Ep. 137 - The Fishtail Hoya
Hoya polyneura
Looking for a Hoya you can thoroughly enjoy… even without flowers?
This week, the Plant Daddies check in on Hoya polyneura, one they both consider a favorite “foliage Hoya”. How did we cut through the varying care information found online? How did our plants fare in our different conditions? And why does Matthew prefer mermaids to fish?
Then on the After Show, what are our next Hoya goals… if we have any left? Head over to Patreon to hear!
Mentioned in this episode:
what makes the Fishtail Hoya or Mermaid Tail Hoya a remarkable plant worthy of a wishlist (and potentially that ‘It Plant’ price tag)
are “foliage Hoyas” their own group of Wax Plants, where flowering is just a bonus, but not a goal?
starting a Hoya from a small cutting, and what we found in the months since rooting ours and getting them growing
conflicting care information online, and how to adjust your care to suit your plant’s needs
our preferred potting mixes for Hoyas, and why we adjust our potting soils, even for a plant that would do well in a commercial mix, as discussed in Ep. 128
And lastly,
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Here are our two plants
Stephen’s is in the first two photos, showing the brighter coloring with more pronounced veining, while the rest are Matthew’s, showing his deeper green foliage. Both plants started as two-node cuttings with to sets of paired leaves each at the end of 2021, and by May, they’ve both more than tripled in size.
Unlike many other Hoyas the Plant Daddies grow, Hoya polyneura consistently puts out a single node with a pair of leaves, which mature and harden off before producing more growth. This is kind of a nice habit, compared to some of the species in their collections that grow long, wiry vines that may eventually leaf out… or might just stay bare for years at a time (we’re looking at you, Hoya pubicalyx).
While they both like a fairly sparse pot of this species in order to best appreciate the form and foliage, Stephen and Matthew both intend to root some cuttings around the base of the mother plant to help fill in the pot a little more. Since it is so easy and fast to root cuttings of this species, and it’s quick to put on growth, it shouldn’t be long before a young starter plant can be grown up into an impressive specimen!
And if you’re interested in more Hoya content, here are some links to other episodes!
Ep. 114 - Hoya callistophylla, another trendy “It Plant” that impressed Matthew
Ep. 128 - Hoya Potting Mix, where we discuss “the soil equation” and why you might want to - or might NOT want to - amend your own potting mixes for any plants you’re growing. Matthew also made this post about that same topic to answer a listener question.
Ep. 87 - Hoyas 101, our introduction to collecting and growing Hoyas
Ep. 103 - Hoyas, Part II, where we dive deeper into this genus, and discuss some finer points that come up as you get more invested in Wax Plants