String of Hearts
Delicate heart-shaped leaves, silver-marbled on top and purple beneath, on thread-thin vines that trail for feet. Semi-succulent, drought-tolerant, and one of the easiest hanging plants once it has bright light.
String of hearts looks fragile and is not. The vines are as thin as thread and the leaves are the size of a fingernail, but underneath the soil it grows small tubers that store water, and it forgives a missed fortnight without complaint.
Give it bright light and it grows fast, flowers with odd little lantern-shaped blooms, and produces bead-like tubers along the vines that you can pot up for new plants.
Light
Bright light, with some direct sun. An east window or a bright spot near a south one. The more light, the more silver the marbling and the closer the leaves sit on the vine. In dim light the vines go bare between leaves.
Water
Let the soil dry out fully, then water well. Every ten days in summer and every three weeks in winter. The leaves go slightly soft and thin when it is thirsty. It is far more forgiving of drought than of wet soil.
Soil and potting
A gritty, fast-draining mix; a succulent mix or potting soil with half perlite. A small pot suits it. Repot every couple of years, going up an inch.
Feeding
A half-strength balanced feed every six weeks in spring and summer.
Propagation
The easiest of any trailing plant. Cut a vine with a few nodes and lay it on damp soil, or root the little aerial tubers that form along the vine by pressing them into the surface. It also roots in water. Coiling vines back on top of the pot makes it fuller.
In a hot, dry home
Very comfortable here. It tolerates dry air and heat and its tubers carry it through a hot week. Keep it out of scorching west sun through glass; an east window is the sweet spot.
String of Hearts varieties
Same care, different look. These are the named forms you will see for sale.
- String of Hearts (green)
Silver-marbled green hearts on purple threads.
- Variegated
Hearts edged in cream and pink. Slower; wants more light.
Problems and fixes
Bare vines with leaves far apart
Likely cause: Not enough light
Fix: Move to brighter light and coil cuttings over the pot to thicken it.
Leaves curling and going thin
Likely cause: Thirst
Fix: Water thoroughly. They plump up within a day.
Yellowing leaves, soft vines at the soil
Likely cause: Overwatering
Fix: Let it dry out completely and improve drainage.
String of Hearts questions
Is string of hearts safe for cats and dogs?
It is widely considered non-toxic, though it is not listed by name on the ASPCA site. Cats do enjoy batting the vines, so hang it out of reach for the plant's sake.
How do I make string of hearts fuller?
Give it more light, and coil vines or cuttings across the top of the soil so they root there. The tubers along the vines root easily.
How often should I water string of hearts?
Every ten days or so in summer and every three weeks in winter, once the soil is completely dry.
Plants with a similar rhythm
String of Pearls
- Light
- Bright indirect to direct sun
- Water
- Every 2 weeks
- Pets
- Toxic
