PlantFiles: Rosary Vine, String of Hearts
Ceropegia woodii

I love this plant! When I recieved it, the leaves were pretty small. This was late winter. It grew pretty good all winter in a south window. Once we were close to spring the leaves got bigger and it has REALLY started growing! Very fast now. Can't wait to see how long it is by winter.

First saw this plant in a magazine article, and wanted one for years. Found one eventually, grew for over 10 years in a basket hung close to the ceiling. [Eventually, succumbed to insects while I was too ill to take proper care of it]. I'd cut back some stems periodically to encourage new top growth to fill in, as it tended to drop old leaves eventually, maybe because it got little light near the ceiling. Once or twice a year, chopped a foot or two off the bottom, as it became pale & etiolated near the floor, so far from the window. Currently have a new, beautifully variegated form with pink and creamy white along with the usual colours, on a typical shape leaf.It came growing sort of hydroponically; tall glass vase, pebbles in bottom third,middle third orchid moss, plant in soil on top. Despite succulent nature, it seems content with this arrangement. Have seen at least 2 other distinctly different forms for sale in my area, [ Mississauga, Toronto, Ontario] in past few years. One with large, thicker leaves, more than an inch across, usual shape,thicker stems, shows up once in awhile. Another,very common, has much narrower, sharply pointed leaves. Aside from form, no obvious cultural differences. Grows from cuttings, but I've only had success if they have at least one wee tuber on them. Though I've read tubers are not necessary for cuttings to grow, it has not been my experience. Plants do best with regular watering, a bit less in winter, though they can manage quite awhile without, especially if the basal tubers are substantial, & it can come back from healthy basal tubers even if the rest has died back, and possibly even from a stem tuber if it is still plump. Needs plenty of good bright light if you want the unusual blooms. West window works for mine here.

One of my favorite plants. It lovely, easy, interesting.

I have 2 plants. One grows with a rabbits foot fern the other has volunteer kennelworth ivy growing with it. This year I found 2 volunteer seedlings(in the pots of other plants) Posted seedling pictures.

Irecieved this plant as a gift, still working with it. I can say one thing, it grows kinda slowly. I love it nonetheless its a great looking plant. I am excited to see it in a few years i read it grows thick and can grow many feet long.

I have found that stem cuttings are a good source of propagation.

This is a straggly climber best in a hanging basket.The flowers, while smalll, are of interest, and also the plant is a caudiciform, meaning it has a swollen stem or root system which it uses to store water. These can get quite large after a few years.

One of the easiest plants to transplant. All I did was place it on top of the soil and a couple of days later it had rooted. Also called rosary vine.

My grand-grandma planted these little tubercules 55 years ago on a vase with organic soil and put it on shade. It´s still there, growing and growing with those silver, dark spotted, heart shaped leaves hanging from a thin, pendant stem.