Hoya Kerrii
Hoya kerrii
Those single-leaf cuttings sold as 'sweetheart plants' will never grow past the one leaf. We sell ours as multi-node vining plants that actually develop into something.
Buy this plant $18 In Stock- Light
- Bright Indirect
- Humidity
- 40-60%
- Temperature
- 65-80°F
Light Requirements
Bright Indirect. Put it 3-5 feet from a south or east-facing window, out of direct sun. Direct afternoon sun will scorch the leaves!
Watering
Every 7-10 days in summer, every 2-3 weeks in winter. Let the top inch or two dry before watering. It's a semi-succulent so drought is no big deal. Yellow leaves or a mushy base? Too much water. Wrinkled, floppy leaves? Not enough. They perk right back up after a good drink!
Humidity
Target humidity: 40-60%. Normal home humidity of 40-50% is usually fine! Just keep it away from heating vents, which dry the air out fast.
Temperature
Keep it between 65-80°F. Watch out for cold drafts from windows in winter and hot air blowing from vents. Most tropical houseplants start struggling below 55°F, and frost will kill them.
Soil and Potting
Fast-draining mix: about 40% cactus mix, 30% orchid bark, 20% perlite, 10% compost. Or go 50/50 potting mix and perlite with some bark. Terracotta pots help too because they pull extra moisture out of the soil.
Propagation
Do not try to propagate from a single leaf! Without a node, the leaf will root but it'll sit there forever doing nothing. For a real new plant, take a stem cutting with at least 3 nodes. Root in water with nodes submerged and leaves above the waterline. Roots in 3-6 weeks.
Common Problems
Bought a single leaf in a pot? There's no fix. It'll never grow into a plant. That's not a care problem, it's a missing-node problem. For actual Hoya plants: never cut the flower spurs! Those stubby stems where blooms appear are permanent. The same spur flowers again next year. Snip it and you wait years for a new one.
Worth Knowing
- Every Valentine's Day, stores sell single heart-shaped Hoya leaves in cute pots. Here's the thing: those will never grow. They're cut without a node, rooted to look alive, and sold knowing full well the leaf will just sit there until it dies. It's one of the oldest tricks in the plant industry, and it works every February like clockwork.
- Hoya flower spurs are persistent, meaning the same little woody nub blooms again every season. If you deadhead the flowers and accidentally cut the spur, you just cost yourself years of blooms. Hands off!
- In the wild across Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, Hoya kerrii is a climbing vine with leaves way bigger than anything you see in pots. The nursery versions are juveniles that never reach full size indoors.
Toxicity
Non-toxic to cats and dogs! One of the safe ones.