Ceropegia woodii, String of hearts foliage close-up with heart-shaped green leaves.

Ceropegia woodii, String of hearts baby plant in a nursery pot.

Three Ceropegia woodii, String of hearts baby plants in nursery pots on white background.

Ceropegia woodii, String of hearts plant in a nursery pot.

Three Ceropegia woodii, String of hearts plants in nursery pots on white background.

Ceropegia woodii, String of hearts trailing plant in a hanging pot.

Three Ceropegia woodii, String of hearts trailing plants in hanging pots on white background.

Apocynaceae

Ceropegia woodii

String of Hearts

Pet Friendly

Ceropegia woodii is a fine tuberous trailing vine with pairs of silver-marbled heart-shaped leaves on wiry stems. Older vines can also form small tubers at the nodes.

Read full guide to Ceropegia woodii

€14,75

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Baby · XS Pot Ø 6 cm · approx. 10 cm long M Pot Ø 12 cm · approx. 20 cm long Sold outL Pot Ø 14 cm · approx. 35 cm long Sold out

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Sizes are approximate. Height is measured from the bottom of the pot to the top of the plant; diameter at the widest point.

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Care at a glance

Ceropegia woodii

Light

Bright indirect • approx. 10,000–20,000 lux

Watering

Water when ~90–100% dry

Substrate

Airy + gritty • Fast-draining • Mineral-leaning • Medium

Temperature

Ideal: 18–24 °C • Avoid below: 15 °C

Humidity

Average 40–50%

Growth habit

Trailing succulent herbaceous vine.

Support

optional

Growth speed

High

Cultivated size guide

Trail length: 200 cm • Spread: 40 cm

Toxicity & safety

Non-toxic

Origin & habitat

Native from Zimbabwe to southern Africa

Outdoor growing

Outside from 15 °C · sheltered spot

How to read these values

These care values give practical guidance for growing the plant. Adjust care for pot size, substrate, temperature and how quickly the substrate dries.

For more detail, read the full product description or visit our Plant Care Guides.

Light: level and approximate lux at leaf level.
Watering: “% dry” shows how far the substrate should dry before watering again.
Substrate: structure, drainage, moisture retention, base material and particle size.
Temperature: “Ideal” shows the preferred range; “Avoid below” marks the cold-stress threshold.
Humidity: target range; steady conditions usually matter more than exact numbers.

Growth habit: how the plant grows, such as upright, climbing, trailing, clumping or rosette-forming.
Support: whether a stake, pole or trellis is needed, optional or unnecessary.
Growth speed: expected pace under suitable growing conditions; use as a guide, not a promise.

Cultivated size guide: approximate dimensions for an established plant in the stated growing context. Height is measured upwards from the growing surface; foliage height excludes flower stems. Trailing length follows a stem, while foliage drop is the vertical distance from the crown to the lowest leaf tips. Spread is the width of the leafy plant or crown, not an individual leaf. Flowering height includes the flower stems. A container guide applies to pot-grown plants; an in-ground guide applies to plants rooted in the ground. Size also depends on age, conditions, pot space and training.

These figures do not describe the size supplied and are not fixed upper limits.

Toxicity & safety: irritation, toxicity or physical hazards such as spines or bristles.
Origin & habitat: native range, hybrid background or typical habitat where relevant.
Outdoor growing: when a potted indoor plant can be placed outside and what outdoor protection it needs.

Ceropegia woodii

Better known as String of Hearts, Ceropegia woodii sends long wiry stems from a tuberous base. Small succulent leaves sit in opposite pairs along the vines, with green and silvery marbling above and purple colouring often visible beneath.

As stems age, small aerial tubers may form at the nodes. Narrow tubular flowers in pinkish to purple shades can appear on mature vines. The small leaves remain spaced along the stems, keeping even long vines light and open.

Key features of String of Hearts

Paired heart-shaped leaves: small leaves sit opposite one another along the slender stems.
Silver-green marbling: the upper surface carries the characteristic mottled pattern of the species.
Purple colouring beneath: the leaf undersides and parts of the stems can show deeper purple tones.
Aerial tubers: older vines may develop small tubers at the nodes as well as the tuberous growth below the soil.

Origin & background

Natural origin of Ceropegia woodii

Ceropegia woodii occurs naturally from Zimbabwe southwards into South Africa. It is a subtropical tuberous geophyte with fibrous roots and a basal tuber; older stems can also form small adventitious tubers at the nodes.

The fine stems are usually pendant and can also twine, giving the species its characteristic trailing or climbing habit.

Plant care

Growing Ceropegia woodii indoors

Place it in bright indirect light. Gentle morning or late-day sun can also suit it; protect the leaves from prolonged hot midday sun through glass.

Water: Allow a substantial part of the mix to dry, then water thoroughly and let all excess escape. Keep the plant distinctly drier in lower-light conditions.
Temperature and humidity: Keep it around 18–24 °C. Protect the plant from prolonged temperatures below 15 °C. Average household humidity, around 40–50%, is suitable.
Potting mix: Use a loose cactus or succulent mix. Heavy, compact compost can stay damp for much longer than this species needs.
Feeding: Feed lightly while the plant is actively extending new vines, then pause when growth slows.
Support: Let the stems trail from a hanging pot or shelf, or guide them loosely onto a hoop or trellis.
Repotting: Repot when roots are crowded, the mix is degraded or drains slowly, or the plant and its support have lost stability. Upsize only for a crowded root ball; otherwise replace the mix or improve stability in the existing pot.
Pruning and propagation: If the vines become too long or sparse near the pot, cut selected stems above a node. Healthy sections with several nodes can be rooted and returned to the pot.

Issues & solutions

Common String of Hearts problems

Leaves feel soft or wrinkled while the mix is dry: the plant is becoming dehydrated. Soak the root ball evenly, let it drain and shorten the next dry interval slightly if the same symptom returns quickly.
Leaves turn yellow or translucent and the stem base softens: the pot is staying wet for too long. Remove affected growth and inspect the tubers and roots. Keep every firm tuber and root, remove only soft or mushy tissue and repot into a fresh, open mix; our root rot guide covers the recovery steps.
Long bare gaps develop between small leaves: light is probably too weak. Move the plant gradually closer to a bright window and review the position with our bright indirect light guide.
White cottony deposits appear at the nodes: Inspect the thin stems and nodes for actual mealybugs. Isolate the vine when pests are confirmed and gently remove accessible insects. If further control is needed, use only a locally authorised product for mealybugs on indoor ornamentals, applying it to nodes or stems only where the label expressly permits and following its dose, precautions and repeat interval.

Safety

Ceropegia woodii: precautions for cats, dogs and children

Ceropegia woodii is commonly regarded as a low-risk houseplant, but reliable species-specific veterinary toxicity information is limited. Keep it away from cats, dogs and children who chew plants.
Chewing or swallowing plant material can cause stomach upset even when a plant is generally considered low risk.
Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop or persist after ingestion.

Names & etymology

Why is it called Ceropegia woodii?

Ceropegia combines Greek keros, meaning wax, with pege, meaning fountain, an image drawn from the form of its flowers. Woodii honours John Medley Wood.

Carl Linnaeus established the genus Ceropegia in 1753 in Species Plantarum, page 211.

Friedrich Richard Rudolf Schlechter first described Ceropegia woodii in 1894 in Beiblatt zu den Botanischen Jahrbüchern für Systematik, volume 45, page 34.

Plant names, growth habits, natural habitats and indoor care guidance are checked against trusted botanical, habitat and horticultural references before publication.View our plant care resources and references.