Hoya Kalimantan Complete Plant Care Guide

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I receive a commission for purchases made through these links, at no cost to you.

Hoya Kalimantan is one of the craziest looking Hoya’s out there. This plant has reptile-like foliage and has been one of my easiest growing plants. This is a no-fuss plant that will continue to reward you with new growth.

Hoya Kalimantan main care directions.

Water. Soil can dry out completely before watering. Check soil by inserting finger two inches into soil or by using a moisture meter.
Light. Thrives in bright sunlight (south facing windows) or under artificial grow lights. My Hoya’s grow under T5 Barrina plant grow lights that stay on for 12 hours each day.
Fertilizer. Feed Hoya Kalimantan a high quality fertilizer like Dyna-Gro Grow. Feed every watering, bi-weekly, or once a month.
Humidity. Hoya Kalimantan thrive in high humidity in the 50%+ range. I keep mine right at about 50% and it’s loving it. This plant thrives in high humidity just like other Hoya’s.

Here’s what to know to keep Hoya Kalimantan thriving in your home.

Light

Hoya’s thrive in bright light settings. Typically, the more light the better as long as the plant isn’t receiving direct, harsh sunlight.

South facing windows are prime spots for Hoya’s because this area of the home receives a lot of light throughout the day. South facing windows are areas in your home receiving afternoon light, which is the hottest most intense sunlight of the day.

I try to place the majority of my houseplants near a south facing window because it’s such great light, but I’ve also run out of space, which is where artificial grow lights come in.

I have my Hoya Kalimantan sitting under T5 Barrina plant grow lights which are on 13 hours per day from 8AM-9pm. All of my Hoya’s are grown under plant grow lights in a DIY cabinet I made. This allows me to control the humidity and lighting quite easily without doing much work at all.

If you don’t have a south facing window or artificial grow lights, consider putting this plant near an east or west facing window, but understand this is less light than a south facing window and therefore, you may notice slower growth.

Water

Hoya’s like a watering when the soil dries out. This plant can tolerate a little bit of drought but you don’t want it drying out for too long. Check the soils moisture level by sticking your finger in about two inches deep. If the soil is dry, it’s time to water your Hoya.

You may find that you water this plant once a week in the summer or once every two weeks in the winter.

Depending on where you place your plant your watering schedule will change. For example, if you place your plant on a south facing window you’ll water it more often than if you placed this same exact plant on a north facing window. South facing windows get much more light than north facing windows which is why you’d water one more than the other.

Soil

As you can see in the picture below, my Hoya Kalimantan is sitting in well-draining soil. This soil is super chunky and contains a blend of size 4 perlite, orchid bark, and coco coir. If you want to make the same blend, an easy recipe calls for 1/3 orchid bark, 1/3 perlite, and 1/3 coco coir. Perlite comes in different sizes and I find size #4 perlite to be the best but any size works.

If you don’t want to make your own soil, use a premade potting mix. A great option is Fox Farm Ocean Forest that contains a blend of high quality ingredients. You don’t need to add anything to this premade mix, but if you want, you can add extra orchid bark or perlite to create an even chunkier mix.

Well draining soil is essential for Hoya’s because these plants suffer from root rot easier than other houseplants. You never want to put this plant in compact, dense soil which is usually what you get when you buy a plant from Home Depot or Lowes.

Temperature

Hoya Kalimantan do well in any home that is between temperatures of 60 degrees F to 90 degrees (15 degrees Celsius to 32 degrees Celsius).

Fertilizer

Without the proper fertilizer your plants will struggle to grow in your home.

There are tons of fertilizers available on the market and they widely vary in nutrients and quality. I personally like to use Dyna-Gro, which is an all purpose plant fertilizer that contains all of the nutrients my plants need to grow healthy in my home.

When plants are given fertilizer, this promotes healthy growth and allows the plant to grow new foliage and possibly even bloom.

You can also use something like Liqui-Dirt which is a plant food, not a fertilizer. However, Liqui-Dirt contains everything your plant needs to grow healthy so it doesn’t necessarily matter that it isn’t classified a fertilizer. Liquid-Dirt contains 18 ingredients and includes beneficial bacteria great for your houseplants.

Humidity

Hoya’s thrive in high humidity. This is one of those plants that you want to make sure you place in a spot getting at least 50%+ humidity.

Best tips for increasing humidity:

Group together plants (this creates a microclimate of higher humidity)
Use a humidifier and run it daily near your houseplants
Place houseplants in the bathroom that gets daily showers or baths
Use a greenhouse or dome for consistent humidity
Cover plants with plastic wrap or sheer bag

Propagation

As you can see pictured below, this Hoya has nodes that make it easy to propagate and grow more of. All you do is take a cutting right below a node and submerge the node under water or into soil.

I personally like to submerge nodes under water because I like to see if the roots are growing or not. If I put this plant into soil, I won’t know if the roots are growing or not because I can’t see them.

Once the roots are at least four inches long, I can move the plant to my preferred substrate. You can grow Hoya’s in potting mix, sphagnum moss, leca, or even lechuza pon.

Hoya Kalimantan Common Questions

Is Hoya Kalimantan rare?

Hoya Kalimantan is somewhat of a rare plant. This plant doesn’t cost a pretty penny, but you also won’t find it at any big box stores like Lowes or Home Depot. I haven’t even seen this plant at any plant shops. I bought my H. Kalimantan from an online plant seller.

How much is a Hoya Kalimantan?

I bought a 4 inch pot of Hoya Kalimantan for about $15 when it only had 3 leaves. This plant typically goes for under $30 for a 4 inch pot.

How do you care for Hoya Kalimantan?

Hoya Kalimantan is easy to take care of. You only need to know the following care tips: place in a spot getting bright sunlight, humidity in the 50%+ range, and regular fertilizer during the active growing season.

Is Hoya Kalimantan hard to care for?

Hoya Kalimantan isn’t hard to take care of. In fact, this is one of the easiest Hoya’s to take care of. Once it’s established in your home and acclimated, this plant really takes off. You’ll notice crazy shoots and new foliage quickly growing.

Is Hoya Kalimantan a fast grower?

Hoya Kalimantan may be a slow grower once you first bring it home, but once it’s acclimated, that’s a different story. This plant really takes off once it’s given high humidity and constant bright light throughout the day.

My plant took a few months to get acclimated to my home.

How big do Hoya Kalimantan get?

These leaves actually get quite big compared to other Hoya’s. Hoya Kalimantan can grow up a support pole or trail down a pot. I personally think this plant looks awesome either way.

If you notice your Hoya Kalimantan is dying, this may be due to lighting, humidity, or watering schedule.

Make sure your plant is getting bright light, but never direct sunlight. Too intense of sunlight can scorch the leaves and stunt the growth.

Hoya’s thrive in high humidity and this is one care tip you shouldn’t skip out on. Give this plant higher humidity by placing it near a humidifier or by placing a plastic dome over it. This simple little trick will keep the humidity around the plant and make your plant grow a lot quicker.

How do you propagate Hoya Kalimantan?

Propagating Hoya Kalimantan is easy because this plant has nodes. If you’ve propagated via node before, you understand how easy this is. All you do is cut off a stem below a node and submerge the node under water or into soil. I personally like to propagate via water because I can see how quickly the roots are growing. Once the roots are at least 4 inches long, I move the plant cutting to my preferred substrate of choice.

How do I get my Hoya Kalimantan to bloom?

Hoya Kalimantan get crazy cool looking blooms. I’ve never been lucky enough to see my plant bloom but I think it’s because I’m not giving the plants warm enough temperatures.

The two key things for getting a plant to bloom into the home is warm temperatures (80 degrees F) and high humidity in the 50%+ range.

I’ve heard Hoya Kalimantan blooms have a spicy smell. Hoya blooms widely range in scent and everyone smells something different.

Is Hoya Kalimantan toxic to pets?

No, this plant is not toxic to pets. You can get more information on toxic and pet-friendly plants at ASPCA here.

Common pests

Hoya Kalimantan is susceptible to pest pressures just like all plants. There are key things you can do to limit your risk of pest pressures because trust me – you don’t want pests to take over your plants and home.

Before bringing any new plant home, make sure to inspect it at the store. You want to check the soil and foliage (especially the undersides of the foliage) for bugs. There are good beneficial insects out there, but my eyes can’t easily spot them so if I find any kind of pest moving on plants at a store, I just don’t bother.

Once I do my best to inspect a plant and it doesn’t have any pests seen by my eyes, I bring it home and do my best to quarantine the plant for at least two weeks. I was really good at doing this when I first got into houseplants but I’ll admit I typically just throw my houseplants into the rest of the my plants. I’ve regretted doing that twice.

Pest preventive will save you time and money in the long run because it’ll increase your chances of not falling to pest pressures. One of my favorite pest killers is Bonide Systemic Granules. I sprinkle this stuff on top of my plants soil and it’s been a game changer. I never have fungus gnats and I owe a lot of this to the following: 1) I don’t overwater but mostly 2) I use Bonide Systemic.

I also like to take a mixture of a few drops of Dawn Dish Soap and a liter of water and spray this on my plants foliage. I wipe this off with a clean towel and it not only cleans up my plants but it helps get rid of any bugs.

Common issues

Yellowing leaves: If your Hoya Kalimantan gets yellowing leaves, this may be a sign that your plant is getting too much water. Dial back on the watering and make sure to only water when the soil dries out. You can figure this out by pressing your finger two inches deep into the soil. This gives you a real feel of how moist your soil is before watering it.

Key Points To Remember

Hoya Kalimantan is a unique plant that truly stands out from any other Hoya. If you love plant veins and reptile-like foliage, this plant is for you.

Here are the key things to remember for Hoya Kalimantan

Place in a spot getting bright indirect sunlight (south facing windows)
Water once the top two inches of soil are dry
Fertilize during the active growing season with a high quality fertilizer like Dyna Gro
Place in a spot getting at least 50%+ humidity