Hoya cumingiana is native to Southeast Asia, with its primary documented range including: The Philippines: This is where it was first discovered on the island of Mindoro in 1841 by the British conchologist and natural history collector Hugh Cuming, after whom the species is named. In its natural habitat, it grows as a hemi-epiphytic subshrub in the wet tropical biome. This means it can grow both attached to trees (epiphytically) and sometimes rooted in the ground, forming a somewhat shrub-like, vining structure. It thrives in humid, warm conditions typical of tropical forests, and is often found in limestone areas and even growing on roadcuts, suggesting a degree of adaptability in its preferred substrate.