or another hoya variety called pubicalyx. It is probably carnosa, and mine didn't bloom till it was over 10 yrs old. They like bright light and to dry out a bit between waterings. Exactly which type of hoya it is can only be positively determined by the flowers.

This type grows best in a hanging basket, and is a very attractive plant even without the flowers. At least I think so!

**mandarin** · #14 September 25th, 2006, 03:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ines

It is probably carnosa, and mine didn't bloom till it was over 10 yrs old.

I find it strange that two postings report that Hoyas of this type have not flowered until they were quite old. My Hoya plants (several species) usually flower within 3 years after rooting a cutting, the carnosa after only 1 year.