Whenever I saw them in person, I never understood the appeal. They always looked sad, and yellow, and dried out. I was intrigued by the concept, but the reality seemed to be something else. And it happened every time I saw them in a nursery. Why would someone buy a Hoya retusa?
I finally saw a video from my Hoya Hero, Miro @basie.plants, about his retusa. His looked good, not the pathetic things I had seen in person. Clearly he was doing something right, and they were doing something, well, much less right. So I took the plunge.
I chose the least sad looking retusa I could find and brought it home. I’m no expert, but even I could see this isn’t how you raise a Hoya. Everything I found that was wrong, I tried to make right. I changed the growing medium, the container, the light and the watering. I picked off the yellowed leaves, and hoped for the best. It took a bit, but the leaves got plumper and the color got better.
This spring it was markedly happier; and this summer the new growth has been very rewarding. I’ve got this, dare I say lush, little plant. Now I get it. It’s one of those cases where the plant looks lousy in the store, but they get better at home. Unlike the other way around.
I’ll keep you posted.
