Ceropegia woodii (String of Hearts): care, propagation and varieties

To care for a Ceropegia woodii, place it in bright light with some gentle sunlight, plant it in a cactus mix, and only water when the soil is completely dry, reducing watering significantly in winter. Nicknamed string of hearts or chain of hearts, this plant behaves like a succulent: its fleshy leaves and large tuber at the base store water.

This is why it forgives neglect but not overwatering. This guide draws on Kew, the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society), NC State Extension (North Carolina State University), and the University of Wisconsin. You will find the right exposure, tuber propagation, the diagnosis of bare stems, and the choice between our varieties.

🌿 Why choose a string of hearts?

The string of hearts is one of the most graphic trailing plants: its threadlike, almost invisible stems seem to string small hearts marbled with silver like beads on a thread. It takes up very little floor space and dresses up a high shelf, a windowsill, or a hanging basket.

Its nature as a succulent makes it low-maintenance in terms of watering, and its rapid growth quickly rewards beginners. Finally, it almost propagates itself thanks to its aerial tubers, ideal for filling out the pot or offering cuttings.

🔎 The ID card of the Ceropegia woodii

According to Kew (Plants of the World Online, Ceropegia woodii), Ceropegia woodii is an accepted name, in the family of Apocynaceae: it is a tuberous climbing geophyte, originating from an area ranging from Zimbabwe to South Africa (SANBI, the South African National Biodiversity Institute, also lists it in Mozambique and Eswatini).

The RHS lists it as Ceropegia linearis subsp. woodii, a name you will also encounter in garden centers. The University of Wisconsin describes heart-shaped leaves 1 to 2 cm long, dark green marbled with silver on top and green to purple underneath.

Its waxy lantern-shaped flowers bear small downward-facing hairs that temporarily hold small flies attracted by their scent, according to the same source: this is how they are pollinated.

📋 Quick technical sheet

The essential care points, gathered at a glance.

📍 Where to place a string of hearts and when to plant it?

Place the string of hearts near a very bright window: NC State Extension requires bright indirect light and states that a lack of light spaces out the leaves along the stems. In South Africa, SANBI (South African National Biodiversity Institute) even recommends a few hours of direct sun per day for indoor cultivation.

So gentle morning or evening sun suits it, but scorching summer sun behind glass can burn the foliage.

📍 Ideal location: in front of an east or west-facing window (orientations cited by the RHS), or near a south-facing bay window with a sheer curtain in summer; a hanging basket in front of the glass is perfect.

🕰️ Best time: spring or early summer, when the plant resumes its growth: this is also the season for stem cuttings according to the RHS.

🧗 Trailing or climbing: let the stems hang from a high shelf, or wrap them around a small hoop for a fuller effect.

🪴 How to repot a Ceropegia woodii step by step

The RHS recommends a cactus potting mix: this is the most important point, because the roots and the basal tuber rot quickly in soil that remains moist. Repot in spring, only when the roots fill the pot: too large a volume of soil remains moist for too long.

A terracotta pot, which is more porous, helps the substrate dry out between waterings.

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✂️ Daily care of the string of hearts

The care of a Ceropegia woodii boils down to lots of light and little water. NC State Extension recommends letting the substrate dry completely between waterings, and the University of Wisconsin reminds that the plant tolerates dry soil much better than waterlogged soil.

💧 Watering: Push a finger in: water thoroughly only if the substrate is dry throughout, then empty the saucer.

🌱 Fertilizer: The RHS recommends a low-nitrogen liquid fertilizer 2 or 3 times during growth; Wisconsin, at most once a month at half strength.

✂️ Pruning: Shorten stems that are too long or bare in spring and keep the pieces for cuttings.

🔹 Untangling: Gently separate the tangled stems during watering, to prevent them from breaking during the next move.

👀 Monitoring: Inspect the leaf axils: mealybugs, aphids, and shield bugs are the pests cited by the RHS.

🍂 Watering a string of hearts according to the seasons

When to water a string of hearts? From spring to the end of summer, water as soon as the substrate is dry throughout, without following a fixed calendar: the frequency depends on the light, the pot, and the heat of your room. In autumn, space them out gradually.

In winter, the plant slows down: the RHS advises keeping it dry outside the growing season, and NC State Extension reducing watering during this rest. Regarding temperature, the University of Wisconsin recommends staying above 15 °C in winter, and SANBI places its summer optimum between 25 and 30 °C.

📅 Care calendar by season

🌱 How to make a string of hearts cutting

The string of hearts cutting is one of the simplest there is, thanks to aerial tubers: these small potato-shaped balls form at the nodes, along the stems. NC State Extension indicates that an aerial tuber roots and produces a new plant as soon as the stem touches the soil.

Tuber method: place the stem on a small pot of cactus potting mix, press the tuber against the substrate, hold it with a pin and keep the substrate barely moist; cut the stem when new shoots appear.

Stem method: the RHS recommends 10 to 15 cm cuttings at the beginning of summer, in moist cactus potting mix, at 22 to 25 °C. The cutting in water also works; compare the two approaches in our guide cutting in water or potting mix.

🐛 Common problems: causes and solutions

A string of hearts that loses its leaves or becomes bare almost always sends a watering or light signal. Here are the most frequent symptoms, their causes documented by NC State Extension, the RHS, and the University of Wisconsin, and the corrective action.

🌸 Our Ceropegia varieties

Here are the most cultivated forms of string of hearts, including the two we offer, with verifiable botanical details.

🎨 With what plants to associate a string of hearts?

The heart-shaped vine shares its needs with plants that love light and infrequent watering. For a hanging display of trailing plants, it pairs well with the Hoya linearis, another cascading trailer. If you love heart-shaped leaves, discover the Hoya kerrii fact sheet, the heart plant.

And because it is grown like a succulent, our cactus and succulent guide will help you create a dry, bright corner. For the container, read terracotta or plastic pots and discover our hanging plants.

⚠️ Is the heart-shaped vine toxic to cats and dogs?

The data is reassuring but incomplete.

The heart-shaped vine (rosary vine in English) does not appear in our search of the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) database, neither as toxic nor non-toxic, and none of the fact sheets from the RHS, NC State Extension, or the University of Wisconsin report any toxicity.

Some websites claim it is non-toxic, while others say it contains oxalates, with no verifiable source in either case. As a precaution, place it out of reach: its trailing stems attract playful cats, and the ASPCA reminds us that ingesting any plant can cause digestive problems. If ingestion is followed by symptoms, contact your veterinarian or a veterinary poison control center.

✅ Our expert tips for success

A successful heart-shaped vine depends on three things: plenty of light, a cactus mix, and watering only when the soil is dry. At the first sign of weakness, first check the spacing between the leaves (light), then the firmness of the leaves and tuber (watering). Keep it above 15°C in winter and propagate its aerial tubers to fill out the pot.