Fish Face came to me as a slip from a friend in New York, an exchange (as it were) for the Hoya bella slip I'd sent her the year before. Any rooted slip which can survive being shipped across the country with its feet wrapped in a damp paper towel is clearly demonstrating a will to survive. As soon as it arrived, I stuck it in a glass of water and let it remain there for a couple of days before planting it in good potting medium. It stayed on the counter out of direct sunlight for a couple of months until I felt it was established. Then I moved it to a sunny window because it is a light-loving species.
And there it sat. Doing nothing. But doing nothing is better than dropping leaves or keeling over entirely, so I kept its soil moist but not wet and waited. About six months later, I saw signs that it was making new leaves. Aha!
Since that day, it has put on several new stems, leafing out nicely in a sprawling sort of way. Some stems trail while others remain upright, i.e., it seems to be a good candidate for either a plant stand or a hanging basket. It has taken over a year for it to decide to bloom, but presently bears five of the one-inch bright orange "fish face" blossoms which give it its name.
Thanks, Alison! :wink:
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