Temperature
60–85°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Sweetheart hoya
Hoya kerrii
Sweetheart hoya wants bright indirect light and water every 12 to 21 days, once the leaves feel slightly soft rather than firm. Non-toxic to cats and dogs. It climbs: without support its leaves stay small.
Light
Bright indirect
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
An east window, or within two feet of a south one. It lives in medium light and only grows in bright.
Water
Every 12–21 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the leaves feel slightly soft rather than firm, not on a schedule.
Humidity
40% and up
Fine in normal household air. Prefers 55%.
Difficulty
Easy
Scores 2 of 5: Scores 2 of 5: the single-leaf cuttings sold at Valentine's almost never grow, because a leaf without a node has nothing to grow from. Buy a plant with a stem if you want a plant.
Habit
Climbing
Needs a moss pole or board. Not decorative — leaves will not mature without one.
Non-toxic to cats and dogs
Eating a large amount of any plant can still cause mild stomach upset.
Detail for cats → Detail for dogs →
What each authority says
- ASPCA
- Non-toxic to cats and dogs
- NC State Extension
- Entry exists and records no poison data.
Light
Bright indirect light. An east window, or within two feet of a south one. It lives in medium light and only grows in bright.
Water
Every 12 to 21 days in a 6-inch pot, when the leaves feel slightly soft rather than firm.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | soak and dry |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | the leaves feel slightly soft rather than firm |
Soil and potting
One part orchid bark, one part perlite, one part potting soil.
Repot roughly every 3 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. Each links to a diagnosis page with the causes ranked for this species.
- No flowers monitor
- Root rot act today
- Slow growth monitor
Pests
Recorded for this species. Each links to identification and treatment.
- Mealybugs this week
- Aphids this week
- Scale insects this week
Propagation
Stem cutting in water or soil. Roots in 28 to 70 days.
A cutting without a node will not root. It may stay green in water for months and never produce a single root, because it has no growth point.
| Preferred method | stem cutting |
|---|---|
| Medium | water, soil |
| Time to root | 28–70 days |
| Node required | Yes |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Hoya kerrii Checked 2026-09-12.
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Hoya kerrii (consulted; entry exists and records no poison data.) Checked 2026-09-12.
- Wikidata entity Q292176 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Hoya kerrii Checked 2026-09-12.
- Photograph: Hobbykafe, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 3.0.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02