A Hoya meredithii experiment

For a while it seemed that all the cool kids (the houseplant lovers) were head-over-heels for Peperomia and/or Hoya. I love a good plant craze, but I couldn't get excited about either of those genera. Fast Forward to last October, and I finally ended up bringing home a Hoya. Sound Gardener brought a couple big-leaf varieties to last autumn's bloggers plant swap at Chickadee Gardens. I spotted the cool foliage but didn't pounce right away, figuring there was someone else who "needed" it. Finally when it looked like there were no takers I decided to call the Hoya meredithii mine. Here's what I did with it...

It was early March when I finally decided to get creative. Since I'd read that Hoya meredithii is an epiphytic vine in nature, I decided to mount it on the remnants of a hanging bromeliad I'd purchased several years back. When the bromeliads finally bloomed and died (without producing offspring, the nerve!) I kept the stem/root mass, figuring it had possibilities.

See what I mean? Look at all those spots perfect for tucking in a root ball, or moss, or...

And yes, I was working in the basement on our washer and dryer. It was cold and wet outside. One does what one has to do...

So here's the Hoya...

And it's root mass.

I decided to include these epiphyllum I got from Little Prince.

And a couple small pieces of Microsorum brachylepis 'Datun' that I broke off when dividing the plant I bought at Secret Garden Growers last autumn.

I wrapped the roots of each plant with a little moist sphagnum moss.

And then wired it to the hanging structure.

Once I was done I started poking in some green "Oregon moss" to add color.

The finished project... (love those leaves!)

Unfortunately this rather large bit of epiphyllum has started to rot at it's base, the sphagnum must be staying too wet. I cut it off and I'm letting end develop a callus before I work it back into the mount. I had a lot of fun putting this one together, and feel good that a month in only one plant is having issues. 

The Bit at the End

Mindful, a poem by Mary Oliver on a post from All Saints Parish Garden blog, a worthy (and quick) read.

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All material © 2009-2026 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.