When I first saw Hoyas with leaves like those on Hoya flagellata I didn’t like them. They were too odd. They didn’t look like leaves. They looked like dried leather. They looked almost dead; and I have seen too many dead leaves on plants thank you very much.
But the idea grew on me, pun intended, and I decided to order a Hoya with “leather leaves”. I was stunned when I opened the box and fell in love with those leaves immediately. I have several similarly-leafed Hoyas now and am lusting after a few more.
Though looking tough and leathery, the leaves are surprisingly fuzzy. No green arching vines here, they’re woody, almost tree like. And while they look tough as nails, mine seem to like a bit more moisture that I’d expected and are a bit more fragile. Appearances can be deceptive.
Close-ups. Take close-up pictures of your plants, even if you never share them. What you find will surprise you. There’s so much to see: shades of color, the transition of petiole to leaf, aerial roots, leaf texture. Until I take close-ups, I feel I’m missing half the fun.
I’ll keep you posted
