Typically, when a plant name ends in “ensis” it refers to a place. In this case that place is Nabawan, the capital of the Nabawan District in Malaysia. So, the name of this guy, Hoya nabawanensis, means it’s from the place of Nabawan.
It was an “I need one of those” moments, and after some searching, I found a good cutting at a good price. He was a little pale when he arrived but survived his journey with no other ill effects. I put him into pon-ish with a self-watering pot under grow lights. Despite the prime conditions, he wasn’t in any hurry.
Then after a couple of months a new vine emerged, followed by two tiny leaflets. They didn’t stay little for long. The new leaves are now markedly larger than the originals, and they have a lot more splash, about which I am happy. He’s still in no rush, but for these results I can work with his schedule.
So far, for me, he’s been easy; no drama, no trauma. Not much speed, but “ensis” doesn’t indicate swiftness, just location.
I’ll keep you posted.
