I have always loved heart-shaped plants, and what could be better for Valentine’s Day? While I’m not one to snub red roses or flowers of any kind or color for that matter, I do love heart-shaped plants partly because plants are usually easy to grow and last longer.
Carol Michel and I also talked about heart-shaped plants on the Gardenangelists podcast this week.
First up is the number-one plant on Instagram, Hoya kerrii, which is actually a succulent cutting. This Costa Farms Live Hoya Heart in its “love” planter is super cute. You can also find the same Hoya Heart on this website. Your sweet little hoya will hopefully grow into a longer series of hearts, which might surprise you. The one I bought off of Etsy is variegated.
You know how much I love my variegated plants! It took a long time to get here, but my hoya had some roots which I appreciate. I placed it in a terra cotta planter in cactus soil and didn’t water for four or five days as instructed. Succulents often need time to get established before watering to prevent rot.
My greenhouse with all of my succulent hanging baskets. They like it out here. 
String of hearts and string of bananas, Senecio rowleyanus in my greenhouse. 
A closeup of the heart-shaped leaves on string of hearts. 
String of Hearts, Ceropegia woodii, aka C. linearis ssp. woodii 
String of pearls might now have heart-shaped leaves, but these sweet pearls are another idea for Valentine’s Day, or any day for that matter. This plant blooms in the winter greenhouse.
Probably my favorite heart-shaped leaf is the string of hearts or rosary plant, Ceropegia woodii, aka, C. linearis ssp. woodii. Whatever its botanical name is, it’s string of hearts to me. I have both the regular form and the variegated one.
Let me tell you, the variegated string of hearts is such a slow grower, you need a lot of time to make a larger plant. My regular string of hearts also came from an Etsy seller. It is a succulent vine found in 1881 by John Medley Wood, curator of the Durban Botanic Gardens. Thirteen years later, he sent a cutting to Kew Gardens. In my greenhouse in winter, string of hearts flowers which makes it even more fun. I grow it outdoors in partial shade in summer, or if it’s extremely hot, I bring it inside to my living room. Since it is a succulent, you don’t need to water it very often.
‘Neon’ pothos and golden pothos, two of my favorite easy plants. 
‘Neon’ pothos on my mantel and one of my favorite quotes along with the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Flowers.
Two easy-to-grow heart-shaped plants are philodendron and pothos. Two cool varieties are named ‘Neon’ in both plant groups. I especially love ‘Neon’ pothos for its delicate leaves. So pretty on my fireplace mantel. I’m in love with ‘Brasil’ aka ‘Brazil’ philodendron too because of its interesting leaf variegation. I found mine locally at the Plant Shoppe located on Film Row in downtown Oklahoma City next to the Stitch Cafe. Although the Plant Shoppe is tiny, it is probably the hippest place to buy plants in the city. After you purchase, you can take your small plant and go have some coffee next door and read a book.
Sounds like a perfect interlude to me.
You can grow these trailing plants to trail off a surface, or up a sphagnum moss pole, or a coir totem pole. You can buy these poles or make them. So far, I like to let my trailing plants trail, but if you had a lot of plants, the pole method is a good one to save space. You will also need pins to attach your vine to the pole.
Finally, cyclamen, I hate you. I’ve bought these gift plants many, many times at various places. They always die. They look grand in the store, but if I buy one, I will be taking it home to a slow, or sometimes, quick death. I don’t need that kind of aggravation.
If you’re not already tired of reading, here are some of my other favorite indoor blooming and tropical plants along with my red aglaonema addiction.
In the comments below, let me know what you got for Valentine’s Day. If you didn’t get what you want, go buy yourself a heart-shaped plant. You won’t regret it!
I’ve never seen a ruffled cyclamen before! I would certainly have to try that!
Gave up on growing cyclamen indoors. Only way I can grow them is outdoors in light shade. They go dormant in heat of summer but then reappear in late winter. I love the leaves as much as the blooms and try to find as many different leaf patterns as I can.
Cyclomen leaves always curl under on mine.
I had totally forgotten about String of Hearts. I had one of these plants many years ago. It is fun to see there is a variegated variety now. This post almost makes me want to get one again. If I had a greenhouse I would be a manic tropical plant/succulent collector. I have the same luck with cyclamen. I have tried the perennial variety twice and the indoor ones countless times. As Ginny wrote I sometimes can’t resist those pretty little bloooms this time of year and treat them as cut flowers and not bemoan their demise. I didn’t get any plants for V-day. Just a sweet card and dinner out. After reading your post I might have to search out something blooming or one of those pothos. Happy Valentine’s Day to you.
Happy Valentine’s Day! What fun to have something celebratory in February. Yes, the string of hearts is so sweet. I enjoy just looking at it. The variegated one has taken a year to put on three or four new leaves and start climbing. Goodness! I love Neon pothos and I just bought Lemon Lime philodendron. It came after the post. It doesn’t look that much lighter than Neon philodendron so I don’t know. I am enjoying the plants but I have east and west exposure in the house. That helps.
Yes, heart-shaped leaves are sweet. What a nice post for Valentine’s Day! I was able to keep a cyclamen alive for a few years, but it doesn’t appear to have survived this year. Time to buy a new one. 😉
Beth, I’m really impressed you kept one alive that long. I just don’t have the touch, but I still buy them sometimes. I can’t resist plants in winter.
I’m going to buy myself a cyclamen and hope that I can get it to live this time!
Carol, I hope it works!~~Dee
I, like you, have killed many a cyclamen over the years! I now buy them as if they are cut flowers, fully expecting they’ll be gone in no time at all. It’s all in the mindset!
Ginny, you’re absolutely right. It’d all in the mindset! Happy Valentine’s Day!