If I wanted to entice an aroid person down the hoya rabbit hole, I would do it with a Hoya lacunosa. Just look at the little leaves. See, they’ve got texture. It’s almost like they’ve got abs. I know, it’s called a lacunosa, and there are lots of different kinds. Did I mention that they bloom, too. Here, smell the blossom. I know, smells like hyacinth. You could grow one of these. They’re easy. All the cool kids have them. You want one, don’t you?
It’s the scent. The plants are beautiful. The leaves are so interesting. The blooms are amazing. But for me, the scent is the hook. Got me. Loyal readers know that lacunosa may be my favorite species of hoya, and I’ve got a bunch of them. So easy, so cool, not taking up a lot of space, just growing and blooming. Solid, variegated, wide leaves, long leaves, there’s a lot to love.
In the past few weeks here in southern New England, while it’s still a bit raw and cold outside, inside the lacunosa have started blooming. A week ago it was the ‘Royal Flush’. This week it’s the solid green, and the ‘Giant Leaf’ is forming buds on his peduncle.
So if you want to bring an aroider over to our dark side, or want to try out your first hoya, lacunosa is the one. Tough, sturdy, forgiving, entertaining; they’re like the terriers of the hoya world. You know you want one.
I’ll keep you posted.
