Hoya lacunosa

This is a very popular plant in cultivation, because it is very easy to grow and flowers regularly throughout the year with cream-coloured flowers. The flowers are highly scented to attract moths for pollination. It is a suitable plant for hanging baskets where it will grow to 1-2 metres. It can also be grown on a trellis, but it has to be fastened up. It can best be grown in half shade, but it will tolerate some sun. Lacunosa has many variations in leaves and flowers and hence a lot of cultivar names are used for the same species.
The plant originally comes from Java, Malaysia and Thailand and therefore likes a lot of warmth (at least 20°C) to do well. It does well in the ordinary living room as long as you keep it well-watered. It is very easy to propagate from cuttings and also by seed as long as moths have access to the plant.

Hoya lacunosa

 

Dischidia nummularia

There are two variations of Dischidia nummularia; one a plain green one, the other with variegated leaves. The green form flowers a lot easier with small white flowers. Dischidias are very closely related to Hoyas, so much so, that a number of species cannot be told apart until they flower. Dischidia nummularia variegata is a good example; it was a few year before it flowered and I could work out what it was. And for one or two species of Dischidia, even when they flower, the experts cannot determine – or do not agree – whether they belong to the dischidias or to the hoyas.
Dischidia nummularia comes from South-East Asia and is an epiphyte, growing on the tree trunks. Because the flowers are small and often appear well above head height, they are difficult to spot. It likes plenty of light to grow well and if you are lucky you will get flowers, but it may take a while. It is an untidy grower and likes plenty of space. The plants can be grown in either a compost mixture or on a piece of bark or similar medium. Generally speaking, dischidias prefer a higher temperature than hoyas, but these two grow quite well in the same temperatures as hoyas. Both are very easy to propagate by cuttings and will, in summer, root in about six weeks.

 

Dischidia nummularia variegata GPS 10249

Dischidia nummularia GPS 10245