I know very little about this little Hoya other than it is endemic to Papua New Guinea and that the IM in the accession number stands for “Imran”, the name of the first discoverer of this (and the other “IM-number”) species, according to Thai grower Surisa Somadee Riampreeda.

Hoya sp. IM-08 came to me in May of 2022 as part of an Indonesian import order. It was labeled as Hoya NOID PNG Small Leaf. The very name intrigued me, and I decided to give it a try. This was part of the order that brought me Hoya leucantha, which was labeled Hoya NOID PNG Large Leaf. This Hoya grew so well right out of the gate that I was blown away. The leaves from a distance looked just like Hoya serpens, but it was just so much easier to grow. It quickly became one of my favorite small-leaved Hoyas. It underwent at least three up-pottings and was always potted in coconut husk. Hoya sp. IM-08 just like Hoya serpens got tons of peduncles, which refused to bud up. I began to wonder if I was ever going to flower this one, when finally after about a year I finally spotted a small bud, and it flowered soon afterward.

I find that while Hoya sp. IM-08 is a vigorous and prolific grower, it is rather stingy with its flowerings. Since I bloomed the plant the first time, I have only had a couple more flowers. There is some kind of blooming trigger that I have not figured out as of yet. I believe the secret must lie with increasing or decreasing day length. Hoya sp. IM-08 is a fantastic new discovery that if I had to guess will be named a new species in 2024. It gives you the tiny round leaves of Hoya serpens without any of the difficulties of its growing requirements. The cute little starfish shaped flowers are an added bonus. This little plant gets my highest recommendation!