Heart Leaf Houseplants

Rather than giving the traditional bouquet of roses for Valentine’s Day this year, how about a charming heart-leaf plant instead? Featured below are five easy-care houseplants that will keep going long after those roses fade!

Variegated Heart Leaf Hoya

Hoyas are not your typical houseplants but they’re rapidly gaining in popularity. Succulent-like with thick waxy leaves, many produce colorful fragrant blooms. These tough vining plants are native to the understory of tropical forests where they tolerate long dry periods, and it’s this quality that makes them easy to care for in our homes. The Variegated Heart Leaf Hoya has a creamy white border framing its heart-shaped leaves that will brighten your houseplant collection. It does produce small summer flowers but it’s the leaves that make this plant really catch your eye. Allow this beauty to thoroughly dry out between waterings and provide medium light.

Photo courtesy of Hoya Store Australia

Sweetheart Philodendron

Philodendrons add understated elegance to our homes. They’re particularly tolerant of low light areas where other plants just aren’t happy. Some varieties slowly vine and trail, making them perfect for hanging planters and coffee table centerpieces. Although the vines appear delicate, the plants are quite robust and can live for many years. The old-fashioned Sweetheart Philodendron grows into a lush specimen with copper-tinged new growth in spring. These plants appreciate a hydrating winter bath to perk up the beautiful satin green leaves. If you have a hose sprayer on your sink, gently wash off the leaves and saturate the soil, allowing the pot to drain thoroughly before returning to its home.

Photo by Nancy Marie Allen

String of Hearts

String of Hearts is not very well known but it’s truly an easy-care houseplant that looks lovely trailing down from a hanging planter. The semi-succulent leaves are small silvery hearts with touches of purple and have an almost metallic appearance. They produce unusual tubular flowers that will attract hummingbirds if placed outdoors in summer. String of Hearts can take fairly bright window light and prefers to completely dry out between waterings. Combine it with the cascading String of Pearls plant for a dazzling duo!

Photo courtesy of Minka2507 on Pixabay

Anthurium

Anthuriums conjure up images of Hawaii and other tropical locales. In fact, they’re one of the best known tropical plants and are often used in exotic flower arrangements. Not only do anthuriums have heart-shaped leaves, they also have heart-shaped flowers which are really bracts like poinsettias. These bracts last for several weeks and come in a range of vivid colors including orange, pink and yellow although red is the most common. Anthuriums will produce abundant bracts in bright indirect light; a sunny windowsill with a sheer curtain works well. They prefer a slightly humid environment which can be a challenge in winter, but if you pay attention to the soil and water thoroughly when dry, your anthurium will be happy.

Photo by Nancy Marie Allen

Neon Pothos

The ubiquitous pothos has been a popular houseplant for years but Neon Pothos really lights up a room with its dazzling chartreuse-green foliage. Tough and care-free, Neon Pothos looks fabulous in complementary decorative pots or trailing down from hanging planters. Although pothos can tolerate lower light, give Neon a bright window for the best color. Avoid harsh direct sunlight which can burn the leaves and water only when soil becomes dry to touch.

Photo courtesy of Cape Gazette Garden Journal

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