PlantParlourString of hearts (Ceropegia woodii) care
Vines & trailers · easy to keep
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String of hearts (Ceropegia woodii) wants bright indirect light with a little direct sun. Water it every 12 days. Water thoroughly when the pot is completely dry and the leaves have just started to look slightly flat or wrinkled. Every two to three weeks in summer, monthly in winter. Pot it in cactus compost with extra perlite. A weak cactus feed two or three times over the summer, and repot every 2 years. Humidity: indifferent; dry air suits it. Not on the ASPCA's list of toxic or non-toxic plants, so we don't call it pet-safe: not being listed is not the same as being tested.
String of hearts: fine purple strands of small marbled heart-shaped leaves, growing from a tuber. It makes small round tubers along the strands too, which makes it one of the easiest plants to propagate — press one onto compost and it roots. Non-toxic to cats and dogs, unlike its string-of-pearls shelf-mate.
Quick facts
- Water
- Water every 12 days. Water thoroughly when the pot is completely dry and the leaves have just started to look slightly flat or wrinkled. Every two to three weeks in summer, monthly in winter.
- Light
- Bright indirect light with a little direct sun.
- Humidity
- Indifferent; dry air suits it.
- Soil
- Cactus compost with extra perlite.
- Feeding
- A weak cactus feed two or three times over the summer.
- Repotting
- Repot every 2 years.
- Toxic to pets
- Not on the ASPCA's list of toxic or non-toxic plants, so we don't call it pet-safe: not being listed is not the same as being tested. Keep it out of reach of a pet that chews.
- Difficulty
- Easy.
- Mature size
- Strands to 1–2 m.
- Native to
- South Africa, Eswatini and Zimbabwe.
Watering a String of hearts
Water every 12 days. Water thoroughly when the pot is completely dry and the leaves have just started to look slightly flat or wrinkled. Every two to three weeks in summer, monthly in winter.
That cadence is the one PlantParlour sets for this species when you name it, and it is deliberately on the cautious side — a plant that asks a day early is safer than one that asks a day late. Log each watering and the reminder moves with the plant rather than with the calendar.
Light
Bright light with a few hours of direct sun. Too dark, and string plants stretch into bare threads with the leaves far apart.
Humidity and temperature
Indifferent; dry air suits it. Central heating in winter is what turns a comfortable room into a dry one, and it is the usual reason an established plant suddenly browns at the edges or picks up spider mites.
Soil and potting
Cactus compost with more perlite still, in a shallow pot. The swollen leaves are water stores and the roots are fine and shallow — depth of wet compost below them is what kills these plants.
Feeding
A weak cactus feed two or three times over the summer. Stop feeding in autumn and start again when you see new growth in spring — feeding a plant that isn't growing just builds up salts in the pot.
Repotting
Repot every 2 years. Every two or three years, into a shallow wide pot rather than a deep one.
Common problems
-
Shrivelled, flattened leaves
Thirsty — or rotting roots that can no longer take water up.
Fix: Check the roots before you water. Firm roots mean it needs a drink; mushy ones mean rot.
-
Bare strings with leaves only at the ends
Too little light.
Fix: Move it into direct sun and cut the bare strings back; they will branch.
-
Mushy stems at soil level
Rot from overwatering.
Fix: Take healthy strand cuttings and start again.
Propagation
It makes small round tubers along the strands; press one onto damp compost and it roots within weeks. Strand cuttings work too.
A cutting taken in PlantParlour keeps its link to the plant it came from, so a propagation years later still traces back to the mother plant — which is the point if you ever sell or trade it.
Toxicity and safety
Not on the ASPCA's list of toxic or non-toxic plants, so we don't call it pet-safe: not being listed is not the same as being tested. Keep it out of reach of a pet that chews.
If your pet has eaten a plant, call your vet, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435, or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661. Both are open around the clock and may charge a consultation fee. Take the plant or its label with you.
This is general information, not veterinary advice. We don't test plants: what we say about toxicity follows the ASPCA's published plant list as it stood on 26 October 2026, and that list can change. "Non-toxic" means not poisonous — a pet that eats enough of any plant can still vomit, and fertiliser, pesticide or leaf shine on a plant can harm it. It also only helps if the plant is what you think it is. It covers cats and dogs only; ask your vet about rabbits, birds, reptiles or anything else, and a doctor about children. Read our terms.
Every houseplant in the library the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs
Named cultivars and variegations
Ceropegia woodii is sold under several cultivar names. Care is the same unless noted; variegated forms carry less chlorophyll, so they grow more slowly and want more light than the plain species.
| Cultivar | Also sold as | Water |
|---|---|---|
| 'Variegata' | Variegated string of hearts | every 12 days |
Where the variegated forms are grown differently from the plain Ceropegia woodii:
'Variegata'
Heart-shaped leaves edged in cream and pink, pinker in good light.
Light: Bright light with a few hours of direct sun. The pink is strongest in sun; in shade the leaves go plain green and cream, and the strings stretch.
Watch for: New leaves coming in plain green. The stem is reverting: green tissue grows faster than the cream, and a stem that has made one plain leaf will usually go on making them. Give it more light, and cut the stem back to a node below the last leaf with good variegation; growth from that node carries the pattern on.
Questions people ask
How often should you water a String of hearts?
Water every 12 days as a starting point — that is the cadence PlantParlour sets for Ceropegia woodii. Water thoroughly when the pot is completely dry and the leaves have just started to look slightly flat or wrinkled. Every two to three weeks in summer, monthly in winter. Light, pot size and the time of year all move that number, so treat it as a reminder to go and check rather than a rule.
How much light does a String of hearts need?
Bright light with a few hours of direct sun. Too dark, and string plants stretch into bare threads with the leaves far apart.
Is String of hearts toxic to cats and dogs?
Not on the ASPCA's list of toxic or non-toxic plants, so we don't call it pet-safe: not being listed is not the same as being tested. Keep it out of reach of a pet that chews. If a pet has eaten part of a plant, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435 straight away.
How do you propagate a String of hearts?
It makes small round tubers along the strands; press one onto damp compost and it roots within weeks. Strand cuttings work too.
Related plants
- Hoya carnosa
- Hoya 'Publicalyx Splash'
- Hoya 'Australis Lisa'
- Hoya 'Mathilde'
- Hoya 'Sunrise'
- Hoya kerrii
- Hoya linearis
- Hoya obovata
Or browse every plant in the library.
Keep this plant's record
PlantParlour gives your String of hearts its own page: a photo timeline, reminders set to the cadences above, and every watering, feed, repot and problem written down. Trade or sell it and the whole history goes with it.
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