String of Hearts Care Guide

The String of Hearts plant is a wonderful addition to any houseplant collection. With beautiful, cascading vines, pretty little heart-shaped leaves, and subtle green and purple colours, it will brighten up whichever room you decide to put it in. Those leaves, in particular, are incredibly popular - they have become a symbol for love, and who wouldn't want a little more love in their lives?

They're not just great to look at, either. String of Hearts plants have been prove to help purify the air in your home as well, which in turn has a positive impact on your mood, stress levels and productivity. Having one of these lovely little plants next to you while you work or relax can help you in all kinds of ways.

In this blog, we want to show you exactly how to care for String of Hearts plants, covering all the major points like watering, light requirements, the best soil to use and a section on how to propagate String of Hearts plants. Read on, and you'll have everything you need to know about String of Hearts plant care.

Are String of Hearts plants easy to care for?

We'll cut to the chase here - yes, Ceropegia woodii plants are easy to care for. There isn't a huge amount to String of Hearts care, as you will see when we go into a bit more detail, but if you are worried about whether you will be able to look after one of these plants, then let us reassure you; you will!

Part of the reason for this is that, even though they are not technically succulents, they do possess many similar qualities, especially their ability to go for a while without water. So even if you are occasionally a bit lax when it comes to keeping a strict watering schedule, your String of Hearts plant will forgive you!

What are String of Hearts plants?

String of Hearts plants are originally from the rocky areas of Zimbabwe and South Africa, usually thriving in shallow soil, trailing down cliff ledges or climbing up trees or bushes. They are also often found in dry forests, which is where they have developed their robust nature when it comes to water necessity. They can produce small pink flowers in the Summer.

They are known by many different names, such as; Chain of Hearts, Rosary Vine, Sweetheart Vine, Hearts on a String, and its botanical name, Ceropegia woodii after the botanist John Medley Wood who 'discovered' it in 1881.

How to care for a String of Hearts plant

Now that you know where they have come from, the following String of Hearts Care Guide should make a lot of sense. The key aim for looking after most indoor plants is to recreate the natural environment in which they thrive. But don't worry, you don't have to construct your own African mountain range!

We'll kick things off with its water requirements. As we've already alluded to, these succulent-like plants can cope for a while without water, in fact it actually prefers sitting in dry soil rather than wet soil. If you over water these little beauties, you may see those gorgeous leaves start to turn yellow, which is a crime! It also means you've probably got root rot. Ensure you have sufficient drainage holes so the water filters through.

The best way to check to see if you should be watering String of Hearts plants is to put your finger into the soil - if it is wet, it doesn't need any water. If it is completely dry, you can give it a little drink. As a rough guide, this will be about once every 10 days or so during the growing season. When the plant enters dormancy in the Winter months, you can reduce the amount you water it.

In terms of light, String of Hearts thrives in bright, indirect light. As a trailing plant, it is the perfect plant for hanging baskets in a bright spot in your home. Too much direct sunlight can scorch the leaves, which is not something you want to do.

As they are used to very dry environments, they don't require any mist, and temperature-wise, they prefer warm temperatures. The standard home temperature of your home will be fine, away from draughts.

Here's our quick-fire guide to String of Hearts plant care:

• Origins: South Africa & Zimbabwe

• How much light: Plenty of indirect bright light is perfect - away from direct sunlight

• Water requirements: Roughly once every 10 days in the growing season, once you have let the soil dry out.

• Humidity requirements: They prefer to keep it dry, so no mist required.

• Soil requirements: Well-draining soil mix will be fine. Feed with a standard plant food in the growing season, once in Spring, once in Summer. Take care repotting not to break any of the delicate vines.

• Temperature requirements: Between between 18 – 25˚C is perfect.

• Pruning requirements: Prune in Spring & Summer to help it keep its shape, but it doesn't require much at all.

• Pests: Spider mites and mealybugs are the most likely, which you can usually control by wiping the leaves when you come across any unwanted visitors.

How to Propagate Ceropegia woodii

While you can propagate String of Hearts from stem cuttings, it is quite time consuming, and there's guarantee of success, even if you do everything right. However, you can easily propagate String of Hearts plants if you wait until they flower in the Summer.

At this point, they will produce aerial tubers on the vines, and these will take root when they come into contact with soil. All you need to do is drape these vines over a pot of damp compost, and within a month you should see new roots develop. Once you can see some healthy growth, trim the stem, and you new plant will grow from there!

Perfect you plant display with Prickle

A String of Hearts plant could be just the start of your indoor plant display - imagine these beautiful little plants draping their stunning vines down from a hanging basket, with a host of other indoor plants below it. Have a look through our extensive range, and we also offer a range of popular Prickle Plants for gardens, as well as plenty of plant pots for balconies, which may come in handy!

Please get in touch if you have any questions at all. You can get our team of experts on social media (@prickplantsuk) or via email (contact@prickleplants.co.uk) - they'd be happy to answer any questions you have!