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Heart-Shaped Plants for Valentine's Day

Q: I was in a store the other day, and they were selling little heart-shaped plants. My wife loves plants, and I thought the heart-shaped plant would be a good Valentine's Day present. While I was looking at them, someone came up and told me they are just a leaf and they will die pretty soon. What do you think?

A: I think there is a good chance they will die soon, but not always. You are looking at a leaf from a plant called the Sweetheart Hoya (Hoya kerrii). The over 500 species of Hoya plants are mostly tropical vines that grow on trees. They have thick, wax-coated, leathery leaves. The flowers are sometimes fragrant and borne in clusters about the size and shape of half a tennis ball. They are easy to grow as houseplants. They like bright light but will tolerate low light. They don't have to be watered too often, as the leaves store water.

Since the leaves store water, they will maintain their shape for a while after being plucked from the plant. The heart-shaped leaves of the Sweetheart Hoya can look good for more than a month. The vast majority of plants cannot grow new roots or stems from a leaf cutting. The African Violet is a well-known exception; the Hoya is not.

Of all the hearts in the flowerpots you saw, maybe there is one that had a bit of stem tissue still attached to the leaf. Stem tissue can grow new roots and stems. The pointy part of the heart is where the leaf was attached to the stem, and that is the part that is in the soil. If you very carefully move some soil aside and see some roots starting to form, you should buy that one, as it might produce a plant.

On the other hand, now that you know its botanical name, you could search for and purchase an entire plant. Other Hoyas will also make a great gift plant.

There are other plants with heart-shaped leaves. String of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii) is a small, cute vine that makes a great houseplant. I have one in a terrarium, but it doesn't need to be in one. It can grow in a hanging basket. It likes bright light and normal room temperatures.

Another vine with heart-shaped leaves is the Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum). Philo and dendron are Greek words meaning loving trees. This genus of plants climbs trees. They can grow 20 to 50 feet long. In a pot in the house, they will be a more manageable 6 to 10 feet long. They can grow in hanging baskets or on a pole or trellis.

I have seen a couple of other heart-shaped leaf plants being sold for Valentine's Day. One is the Anthurium (Anthurium andraeanum). It is a nice houseplant with red or pink flowers. Actually, the flowers are green on a spadix, but the leaf at the base of the spadix is called a spathe, and it is colorful.

Another is Cyclamen. There are a lot of species and hybrids of cyclamen. The leaves are often multicolored, so the plant is pretty even when it is not in bloom, but the flowers are amazing. It can be hard to grow as a houseplant as the tuber needs a dormant period. During this time, many people assume it is dead and throw it away.

If you are looking for heart-shaped leaves, the botanical term is cordate. Trees with cordate leaves include redbud (Cercis canadensis) and linden (Tilia species). Perennials with heart-shaped leaves include Brunnera, Caladium, Hosta and Violets.

Email questions to Jeff Rugg at info@greenerview.com. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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