About Ceropegia.
There are a lot of strings and vines in the Ceropegia family, I often think of it as “the string section.” Ceropegia are relatives Hoya, both being members of the Apocynaceae or Dogbane family. In fact, Carl Linnaeus in Volume 1 of Species Plantarum, named these plants “Ceropegia” because kērós = wax and pēgē = fountain. The reference to wax might sound familiar to Hoya lovers as Hoya are often called “wax plant.”
String of Hearts (Ceropegia Woodii), String of Daggers (also Ceropegia Woodii), Variegated String of Hearts, Parachute Vine (Ceropegia Sandersonii) are a few of the most commonly seen plants. This genus, native to the Canary Islands, Australia, Asia, and Africa is not all about the vines, though. There are some members, though less commonly found, that grow upright. The flowers have a unique appearance from where the name “Parachute Plant” comes. It could be described as a long tube with an umbrella springing from the top. This flower is, in fact, a unique adaptation that assists the plant in survival. The tubular umbrella flower attracts flies that can’t resist the urge to climb inside the flower. Once inside, the bug finds itself squeezed into the narrow tube and is then forced to clamber its way out to freedom, thusly assisting in pollination.
Ceropegia are prolific growers. I often have to trim back my String of Hearts, and the cuttings are very easily propagated in water for me. I like to trim them, root them, and plant them back into one of my two pots to help fill out the plant. Due to it’s long strings, it can start to look, well…stringy. It’s just the natural habit of the plant. Making sure that the plant receives sun where the vines emerge from the soil will help ensure a healthy plant.
The String of Hearts has another unique attribute worth mentioning. Periodically along the vine, a round, hard tuber will form. The vine can be cut above the tuber and propagated from there. Should the plant become stringy before it’s time for a trim, you can always wind one vine around on the surface of the potting medium and gently pin the vine to the soil. The vine will root and begin to grow fresh vines.
As for soil, this plant will appreciate a growing medium that drains freely. A mixture of potting soil, orchid bark, and perlite, much like that for a Hoya, will work nicely. They don’t like to sit in heavy, water retentive soil.
Ceropegia Woodii.
This plant also goes by String of Hearts, Rosary Vine, or Chain of Hearts. The hearts on a hydrated plant will be firm, much harder than they look. A great way to detect that the plant needs water is by gently trying to press the two lobes of a heart together. If the heart wrinkles bends, it’s time to water it. If it doesn’t budge, your plant is hydrated. It’s best to try this with a heart from the upper or middle section of the vine as they are closer to the root system and will be a better indicator due to their maturity. The new leaves sprouting from the ends of the vine will be lighter in color and won’t be firm until maturity. This plant can also tell you if it is receiving sufficient light, remarkably. If the leaves have a purple cast on the front or back of the leaves, they are likely doing well in regard to light. I have this plant next to a West window where I believe it receives a good amount of light for its needs. Water can be tricky with this plant. When I bought my first plant, the advice I was given, “never water. Like, ever, “ didn’t really work out. My interpretation of that was maybe to water the plant monthly. I’ve found that, in my environment, I need to water these plants more frequently, closer to every other week or so. I check the soil before watering and I also do a leaf check. If both tests are telling me to water, I water.
Ceropegia Woodii Variegata.
Sometimes called Variegated String of Hearts, I find the care of this plant to be similar to String of Hearts. It likes a little bit more light to compensate for the white variegated portions of the leaves that do not produce chlorophyll to feed the plant. Just like the String of Hearts, the plant will show a purplish cast to the leaves when it is receiving enough sun. I have this plant living on a West windowsill above kitchen sink where it has access to both sun and humidity. It’s a quick grower, but not as quick as the green String of Hearts. It’s harder to find this variegated plant in a larger pot size (at least in my area), so I am currently in the process of creating a larger plant out of this small pot both through propagation and by winding the existing vines along the surface the soil so it’ll produce more vines.
Ceropegia Sandersonii.
This is a tough plant. The vines are substantial, heavy and fibrous. Ceropegia Sandersonii doesn’t have the delicate appearance of Ceropegia Woodii. The vines are firm and are more likely to swing back and forth due to their rigid habit than bend and flow. This plant likes bright light. It’s easily to see from the thick vines and foliage that it can take more intense light. I don’t do any direct sun for it, but I keep it within the bright reach of a South window where its cousins, my Hoya and Eriostemma, live. This plant is low maintenance and I probably water it once a month. I couldn’t even wager a guess because it really is so low maintenance that I just let it do its thing. The leaves of this plant can also be checked for wrinkling to determine when it’s time to water, but it isn’t often that it'll give a sign. In fact, the leaves can be so firm that they’re actually sharp. It’s a very visually interesting plant, not something you’ll see every day. I didn’t really know what I was buying when I found this plant a year ago, but I’m so glad I took a chance and bought it.
Ceropegia Sandersonii showing wrinkling, a sign that it needs to be watered.
Ceropegia Woodii tuber beginning to grow on the vine.
Ceropegia Woodii flower, Winter 2019.
Cascade of Ceropegia at Graye’s Greenhouse in Plymouth, MI.
Ceropegia Woodii - Variegated.
Ceropegia Sandersonii at Ben Sell’s Greenhouse in Toledo, OH.