This week's plant is my Hoya Obovata, and honestly, I don't think I realized just how special this plant was until recently.

I got this plant back in 2020. It was my very first Hoya.

I can still remember standing in my kitchen, excited to unbox a package from my plant pen pal. At the time, I was still fairly new to the hobby. I had heard of Hoyas, but I hadn't really taken the plunge yet.

Inside the package was a tiny two-leaf cutting.

That's it.

Two leaves and no roots.

At the time, I really didn't think too much about it. It was just one of several plants that had arrived in the trade. Little did I know that this tiny cutting would become one of the most special plants in my collection.

And that it would spark an obsession.

Today, I have close to 40 varieties of Hoyas, but this is where it all started.

One thing I love about Hoya Obovata is its quirky round leaves. They started out small, but as the plant matured, the leaves began coming out huge. Some of them are nearly the size of a baseball.

The funny thing is that they're not perfectly round. Some come out more oval-shaped than others, which somehow makes me love them even more. If you've read my blog for any amount of time, you probably know that I have a soft spot for the weird and quirky plants.

The leaves are thick and succulent-like, which means this plant doesn't need much water. It has become one of the easiest plants in my collection.

I also love its odd growth pattern. Sometimes it will send out a long tendril and then decide to grow the leaves way out at the end of it. It always seems to do things in its own way.

Much like me. 😂

What amazes me most isn't the size of the leaves or the length of the vines.

It's everything this plant has witnessed.

When I received this cutting, my youngest child was still a baby.

Since then, countless plants have come and gone from my collection. I've gone through different phases in life, learned more than I ever thought I would about houseplants, and built friendships through this hobby that I never expected.

Through all of it, this plant has stayed.

I've never even considered getting rid of it.

In fact, I don't think I ever will.

The funny thing is that I didn't even choose this plant.

It chose me.

My friend randomly selected it and included it in the package. I had no idea at the time that it would become one of my favorites or that it would open the door to a whole world of Hoyas.

It still hasn't bloomed for me.

It has tried a few times. Every now and then it will put out a peduncle and get my hopes up, only to stop short of producing flowers.

Maybe one day.

Until then, I'll keep loving it anyway.

Looking at this plant today fills me with excitement, gratitude, and amazement.

It's amazing to think that something so small and seemingly insignificant could grow into something so special.

Six years ago, I never would have guessed that a tiny two-leaf cutting with no roots would become one of the most treasured plants in my collection.

I never would have guessed that one random trade would lead to nearly 40 varieties of Hoyas.

And I certainly never would have guessed that a simple hobby would become such an important part of my life.

This plant has grown right alongside me.

Sometimes the things that end up changing our lives don't look very important in the beginning.

Sometimes they arrive in a small package from a friend.

And before you know it, they've become part of your story. 🌿