Temperature
60–80°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
String of hearts
Ceropegia woodii
String of hearts wants bright indirect light and water every 10 to 18 days, once the leaves feel slightly soft rather than firm. Non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Light
Bright indirect
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
An east window, or within two feet of a south one. Good light keeps the leaves close together and the silver marbling strong.
Water
Every 10–18 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the leaves feel slightly soft rather than firm, not on a schedule.
Humidity
30% and up
Fine in normal household air. Prefers 45%.
Difficulty
Easy
Scores 2 of 5: Scores 2 of 5: drought-tolerant, fast, and it produces aerial tubers along the strand that root by themselves. Overwatering is the only real risk.
Habit
Trailing
Grows to 12–96 inches. No support needed.
Non-toxic to cats and dogs
Eating a large amount of any plant can still cause mild stomach upset.
Detail for cats → Detail for dogs →
What each authority says
- ASPCA
- No record page found under any name tested.
- NC State Extension
- Entry exists and records no poison data.
Light
Bright indirect light. An east window, or within two feet of a south one. Good light keeps the leaves close together and the silver marbling strong.
Water
Every 10 to 18 days in a 6-inch pot, when the leaves feel slightly soft rather than firm.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | soak and dry |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | the leaves feel slightly soft rather than firm |
Soil and potting
Two parts cactus mix, one part perlite.
Repot roughly every 3 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. Each links to a diagnosis page with the causes ranked for this species.
- Leggy growth monitor
- Root rot act today
- Yellow leaves this week
Pests
Recorded for this species. Each links to identification and treatment.
Propagation
Stem cutting in water or soil. Roots in 14 to 28 days.
A cutting without a node will not root. It may stay green in water for months and never produce a single root, because it has no growth point.
| Preferred method | stem cutting |
|---|---|
| Medium | water, soil |
| Time to root | 14–28 days |
| Node required | Yes |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Ceropegia woodii (consulted; entry exists and records no poison data.) Checked 2026-09-12.
- Wikidata entity Q148960 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Ceropegia woodii Accepted name; family Apocynaceae. Checked 2026-09-12.
- Photograph: Photo: Dr. David Midgley, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 2.5.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02