Hoya polyneura, famously known as the "Fishtail Hoya" due to its distinctive leaf venation, originates from a broad region spanning the Central Himalaya to China (NW Yunnan).
The species was formally described by Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1883. The name "polyneura" comes from Greek, meaning "many-veined," a direct reference to the prominent and intricate vein pattern on its leaves.
It grows as an epiphytic subshrub in subtropical biomes, often found in humid and shaded environments of forested regions at elevations of approximately 1,000 to 1,800 meters. This preference for cooler, high-altitude forests is a key characteristic that influences its care in cultivation.