Oh yes... Riverside can be very hot too. I've lived both places. Phelan sometimes can get up to 106 in May! Other times, it doesn't heat up until late June. We haven't been over 107 this year yet. Very strange. Good luck with your Plumerias! I tried them, and they only died on me. I absolutely love them though.
I've often wondered about the cutting vs "rooted plant." I've only been able to root one hoya, and that was a common carnosa, years ago. The others I've all bought as "rooted plants." Some have died over the years. But I definitely have more luck with plants or cuttings that are already rooted.
I agree, getting them from the same climate does help a lot. I don't know of any nurseries that carry hoyas in CA, which is strange. They are not that easy to find, at least in my area. I've only seen a couple of hoyas for sell around here in all the years I've had plants (over two decades). I don't know why that is. It seems that if I want something special, I have to order online, even with other plants. My Home Depot and Lowes only have common plants like philos and pothos, syngoniums, ficus, etc.
