Fitch Goes Nuts

Day 291: Hoya fitchii has gone berserk! There must be at least twenty umbels in various stages of opening, almost more flower than foliage on this, my most productive hoya ever, and that includes Hoya bella. The fragrant flowers are somewhat paler than previously, but still have a coppery-yellow hue with dainty magenta centers. I can't account for why this blooming period has produced so many, since I have not changed the manner in which I handle the plant's watering/feeding at all, other than to raise the pot a bit higher so it's out of Merry's reach.

Hoya Fitchii

Day 219: Hoya fitchii is doing his thing again, and although the flower heads aren't as big as those on Hoya carnosa, what they lack in size is more than balanced by the striking colour. Hoyas come in an astonishingly wide assortment of foliage types, and a good selection of flower hue as well, although all on the "warm" side of the spectrum. Some produce open heads with only a few individual blossoms. Others may display clusters 4-6 inches across. Some species have flowers which emerge from leaf axils, but other varieties (like Fitch) carry their blooms on the ends of spurs. Foliage may be mottled, variegated, smooth, fuzzy, round and short, long and pointed, and it may climb supports, drape over its planter or creep along the ground. Some bloom once a year, and others may flower intermittently over three seasons. Not all of them bloom readily, though. Of the seven species in my small collection, two have never flowered, but I remain hopeful that some day, they'll surprise me.

Hoyas Galore!

Day 337: While I can't claim that all four of these were in bloom simultaneously, they were all in flower over the last fourteen days! Different Hoya species bloom on different schedules. Some flower intermittently every six weeks or so, with longer periods of rest during their "off" season. Others only put on their displays once or twice a year. Hoya bella (lower right) was the first in this batch, and the flowers were just beginning to fade when H. ilagiorum (lower left) opened. Ilagiorum remained open as H. fitchii's clusters (top right) began to form, but the real surprise was when good ol' standard Hoya carnosa variegata joined the parade. It had never bloomed for me before. Its cluster is palm-sized, with individual flowers fully 3/4" in diameter! Fitchii had not fully faded when it opened, a succession of Hoyas in bloom like none I've experienced before. All four species are purportedly of the "intermittent" type. Whatever I'm doing, I must be doing it right.

Bella And Fitch

Day 282: Hoyas bella (left) and fitchii (right) weren't quite in bloom simultaneously, but they only missed by a day or two. Both bloom intermittently throughout the year with the heaviest flowering period coming during the summer. Hoyas come in a fairly wide variety of colour combinations in the warm shades, although I have yet to bring a yellow one into bloom. Bella and Fitch are the most prolific of the seven species I grow. Ilagiorum (red) is moving up rapidly in the competition.

Fitchii Goes Berserk

Day 226: I must be doing something right. Hoya fitchii, fondly known as "Fitch," has gone completely berserk. I might be off by one or two, but I have counted at least 14 umbels, most now fully open and perfuming my living room. A few more are still developing. This is by far the most lavish display Fitch has put on. Meanwhile, his cousin H. ilagiorum has two clusters, one nearly open and one still tightly closed. Both plants hang in a north window, which I think may be a major factor in bringing them into bloom successfully, along with allowing their soil to dry out almost completely before giving them water. To water, I drench the pots and allow them to drain before putting them back in the saucers. Oddly, my old standard H. carnosa has yet to develop a spur despite receiving the same treatment...and it's supposed to be easy to bring into flower.

Fitch

Day 102: Fitch (Hoya fitchii) is at it again, with four umbels of deliciously fragrant coppery-yellow flowers gracing the vine. Unlike Hoya bella which sends out its flower heads from leaf axils, Fitch blooms at the tips of woody spurs which remain on the plant after the flowering period is done. While new spurs will develop as the plant grows, old ones should not be removed because they will "re-bloom" with the next cycle. Fitch is an "intermittent" bloomer, not limited to a particular season like certain other Hoyas. It will produce flowers every six weeks or so, with a slightly longer intermission over the winter months. Needless to say, any houseplant so rewarding moves straight to top billing on my favourites list.

Fitch And Bella

Day 313: Fitch and Bella. It sounds like something they might call a TV series featuring a high-profile law firm, but in fact, they are my two favourite Hoyas. Both are prolific bloomers which follow an intermittent schedule, coming into flower roughly every six weeks throughout spring, summer and autumn. Fitchii (the salmon coloured one, "Fitch" for short) is also quite fragrant. In fact, if I haven't noticed the flower spurs developing buds, I am sometimes alerted by the scent. Bella, on the other hand, doesn't form the spurs typical of many Hoya species, but sends out clusters from the leaf axils. Her flowers have a barely noticeable perfume. That said, their flower formation doesn't often coincide as it's done this week. Now if I could just convince any of my other five species to bloom!

Best Bloomer

Day 252: Let's make it official: H. fitchii takes the prize for Best Bloomer in my Hoya collection. Fitch, as he is lovingly known, has been producing flower clusters every six weeks or so, each one bearing more individual flowers with each successive blossoming period. Not only are the "star clusters" larger than those of Hoya bella, the former title holder, but they are deliciously fragrant, and their coppery colour is unusual to say the least. Fitch currently holds three such clusters and at least five other spurs which will come into bloom in their own good time. I haven't been paying sufficient attention to determine conclusively if they flower in rotation, but I believe so. Hoya fitchii is truly a stellar performer, the pride of my indoor garden.

Fitch's Copper Stars

Day 105: Each time Hoya fitchii (affectionately known as "Fitch") has bloomed, its clusters of coppery stars have been more lush and more numerous. This time, there are enough flowers that I can detect the scent: lily-like, with an overtone of cinnamon. Fitch produces blossoms several times throughout the year as an "intermittent" bloomer, as opposed to a number of other Hoyas which flower in particular seasons. Each species has its cycle, and that information is generally provided by the grower if you are purchasing commercially-raised plants. It's up to you to give your Hoyas the exposure and temperature range they require for flowering, and that may not be as easy as it sounds despite the fact that they are nearly foolproof as houseplants. Fitch is obviously quite happy in a north window, and prefers watering only when his potting soil has become quite dry. When the pot becomes light to lift, I take it down from the hanger, flush the dirt with water until it runs out the drainage holes, and allow it to stop dripping before returning it to the saucer.

Affectionately Known As Fitch

Day 4: Fitch has achieved status alongside Hoya bella as one of my favourite houseplants. Hoya fitchii (affectionately known as "Fitch," as you may have guessed) has put on an even more spectacular display of flowers since I sorted out his watering requirements and lighting needs (north window, drench the pot when the soil becomes dry and light). Hoyas are very individual. Some species bloom only in spring, summer or autumn respectively; others flower in two or three seasons, and still others like Fitch and Bella are "intermittent," meaning they bloom when they damn well feel like it, often surprising their caretakers with repeat appearances of blossom clusters only six weeks after old flowers have dropped. Fitch is just getting bigger and better with each emergence, and those coppery-yellow, waxy petals are stunning. Not all my hoyas are so cooperative. In fact, I have several I've never been able to bring into bloom, but their shortfall is more than balanced by my two "old reliables." Fitch is lightly fragrant, and sometimes while I'm sitting underneath his hanger working on a weaving project, the scent will catch me unawares. "What smells sweet in here?" I'll say, and sure enough, I'll find a cluster of yellow stars hiding on the window side.

Hoya Fitchii

Day 222: Hoya fitchii surprised me. After it produced two small flowers at the end of a spur, I thought the blooming period was done, and I was grateful for the event. The less commonly available species of Hoya are generally rather difficult to bring into bloom. "Fitch" is apparently an exception, at least under my care. It seems quite content in a north window. This lovely cluster of coppery, waxy stars went supernova late yesterday, and when I took it down from the hook for the photo, I noticed its sweet, faint fragrance, lily-like in its note. That was a bonus; not all Hoyas have a scent. Fitch is rapidly moving up the chart of favourite houseplants!

Hoya Fitchii

Day 185: If you say "Hoya" or "Wax Plant," most indoor gardeners will visualize Hoya carnosa, the species most commonly found in plant shops. Some may also think of Hindu Rope (H. carnosa "crispa") with its curled and tightly massed leaves. A smaller number may call to mind H. bella, the "miniature Hoya" which I refer to as "the world's most satisfactory houseplant" (certain friends' ability to kill it notwithstanding...yes, I'm talking about you, Di). That said, there are a large number of Hoya species which are less well known, five of which hang beside the old standards in my living room windows. There is a reason they remain relatively obscure, that being that for the most part, they are more difficult to bring into bloom than the popular ones. Take Hoya fitchii, for example. I've had the plant for four or five years now, and this is the first time it has flowered, bearing exactly two -count them!- blooms. Not exactly a spectacular showing, but the colour is stunning. The supplier refers to it as "coppery." It is definitely neither pink nor yellow, but has elements of both. If copper could turn pale, it would fade to this hue. Perhaps some day, Fitch's three flower spurs will put on a more lavish display. For now, this will suffice to reward my patience.

Leaf Diversity

Day 42: Besides being green, these leaves have something in common which might come as a surprise: they are all Hoyas. Hoya carnosa (the one with the white edge on the right) is most recognizable to the average houseplant enthusiast. It blooms in the spring, flowering at the tips of woody spurs which should never be pruned out. Above it, is Hoya fitchii which has a thinner leaf and sports light coppery-yellow flowers with pale pink centers during the summer. The large leaf in the upper left belongs to Hoya affinis, an "intermittent" bloomer. It comes into flower when it feels like it, although the vine must be at least four feet long before the brilliant red umbels appear. The smaller leaves are (left): Hoya bella, another "intermittent" which bears white flowers with maroon red centers. Bella is one of the most rewarding houseplants I've ever raised; H. cumingiana (center of the three small leaves) is a summer bloomer having pale yellow flowers with maroon centers and H. curtisii whose tiny but wondrously abundant leaves form a dense mat. Its intermittently-occuring flower umbels are pale yellow with just a touch of rose-pink at their centers. I'm always looking to add new Hoyas to my collection!