The image shows the hoya plant after working on it the past week. I rescued it from a wholesale nursery that did not know how to take care of hoya plants. Many of the leaves were damaged by too much sun (red/cracked/blotches) and the it was choking itself in the container. Pubicalyx red button hoya plant grows fast and has rich purple flowers.
This hoya plant had many flowers on it but due to the sun the nursery person said the just fall off before opening (he did not know it require shade/indirect light to grow well). The plant was growing with 4 other Hoya plants in 10 gallon containers along a fence in the back of the nursery where most customers do not see it. I travel other nurseries in South Florida to see what they are offering and grab rare plants other wholesale plant growers are offering. Not all nursery growers know how to maintain all varieties of plants. It seems when it comes to cactus and succulents not specialized nursery growers either over water them or give them the wrong amount of light or fertilizer.
When the plant was first obtained it was twice the size as in the image. When Pubicalyx red button hoya plant is very nature it sometimes sends out purple starter leaves. One the leafs grow they turn green and have tan/white speckling on them. We have another large Pubicalyx red button hoya that is used for propagation and this one will be added to it. We expect to have a few ready next month and then in 3 months many more.
The wholesale dealer said he have a few more hoyas which I plan to rescue this weekend if they are of the rare type like this one. If I remember I will take images first so you see how distress the hoya plants are before I work on them (Cutting away bad parts). The dealer does not know the names of the Hoya plants or where he obtained which is way they were in the back someplace not being offered to his clients. When you visit nurseries do not be shy walk the whole area (the workers will tell you if you are in off limits area or not). Sometimes you will find something way in the back that you know what it is but the nursery has neglected that you can obtain for pennies on the dollar.
Very interesting – we(private residence) have had hoyas for years and recently moved one from our little greenhouse to our patio which we thought was protected. Within days, the leaves looked as if they had measles. Some are dots, others almost as if chewed. Now, looking more closely, after reading your info,
they are getting too much sun. Thank you. My wife said I guess I get to go do some cutting and off she went. I presume and hope that propagating from this plant will not affect the new starts.