The Valentine plant, also known as the sweetheart wax plant or the sweetheart hoya plant, gets its name from its thick, succulent, heart-shaped leaves. The darling hoya plant is a beautiful, low-maintenance indoor plant, like other Hoya types.
Do succulents with hearts grow?
We choose these products on our own.
We might receive a commission if you make a purchase through one of our links. When the prices were published, they were all correct.
Given that its leaves have a spade- or heart-shaped shape, it is very obvious how this plant earned its name (or bum-shaped, if you want to be cheeky about it). A Hoya Heart, Wax Heart, or Lucky Heart are some other names for it. Although Hoya Kerrii, the plant’s scientific name, are tropical succulent vines that can reach considerable lengths, you most frequently only see individual cuttings of their thick, waxy leaves in a single pot. For anyone who prefers something other than traditional roses or a box of chocolate on Valentine’s Day, they make pretty adorable presents. What you need know about them is as follows:
The first thing you need to be aware of is the likelihood that these leaves will never develop into a complete plant. Even if it was a stem cutting, it will take a very long time for your plant to develop into a luxuriant adult because they grow so slowly. However, it’s likely that you’ll only keep this adorable tiny leaf—which is ideal for your desk at work—for a few years before it passes away. (I’ll leave it up to you to interpret that as a metaphor for love.)
The good news is that it’s really simple to take care of your leaf or plant. They don’t require a lot of water and like to live in direct sunlight, however they can take bright indirect light. When the earth is entirely dry and the leaves begin to wrinkle, water every two to three weeks.
A little cutie can be found in similarly cute little pots in places like The Sill. They are also visible at this time of year in nearby nurseries, according to our readers.
You can purchase actual plants on Amazon or at your neighborhood nursery if you like. At first, the plants are undoubtedly less adorable or enjoyable, but eventually you can take your own cuttings for close friends and partners. (Just be sure you incorporate the leaf and a portion of the stem at the base.)
The ASPCA reports that these plants are not poisonous to cats or dogs, which is good news for pet owners.
A Hoya heart: Succulent or not?
Tropical succulent vines known as Hoya kerrii, or Hoya Hearts, are frequently grown and sold as leaf cuttings. They are a member of the Apocynaceae family, which also contains the Dogbane, Oleander, Plumeria, Periwinkle, Golden Trumpet, and Mandevilla.
Sweetheart Hoya: a succulent or not?
An epiphytic plant called Hoya kerrii climbs and twines as it develops, affixing itself to trees with its aerial roots.
This species’ popular name, “heart leaf,” refers to its heart-shaped leaves “Heart leaf hoya, sweetheart hoya, and Valentine hoya.
The plant’s large, succulent leaves enable it to store water during dry spells.
Long, smooth vines have oppositely growing leaves that are smooth and start out incredibly small.
The vines of H. kerrii are quite thick and can occasionally be quite stiff in comparison to many other hoya species.
Sweetheart hoya grows long-lasting, fragrant, and spectacular flower clusters that are simple to nurture to bloom inside. Each of its blossoms has a core that is creamy white with a rusty hue.
These five-petal flowers have a star-like shape and are waxy, possibly explaining another of this plant’s common names, “wax heart ”.
Valentine hoyas can grow incredibly slowly. They occasionally do nothing for years before ultimately sprouting new growth.
But once they’re in a good mood and ready to expand, their vines may grow to astounding lengths of at least 10 feet.
This kind of hoya will grow long tendrils that are initially naked, like many other hoyas. These elongated tendrils have a climbing function, enabling the trees to naturally ascend higher into the forest canopy.
String of Hearts
When just one heart won’t do, it’s time to bring on the whole plant! Ceropegia woodii is a plant with trailing stalks covered in tiny, heart-shaped leaves that are often green and silver but can occasionally have a hint of pink. Considering how much sunlight this vine enjoys, place your plant in a south-facing window.
String of Pearls
Why not try a pearl if you want something truly special? These green beads of String of Pearls (Curio rowleyanus), which resemble the beads on your necklace, will gracefully trickle down any hanging basket or pot. White, daisy-like flowers with a cinnamon scent will bloom on this aster family member over the summer.
Sweetheart Hoya
Because of its heart-shaped shape, darling hoya (Hoya kerrii), also known as the Valentine plant, is a well-liked gift during the Valentine’s Day season. Sweetheart hoya typically appears as a single heart in a charming small pot, but with time, it will develop into a vine that is covered in tiny green hearts. This succulent plant can grow in low light and doesn’t require much water.
Anthurium
Anyone will fall in love with this exotic beauty. Anthurium andraeanum has heart-shaped leaves that go perfectly with its vibrant flowers, which are primarily flamboyant reds or pinks. This common houseplant thrives in direct, strong light. What about a tabletop nightstand? Who wouldn’t want to see this in the morning? Whenever the soil feels dry, make sure to water it. Apart from that, savor its magnificent blossoms.
Heart Leaf Philodendron
Another heart is the last on our list! This philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum), which is simple to grow, is ideal for any location. Its heart-shaped leaves can be used to create a dense canopy in a container or a magnificent climber by adding a wooden pole. Keep it out of direct sunshine and in some shade.
What does it signify if you discover a leaf with a heart shape?
Out of all the plants with heart-shaped leaves, the Anthurium (or Laceleaf) is the one most often used to symbolize love. Not the kind of empathy that might exist between pals. True love exists between partners.
Its flower, which is actually more of a specialized leaf, is a waxy spathe that encircles a spadix with a phallic appearance.
The spathe is available in white, pink, or red. Red is unquestionably the color to pick if this is a Valentine’s Day present because it is the color most often used to denote love.
Anthurium maintenance is not that difficult. They can adapt to a variety of lighting situations, although indirect strong light is their preferred environment. Low lighting does not support the development of their specialized leaves. The plant will suffer damage from direct sunlight.
Water only after feeling the top soil is completely dry. Make sure this plant is put in a pot with drainage holes and well-draining soil, and avoid overwatering it.
What do flowers with bleeding hearts represent?
A bleeding heart represents passionate love and romance in the floral language. The pink and white blossoms could also represent a broken heart or unrequited love. Flowers have symbolic meanings in various cultures, such as compassion and the freedom to express one’s emotions.
How can you create a planter in the shape of a heart?
Draw a half-heart on the seam where you folded the poster board in half to create the heart shape for your hanging planter (just like you did back in elementary school to get a balanced heart shape). Once you are satisfied with the size and shape, cut out your template. Then draw a second heart 1-1/2 inches away from the first one. Turn off. On foam core board, trace two heart patterns, then use a craft knife to cut out the shapes. Attach the hearts with glue, placing the smaller heart on top of the larger.
a lady secures cardboard strips to the outside corners of foam heart forms for concrete molds with a hot glue gun.
Add on Cardboard Walls to Your Mold
For the outside of your foam core heart, cut a cardboard strip that is long enough to wrap around it. To encircle the inner layer of the heart shape, cut a second piece. To form the mold, hot glue them together along the outside borders of the hearts using low heat.
Secure Chicken Wire to Make Planter Backing
Make several tiny holes in the interior foam board heart with a screwdriver. To secure the chicken wire in place, lay a piece of chicken wire large enough to cover the heart form on top of the mold ($20, The Home Depot). Then, thread floral wire ($3, Michaels) through the holes you drilled in the back. To fit between the two cardboard strip walls of the mold, trim the chicken wire to a size that is slightly larger than the inner heart. When you pour the concrete, the chicken wire will be secured in it in this manner. Apply spray oil to the spaces between the cardboard strips while the wire is still fastened to make it easier to remove the cardboard once the concrete has hardened.
How long does a Hoya heart take to develop?
If you just bought your plant and haven’t spotted any blooms, that’s okay because hoya kerrii often don’t bloom until they’re at least 2 to 3 years old. There are a few things you can do to expedite the process and promote blooming, though.
Why is my succulent in the shape of a heart going yellow?
It is not difficult to understand why hoyas are such well-liked indoor plants with their stunning foliage and blossoms. Despite being typically simple to care for, they are vulnerable to some common houseplant issues. This article will show you how to determine the cause of your Hoya plant’s yellowing leaves and how to treat it completely.
Hoya plants frequently develop yellow leaves as a result of excess moisture or poorly draining soil. Aside from temperature stress, other factors can be poor fertilizer, poor lighting, advanced age, acclimatization, pests, or illness. You can find the issue and resolve it with the aid of the yellowing pattern and the developing circumstances.
Why isn’t the Hoya heart in me expanding?
I’ve had a lot of questions on my Instagram posts, so I’ll try to address some of them here. Please feel free to remark if you have any further queries!
A lot of new leaves are growing on my variegated kerrii plant, however the golden ones are turning brown. Do you know why?
It’s likely that new vines will grow at the last node if you have a hoya plant with an end that has been severed. New vines can, however, sprout from any node along the vine when the plant is content and healthy.
Hoya kerrii has been spotted by me in Valleyview Gardens, Kim’s Nature, and Crystal Stars Orchids (as a plant, not just a single leaf). Additionally on these, these, and these Facebook groups!
There are two fresh leaves on my hoya kerrii. However, one leaf disintegrated after turning yellow. The other leaf is still attached to the plant, but it is much darker than the others.
I experienced the same thing. Sincerity be told, I’m not really sure why. But only 4 of my 17 new leaves actually came off in this manner, so I have no cause for alarm. The plant may have simply decided that it didn’t want to support these new leaves because of development on another section of the plant, inadequate light, excessive watering, or all three.
I had described the soil mixture I use. Make sure you don’t grow too quickly when repotting. Simply to ensure that the soil dries out soon, I pot all of my hoyas in really tight containers. If in doubt, wait until your plant to pot ratio is very, seriously out of balance before sizing it up. Being root bound doesn’t bother them.
Do you have any knowledge of leaf black spots on Hoya kerrii? I found a green leaf with numerous black specks in front of and behind a few leaves (but not all). The stem from which these leaves are produced has likewise become dark.
Yes! On the underside and portion of the connecting stem of some of my kerii leaves, there are small black dots (they literally look like black heads, lol). I don’t know what they are, but because they don’t spread or worsen, I choose not to take action. I think it has something to do with the type of water you use (photo: dots).
I’ve only recently started doing it, so I’m not sure whether it has any effect, hehe. It still produced lovely growths even though I hadn’t misted it at all, so I don’t think it really gives a damn. In the winter, when the air is drier, I do have a humidifier close by.