How To Care For String Of Hearts: The Delicate-Looking Plant That's Shockingly Hardy

The string of hearts (Ceropegia woodii) is a delicate yet marvelous plant, making it a no-brainer for any houseplant collection. It's the epitome of low-maintenance and makes great use of any space—especially for those who have a thing for living walls and plants that like to hang.

Native to South Africa, the classic string of hearts is part succulent, part trailing vine, characterized by its heart-shaped green and cream leaves. There's also a variegated variety that promises a pink hue on its leaves. 

If you're lucky, you'll get to see the vining plant in bloom, too. "These trumpet-shaped flowers are quite unique-looking," Laura Jenkins, Ph.D., the founder of House Plant House, tells mbg. "And if you see them in bright light, [they] are the most beautiful dusky pinky-lilac color!"

The string of hearts hails from warm but not excessively wet climates, so you can forget about hanging it near a cold AC vent or in your humid bathroom. But near a window that receives tons of light? It'll love that. "It enjoys warmth, but it might suffer in temperatures above 90 degrees," says content creator and houseplant lover Brittany Goldwyn Merth.

As a fast grower, the string of hearts fills whatever space it's in. "They really do grow and grow if you don't prune them at all," Jenkins tells mbg.

And the great news is they actually prefer to snuggle and be slightly rootbound, so there's absolutely no rush to repot this guy. It's truly a set-it-and-let-it-thrive kind of houseplant. When the day does come to repot, give yourself plenty of time to do it because it can be tricky, especially if your plant has longer leaves.

Take a slow and steady approach to keep the vines from tangling and the rootball from enduring transplant shock, and check out our step-by-step guide to repotting as a refresher.

The string of hearts is supremely easy to propagate. Water propagation is always an option, but there's another interesting way of propagating these semi-succulents that's worth giving a try: the butterfly method.