If you're looking for an easy-to-care-for trailing houseplant with striking leaves, a string of hearts (Ceropegia woodii) is a great choice.
It has pretty, heart-shaped, grayish-green leaves in a spectacular marble pattern. The foliage is attached to thin stems that look like strings. Draped over the edges of a hanging basket, the trailing vine plant offers an impressive decorative look.
You can place string of hearts on a shelf, desk, or window sill and let the vines cascade downwards to create texture and dimension. Once mature, the vines can reach around 12 feet long.
String of hearts are native to South Africa and do best as houseplants, but they can be outdoors in tropical or subtropical environments. As a houseplant, they fare well in homes that have a moderate temperature and receive ample bright light.
String of Hearts Basic Info
String of Hearts Plant Care
String of hearts (Ceropegia woodii) is a low-maintenance plant to grow, especially if you're a new plant parent. Place it in a warm area with indirect light and this succulent will grow happily, and can even handle some neglect.
Light Needs for String of Hearts
String of hearts do best in bright, indirect light. This plant can receive some direct sunlight but too much will burn the foliage. "It is a light-loving succulent, so the closer you can grow it to a south, east, or west-facing window, the better," says Justin Hancock, Costa Farms Horticulturist. If you don't have a window that provides the right lighting, he says, you can use artificial light. (These are the plant lights we recommend.)
Soil for String of Hearts
Choose a well-draining potting mix. (Here are the potting soils we recommend.) These plants don't fare well if they receive too much water or the water doesn't drain.
"Because it’s a low-water succulent, it is sensitive to overwatering," says Hancock. "You might look at a cacti/succulent mix for this plant but you can grow it in an average indoor potting mix if you’re careful with the watering."
How to Water String of Hearts
String of hearts are drought-tolerant but they do like consistent waterings. Check the soil before watering to ensure you don't give this succulent too much water or too little.
Hancock recommends inserting a wooden toothpick into the drainage hole at the bottom of the container. "If the toothpick comes out clean, your string of hearts may appreciate some water," says Hancock. "If it comes out with a potting mix attached, there may be enough moisture in the soil that it doesn’t need it yet."
Best Temperature and Humidity for String of Hearts
These succulents do best in warm regions with plenty of air circulation.
"String of hearts thrives in average household temperatures, so as long as it’s not below about 60°F, this subtropical plant will do just fine," says Hancock.
Should You Fertilize String of Hearts?
You can feed your string of hearts a succulent fertilizer. They don't need a lot but can benefit from a fertilizer boost during the growing season that begins in spring. Use a water-soluble fertilizer, NPK, such as a 5-10-5 and apply once a month by following the instructions on the label.
Should You Prune String of Hearts?
Pruning isn't needed to maintain your string of hearts. You can trim the length of the vines. Cut below the node of the stem where new leaves emerge.
Are String of Hearts Toxic to Pets?
While the ASPCA doesn't list string of hearts on either their toxic or nontoxic plants list, they are generally considered safe for pets.
However, eating too much of any plant can cause some GI distress in a cat or dog. If you notice your animal eating a lot of it, you may want to move the plant, and possible contact your vet.
How to Propagate String of Hearts Plants
If you love your string of hearts plant, you can create more by taking cuttings. (Country Living UK has a short guide on propagation.) There are a couple of ways to propagate the string of heart plants.
Water Method
- Get a pair of scissors or shears, a jar and water. Cut a 3-4 inch cutting that has a minimum of two internodes.
- Snip off the bottom leaves from the cutting before placing the stem in water.
- Set the jar in a place that receives indirect, bright light.
- Change the water every few days. Roots will typically develop in a couple of weeks.
- When roots emerge, you can plant the cutting in a container with potting soil.
Butterfly Method
- Get a pair of shears or scissors, potting soil or sphagnum moss.
- "The string of heart leaves grow in pairs along the vines," says Raffaele Di Lallo, owner of Ohio Tropics and author of Houseplant Warrior.
- Cut around ⅛ to ¼ inch away from where the leaves grow. "You'd simply snip on both ends of the vine and then you can place the cuttings either on moist sphagnum moss or directly into a small pot of moist soil."
- Bury a part of the cutting or the stem in the soil or place on the sphagnum moss, keeping the leaves above the soil line.
- Place them near a window that receives bright light but no direct sunlight.
- You'll likely see new growth within a week or so. "They will quickly root and each cutting will form a vine, and you can load up several in a small pot," says Di Lallo.
How to Repot a String of Hearts Plant
The best time to plant or repot a string of hearts is when the weather is warm. These plants typically need to be upgraded to a new pot every couple of years or when you notice they are root-bound— when roots escape from the small drainage holes. (Here's our general 3-step method to repotting plants.)
"When repotting, if your plant is root bound, only go up one pot size," says Di Lallo. "Moving your plant into a pot that is too big will cause the soil to take longer to dry out because of the large excess of soil."
Choosing the right-sized container is key for your string of hearts to continue to thrive. "Your plant should be potted by the size of the root system, not by the amount of foliage that it has," says Di Lallo. "It is better to have a smaller pot than one that is much too big."
Common Pests and Diseases for String of Hearts
String of hearts can be afflicted by common pests, such as aphids, mealybugs and scale. Monitoring your plants for pests by looking under the leaves and the stems is key to minimizing pests from harming your plant.
"Pests are contagious so if you spot any on your string of hearts, the best thing to do is isolate that plant so that the pests don't spread to the rest of your plant collection," says Di Lallo. Take action as soon as you see pests.
"You can spray down your entire plant with a good insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, or even 70% isopropyl alcohol," says Di Lallo. "Repeat weekly for up to eight weeks or so, even after you stop seeing the pests, particularly for mealybugs."
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How to Get String of Hearts to Bloom
String of hearts have small, tubular flowers that are bright pink. They typically bloom in the summer or fall. The main factor for these plants to flower is getting sufficient lighting.
"If it gets enough light, it does bloom fairly readily indoors—but getting enough light is important," says Hancock. "If it doesn’t have the light levels it wants, it won’t have the energy to produce flowers." He advises that if you notice your string of hearts isn't blooming, change its location to a brighter area. You can also get a grow light.
Troubleshooting String of Hearts
String of hearts is simple to grow but occasionally you will see some problems. Here are a few of the most common:
Yellowing Leaves
Yellowing leaves are often caused by overwatering, or when the soil remains wet for too long.
"You may notice that your plant is wilting, even though the soil may not be dry, and you may experience a lot of yellow leaves," says Di Lallo. Soil that is soggy or wet can lead to root rot. He recommends repotting your plant. "It would be beneficial to take your plant out of the pot, remove or cut away any of the damaged root systems, and repot it into a fresh potting mix," he says.
Dropping Leaves
Overwatering can also cause leaves to drop. Make sure to check the soil before watering to see if it's ready for another drink. Dropping leaves can also be provoked by insufficient sunlight.
Curling Leaves
Curling leaves can be an indicator of several issues.
"Leaf curl often represents an issue with the roots, particularly with underwatering, though overwatering may also cause leaves to curl," says Hancock. Too much sunlight or exposure to drafts can also make leaves curl.
Pay attention to how much sunlight the plants receive. Keep plants away from drafts or changes in temperature. "Plants in nature aren’t typically exposed to blasts of air that are significantly warmer or cooler than the ambient temperature, so drafts can cause leaves to curl and yellow prematurely as the plants experience stress," explains Hancock.
More Frequently Asked Questions
Are String of Hearts Hard to Grow?
String of hearts are generally easy to grow as long as you place it in an area where it receives bright indirect sunlight.
Can You Grow a String of Hearts from a Cutting?
Yes, you can grow a string of hearts from a cutting. If you already have a plant, you can propagate it.
How Do You Encourage a String of Hearts to Grow?
String of hearts is known to be fast growers when they receive ample indirect, bright light. During their growing period from spring to fall, you can fertilize this plant for a nutrient boost.
Types of String of Hearts Plants
Ceropegia woodii variegata: This is a more colorful string of hearts. The stems and foliage have pinkish and purplish hues/
Ceropegia woodii ‘String of Arrows': has emerald leaves that look like triangles rather than hearts.
Ceropegia linearis 'String of Needles': This variety stands out for its thin, needle-shaped foliage.
Ceropegia woodii ‘String of Spaces': has green leaves with a pale pink underside and light green veins.
Lauren David is a freelance writer, who writes about gardening, homes, and sustainability. She has worked as a garden educator and program manager for a K-12 garden program for underprivileged youth where she managed a quarter-acre urban garden and taught classes daily. Lauren has over 15 years of gardening experience, growing heirloom and unique varieties of vegetables, flowers, and herbs. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, AARP, Better Homes & Gardens, Martha Stewart, Mindbodygreen, Reader's Digest, Southern Living, and more. Find more about her at laurendavid.net.
Justin Hancock is a horticulturist at Costa Farms, where he helps home gardeners across the country to successfully grow and care for a wide variety of plants.