String of Hearts

Ceropegia woodii is native to southern Africa, with a distribution centered in South Africa, Eswatini (Swaziland), and Zimbabwe.

• Found at elevations of approximately 200 to 1,200 meters
• Grows in rocky outcrops, woodland margins, and among scrub vegetation in subtropical to warm temperate regions
• Typically found trailing over rocks or climbing through low shrubs in partial shade
• The species occurs in areas with summer rainfall and relatively dry winters
• First collected by John Medley Wood near Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, in 1881
• Sent to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where it was formally described by the English botanist Robert Allen Rolfe in 1894
• The genus Ceropegia comprises approximately 200 species distributed across Africa, Asia, and Australia

Ceropegia woodii is a slender, evergreen, trailing or climbing succulent vine.

Stems:
• Very slender, thread-like, wiry, typically 1 to 2 meters long in cultivation (longer in habitat)
• Purplish-green to dark purple, rooting at nodes where they contact soil
• Produce small tubers at intervals along the stem, serving as water and nutrient storage organs

Leaves:
• Small, heart-shaped (cordate), 1 to 2 cm long and 0.8 to 1.5 cm wide
• Succulent to semi-succulent, with a slightly fleshy texture
• Upper surface grayish-green with silvery-white variegation following the veins
• Lower surface purplish-green to purple
• Arranged oppositely along the stem, spaced 1 to 3 cm apart

Flowers:
• Small, lantern- or vase-shaped, approximately 2 to 3 cm long
• Pale pink to purplish-pink on the outside, darker at the tips
• Five petals fused into a distinctive bulbous corolla tube that flares at the top
• Often described as resembling tiny inverted parachutes or lanterns
• Produced singly or in pairs from leaf axils, mainly in late summer to autumn

Roots:
• Fibrous root system with small fleshy tubers that store water and nutrients

String of Hearts is an excellent houseplant that thrives with minimal care.

Light:
• Prefers bright, indirect light; tolerates some direct morning sun
• Insufficient light causes elongated, sparse growth with wide internode spacing
• Excessive direct sun may scorch the delicate leaves

Watering:
• Water moderately during the growing season (spring to autumn), allowing the soil to dry between waterings
• Reduce watering in winter but do not let the tubers shrivel completely
• Overwatering can cause tuber and root rot

Soil:
• Requires a well-drained, airy potting mix — a blend of standard potting soil with added perlite, pumice, or orchid bark
• Slightly acidic to neutral pH is ideal

Temperature:
• Thrives between 15 and 27°C; avoid prolonged exposure below 10°C
• Not frost-tolerant

Propagation:
• Extremely easy to propagate from stem cuttings, tuber division, or by laying stems on moist soil
• Tubers that form along the stems can be separated and potted individually
• Rooting typically occurs within 1 to 3 weeks