Streptocarpus & Hoya Bella

I am running out of flowering plants to show on my blog, so I am going to have to start writing about the ones that don't.

One of my favorite Hoya's is the Hoya Bella. It is so delicate looking compared to some of the other hoya's I have. The leaves on this one never really grow succulent-ty. I can tell through touch which leaves are more succulent, but they never really appear it. I have noticed that when it is given more sun, the leaves grow in almost golden then turn their green color.


The leaves themselves only grow about 2 centimeters long. Below is a close of of a couple leaves My hoya bella has not flowered yet, There is a pic of the flowers here. I have not checked the roots in a few months, so I am not sure even how close it is to being root bound (something many hoya's lovers believe helps to encourage flowering). I have not mastered the needs of this plant quite yet, I can't quite get the watering right, it likes to drop leaves, and it seems to be quite picky


I have a couple small streps that I am struggling to grow. Like the bella, I have found it to be picky as well. It tends to get yellow leaves at the bottom as well, and again I blame it on the watering......and the humidity. With low humidity, the leaves get crispy, and in humidity dome seems to be too much, because it almost instantly starts to get signs of rot.


I am hoping that now with a humidifier in the main plant area, this one might become somewhat happier that it already seems. This is one as well that I have not seen flowers on, and I am not even sure what or if anything can induce it. I know they like small pots so I have always kept mine in a plastic dixie cup (which btw makes wonderful pots for plants that tend to like being in small pots). The pics below are an extreme close up of my strep, even the hairs are visible. I am still in awe of the pictures my camera can take.