hmm? google search only shows this post and the two ebay sellers for hoya hot lips.

The image does look very nice. I'd wait...those prices are too rich for my blood. Sorry I can't really help. Good luck.

Michelle in my humble opinion the biggest reason its so high is demand. its a new variety...like most things "rare" plants and things can jack the prices up...supply in demand. Wait till more vendors have it and hopefully the prices will come down with more of them for sale becomes available...

This was on the auction... I agree with Laura too rich for my blood too.

"H. 'Hotlips' is a cross between H. 'MB0001' X H. excavata by Mike Bernado, named the character Major Margaret J "Hot Lips" Houlihan from M*A*S*H."

Yeah, anything over a hundred dollars is just too much. I told my husband about the price of this Hoya and he says he just doesn't understand why anyone would spend that on a plant. I have some rare ones but have never spent that amount on a single plant.

Because people have WAY too much money and not enough common sense?? Ok, I have the perspective of an old fart. I spend carefully... I can wait for a Hoya to become more common, even at my advanced age! LOL! The MOST I have ever spent for a Hoya is $34, and that didn't feel good. I love Hoyas, but most of us don't have a ton of disposable income. Thank goodness for those of you who do, because the rest of us have an opportunity to profit! Yay!

Denise in Omaha

I have cv. Hotlips. It should be on my ebay next week as a reasonably priced BIN (buy it now) cutting. I try my hardest to offer my plants at a reassonable price, but sometimes the amount I had to spend just to buy the mother plant is ridiculous. Especially with the MB hybrids. I do know the amount of time he personally invested in getting those plants pollinated. Then he had to grow them out from seed to bloom maturity, culling the undesirable ones along the way. He selects for vigor above everything else.

I saw that auction. I even put it on my watch list when the price got up near $100. When I saw it sold for $137 I almost couldn't believe it, but then again I've seen some relatively common Hoyas go for around $100 on ebay. I hope I never get that desperate to own a particular Hoya but I wouldn't have that kind of money even if I did.

Aurorawa, I will be watching for that auction. I was looking for "chicken farm" and I just recently got it as a buy it now from Ric Moreir. I had ordered one in a mass euphytica order a while back and it didn't make it unfortunately. I love buy it now auctions so much better than those crazy bid me up auctions.

I always look forward to your listings aurorawa. Your plants are always so healthy and are thriving and putting on lots of new growth.

I ordered "Hot Lips" from the person that runs "Hoya Creations" on Facebook, if I understand correctly they are close to Mike B. It was $40 for rooted and $35 for cuttings. Gorgeous blooms on this variety, love the metallic sheen they get!

Hi Aurorwa. Since you grow this 'Hotlips' variety. How about a picture of its bloom? If it is so 'amazing/in demand'...lets see what kind of bloom it puts out. I pay a small fortune for 'H.Macgillvrayii' cuttings, that NEVER root, and it is now a fairly common variety. But it's huge blooms keeps the cuttings at a high price. So...whats so special about this one? Lets see it. Or at least some description of it.

If you are paying a small fortune for macgillvrayii cuttings, that is on you and the vendor(s) you are purchasing from. The willingness to pay a certain price keeps the price up. I have never paid more than $14.99 for ROOTED macgillvrayii cuttings. Except for macgillvrayii 'Pandanus Creek'...that was a nice $27.00 full pot.

Personally, I have no trouble at all rooting that particular type. Straight into 1/4 inch orchiata bark, 1/4 inch perlite, and LECA, all equal parts. Water thoroughly once, mist lightly daily, keep in warm, softly lit area, until it roots. Once it roots, water weekly, adding a water soluble feed to the water.

It is not the bloom or leaves that it that drives the value up.

Unless you have actually tried to pollinate hoyas (I have), you could not begin to understand the effort and time it takes. Not to mention, the labor to grow each seedling to semi-maturity, and the mental resolve it takes to SELECT for vigor and the most aesthetically pleasing plants and DESTROY the rest. I, like many hoya enthusiasts, have trouble taking CUTTINGS of my plants. Just imagine having to destroy them!

Then, you labor to grow the survivors to bloom, if they make it. The ones that do make it, will be reviewed AGAIN, for vigor, foliage and blooms. Then, those that don't meet criteria are DESTROYED. A hard thing to do. That is what a reputable hybridzer does. And Mike Bernardo is one of the best. Grows for vigor first, aesthetics last. Destroys the weak and undesirable.

Hoya cv. Hotlips (photo credit to Mike Bernardo):

Please, before you get snarky about 'amazing/in demand' plants, realize the YEARS it took to grow said plant!

How do you polinate hoyas? Is it similar to pollinating orchids? I would love to start trying to polinate hoyas..

It is quite difficult...see this thread:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/3793437/for-adult-eyes-onlymaking-hoya-babies

That's why there are so few hybrids. In the almost 40 years I've been growing Hoyas, I have only had two spontaneous (insect pollinated, I assume) seed horns. And it's not just getting them pollinated, but it's my understanding that the seeds are viable for only a short period of time. THEN you have to be someone who has the knack and patience to grow from seed. I've never had success growing anything from seed, so I have a lot of respect and admiration for those who can.

Thanks to people like you, Aurora, who bite the bullet, pay the price for the rare ones and then are kind enough to offer them reasonably priced to the rest of us. It's awesome that you can recover some of your investment AND get the species out there so it's more affordable.

Denise in Omaha

Thanks, Denise!

I was lucky enough to get a seed pod on a couple of purposeful crosses (davidcummingii X lucadenasiana and pottsii 'Budabadoo Creek' X sp. UT-009), but the former was eaten by my chickens (I was tempted to make a stew outta them) and the latter didn't hold to maturity.

Selling can be difficult, especially when you only have a certain amount of buy it now listings per month in ebay. So, I end up putting them up for auction with a low price (the lowest I am willing to part with is what I start them off at, usually $12.99-$14.99), but for some reason, I seem to attract the bidders with big bucks or high credit limits. Drives my loyal customers crazy.

A little secret...I only sell so I can buy more...LOL!

If I didn't have a full time job, I'd run a website for plant enthusiasts. With no seller fees. Revenue would be gained by allowing reputable nurseries to advertise their goods in a non-invasive way (no pop-ups or banner ads). A woman can dream...

I would buy stock in that business!! And it truly is a dream. It is nearly impossible to get around the advertisement issues plaguing the internet now, even those willing to take in less mula.