Day 271: My "standard" Hoya (Hoya carnosa) has come into bloom again, bearing a single but very lush cluster of waxy pink blossoms. Waitaminit...did I say "waxy?" Hoya's common name is "Wax Plant," and indeed the flowers do look and feel as if they were carved from wax, but upon closer investigation, you will see that they are velvety, almost like little kitty tongues. I hadn't really noticed until I brought this image up on the computer screen.
Hoyas are among the most rewarding houseplants you can hope to find. I currently own three varieties: Hoya carnosa (the one everyone knows), Hoya bella (the "miniature" Wax Plant) and Hoya lauterbachii, an exotic variety with "furry" leaves which is very difficult to bring into flower. I have yet to succeed. When it does bloom, the individual flowers are reported to be two to three inches across, borne in an enormous cluster.
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