I received Hoya paulshirleyi in an ill-fated group order from Thailand in September of 2017.  The roots were completely rotted off so I took several cuttings to see if I could salvage anything and ended up with two plants. I grew them in net pots using my standard chunky mix and found out quickly that this was a plant that drank up a lot of water. It needed to be watered well a couple of times a week and grew quite rapidly.  I was quite surprised when I spotted the first peduncle so early.  From Cutting to flower only took around six months – Keeping in mind this was grown in ideal conditions of artificial lighting in a grow-tent.

Paul Shirley operates a web-based nursery in the Netherlands called Paul Shirley Succulents.  He ships plants all over the world with the exception of the U.S. and Australia.  In 1994 Paul joined Ted Green and Dale Kloppenburg on an expedition to Sulawesi, Indonesia and they discovered a number of new Hoya species.  Eventually the plant that Paul found and gave the accession number GPS 8845 became Hoya paulshirleyi.

The blooms of Hoya paulshirleyi only last around 2 days and have a slightly sweet smell only in the first few hours after opening.  Pollinators must act quickly to get this one to produce seed! While I have not been growing this Hoya for very long, I think it is a worthwhile plant to add to the collection.  The flowers don’t last very long, but it is a quick bloomer and a handsome specimen when well grown.