Plants

String of hearts care: light, water & problems

Scientific name: Ceropegia woodii · Common name: String of hearts

Trailing plant with thread-like stems bearing small, fleshy, heart-shaped leaf pairs mottled with silver.

Editorial revision: 2026-10-08

Care at a glance

Light: Bright light. A few hours of direct sun a day strengthens the leaves and enhances their pink and silver colours.
Watering: Treat it like a succulent: water thoroughly only when the pot is dry and the basal leaves feel slightly soft.

Trailing plant with thread-like stems bearing small, fleshy, heart-shaped leaf pairs mottled with silver.

Bright light. A few hours of direct sun a day strengthens the leaves and enhances their pink and silver colours.

Treat it like a succulent: water thoroughly only when the pot is dry and the basal leaves feel slightly soft.

Conditions vary with pot, season and location. Always check the mix and your plant's response.

Tolerant of dry indoor air. Avoid cold temperatures and stagnant humidity.

Prioritise a very free-draining mix and a pot with holes. Heavy mix that remains wet for weeks raises root risk.

Feed sparingly during active growth if needed; do not fertilise a plant weakened by overwatering.

Leaf drop alongside dark, wet stems at the base are severe signs of rot from overwatering.

This is a sign of insufficient light (etiolation). The stems are stretching as they reach for the sun.