Can anyone tell me the name of this house plant please ?

Question

I have had this plant for best part of 15 yrs now, its only ever flowered once. The flowers are amazing, almost rubbery. They come in clusters of around 8-10 little white & pink star shaped flowers, which let off the most gorgeous scent & have little water droplets on!! Basically this is this plants life story- My step mother gave me this plant when I was in my 20's (I am 40 now), it used to live in a beaded shell hanging thing & was entwined all up & though it & hung very happily from a hook in the ceiling, it flowered just the once. My best friend at the time thought it be good idea to 'Re Plant' it into a bigger pot (& it still remains in that bigger pot which is not overly huge still) It has never flowered or even grown at all ever since she did that 15 odd yrs ago, but nor has it died? Its almost like its laying dormant? I am now married & often tell my husband & kids that it used to flower & that the flowers are really amazing, I often get the feeling that neither one believes me as they have NEVER even witnessed it grow a single new leaf :) I refuse to give up on this old plant of mine & would actually LOVE to show the disbelievers in our house what this plant's true potential can be. PLEASE HELP xx

Katerina Kamaradova · Answer

This is Hoya plant, you can find tips on how to take care of on the internet. As a child i remember it flowering but i was said that it is not very often...i also have my own at home and maybe once we 'witnessed' 😉 Good luck with your one

Dianne H · Answer

Yes its a Hoya plant nicked name wax plant. It does best in a high light and does not like to be too moist. Don't know but looks like something is on it those white specks could be mealy bugs.

Rose · Answer

I have one to and has only ever had one flower. The white spots are in the leaf( not bugs)I have mine on the top of the china cabinet,I guess I should move it,The flowers are waxy looking and have like a sweet coating on them,I have seen them hanging and growing up on a small trellis inside the house.

Faye Campbell · Answer

My Hoya has those white spots on the waxy leaves. It's part of the leaf colouring. The star shaped flower cluster releases it's highly scented fragrance only at night because it requires moths to pollinate. I've actually cut off the gorgeous flower clusters (there were three on the vine this late spring) because the emitted smell is so powerful. I hated to do it but couldn't tolerate the sweet smell. Now there's another cluster appearing. I had the plant 7 years before it bloomed the first time. The plant really thrives well in my solarium (east and south exposure). I've been watering my plants with egg shell water and they LOVE it!! Place shells from hard boiled eggs in a WELL sealed container with water. The nutrients from the egg shells are released into the water and act as a fertilizer for plants. I discard the shells every two weeks and start again as the smell can get pretty high. No shortage of egg shells here because my husband has a hard boiled egg for breakfast every day. I've started new Hoya plants by removing a leaf from the mother plant, dipping the end of the stem in Root Grow and leaving it in a shot glass to grow roots (sunny environment) and then planting it in a very small pot filled with indoor potting soil.

Kim · Answer

Ours has flowered once in 13 years. The flowers are very fragarent, and look like porcelian. right now, I am fighting to get hard shelled bugs off it. I have used the soapy water, but just taking them off seems the best way.

Kathleen Conery · Answer

I have one too... for several years it bloomed regularly, but it's been years now. I have read that if you cut off the nubs that the flowers grow on it won't flower there again. Maybe I'll try giving it some eggshells and a little more light.

Evelyn Ann · Answer

Starting another plant is easy and may be helpful for flowering. Just break off a stem and put it in water until it grows roots, then put it in a good soil and it will grow. I have had my mother plant for thirty years and have started many new ones to give to friends.

Vicki Gay · Answer

I have a Hoya that is over 30 years old and massive. Just from experience I have found that they like bright areas and to be somewhat root bound. Every other week  or so I give her a weak solution of miracle grow plant food and have been rewarded with 6-8 bloom clusters.

Barbara Samson · Answer

I think it's a stephanotis. Image from http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/stephanotis.jpg.

Darlene Simpson · Answer

I also have this plant. We call it a Hoya. It likes lots of light and I put Miracle Grow on it every time I water. It blooms every year and grows like crazy.

Dallas Sills · Answer

http://plantcaretoday.com/how-to-care-for-grow-and-bloom-hoya-plants.html

Mimi Haywood · Answer

I was told the Hoya needed to be forced to bloom by drying out somewhat before it would bloom, I was given a start from a plant that had gotten extremely large and had hundreds of blooms on it.

Marcia@Kalama · Answer

I think it's a hoya carnival.  I have one too and it finally bloomed last month.  I also have a smaller leaves version called hoya Bella.  It's flower are fragrant.

Crisdeitz · Answer

I have this plant as well. I was told it is a Hoya. I've had it for about 20 years, and it has never flowered for me either. The person who gave it to me had it flowering all the time... If you figure out how to get it to flower, let me know!!

Dottie Unruh · Answer

It is definitely a hoya, aka 'Madonna's tears.' You will see tiny drops on the blooms, hence the 'tears.'

Gor1416993 · Answer

it's a rubber plant

Chl315188 · Answer

It is definitely a Hoya. They do not like to be transplanted or have their roots disturbed. After repoting it can take three years to bloom again. Mine likes bright indirect sun, so I have it in the kitchen above the sink facing northwest. They like humidity also, so that's why it's over the sink. You can spritz it with a spray bottle of water, if there is no humidity. Keep trying different windows until you find one it likes. Mine is very happy and blooms a lot!!!

Carole Thomas · Answer

My Hoya is on a tall shelf above my front door closet. It blooms about twice a year-- very fragrant :) It came with the house when we bought it 11 yrs ago. so I don't know how old it is.. The home owner told me that a hoya should be 'in distress' in order to bloom. We leave it dry out and only water every couple weeks and apparently it likes to be root-bound. I have only transplanted once in the 11 yrs, and planted a cutting that is growing like mad. Mine started to bloom 2 days ago, and they only open at night. The buds looked 'plastic' to me at first, and I thought they were something the ( older) lady of the house had placed to make it look 'pretty'!. Boy was I wrong! Good luck with this great plant :)

DORLIS · Answer

It is a Hoya, I have several different ones. It needs light to bloom. Mine hangs in a south window during the winter and goes outside for the summer. I hang them in an area with some shade. When it blooms, have a putty knnife handy to scraps up the fallen necter, it is very thick and sticky.

Janis Hill · Answer

Yours appears to be a Hoya Obovata Plant.

I would suggest you put it outside in dappled shade during the summer months. Allow to go dry between waterings.

Do not fertilize! To encourage flowering the next time you empty a milk jug rinse it with just enough water to water your Hoya. You can do this every time you water.

Egg shells crushed will add trace amounts of calcium, but the milk residue seems to be more effective and works faster.

Hoyas, violets, and other plants just need a little calcium boost to encourage flower formation.

Let us know when it flowers again. Should be in just a couple of months!

Won1803334 · Answer

I always think the flowers are like little pink velvet stars. I have a varigated Hoya. They can be prone to mealybug.

Cheri · Answer

I have one of these plants also, a co worker gave it to me when she left our office in 1976! It has only bloomed once, with the pinky purple velvet flowers which also cried. It grows like crazy, through blinds, and I cut back often, but no flowers. I will try the egg shell suggestion. Ty.

Lois Franklin · Answer

This post makes me so sad. I got a hoya from my sister about 25 years or so ago and it had the most beautiful purple-ish gray 'flowers' that looked like they were plastic or wax - once! I just didn't know what to do to get it to bloom again. Unfortunately, I left it outside too late last winter and it froze completely. I used to get cuttings off my original all the time and they were easy to get started. I just never kept any for myself and now I can't find one anymore. I always put it outside during the summer and brought it in during the winter, until last year. Might know the one time I finally see info about them, is after I lost it! Wish I could find another but you never see these anywhere!

Kylie · Answer

It's a hoya but not an obovata. They actually have round leaves, hence obovata. This is something like a silver slipper I think. You also get one with similar markings on the leaves in pink. Yes you need enough light for them to closer. They only like to be in a small pot.are you fertilising it and have you repotted it to give it fresh soil.do a search on hoyas and you find a lot of info.

Lyn · Answer

be careful what you wish for--beautiful but for folks who are sensitive, it is awful. My ex literally could not be in the house with it, so it had to go. Hmmm.......

Kathy · Answer

I have this plant also and it has flowered many times for me. My mother had it in the 70's. When she died in 1990, I took it and had it ever since, making many rootings in water and replanting and giving to many nieces and friends. I have the main plant which is 45 years old now. Hoya Carnosa is it's botanical name it is a Wax plant. They live long and better the light, may flower more. Need little care.

Holly Hasegawa · Answer

This plant is called a Hoya

Marla Rafuse · Answer

I have the exact same plant and it flowered only once for me too. It was my grandmothers. The flowers are really beautiful. I've noticed that these don't like to be moved even when they\re growing leaves. As soon as I'd move a vine it would stop growing so I'm beginning to wonder if that's why it won't flower for me again. I didn't touch the plant or move it for a while and low and behold it grew flowers. I have it in a container on the floor now and I keep moving it to vacuum hence no flowers....the reason maybe?

Sunny · Answer

I don't know the name of it, but try Miracle Grow Bloom Booster Plant Food.

Julia · Answer

It is a hoya. My mother in law had one in a tree in her shady back yard. It climbed all over the tree and was loaded with its waxy blossoms all the time.  I have one in a similar location and it's flowering. I think hoyas require lots and lots of indirect light and plenty of water. Plant them in very porous soil. The squirrels eat the blossoms so if you have a cure for that, please let me know.

Can anyone tell me the name of this house plant please ?

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Can anyone tell me the name of this house plant please ?

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