Valentine’s Day is one of the few holidays recognized worldwide as a day for celebrating love and relationships, and its international symbol – the heart – has become widely used in expressing feelings of affection and appreciation. But where does it come from? If we were to draw an anatomically correct heart, it would look nothing like the hearts we send each other on V-Day.
One theory comes from the mysterious herb called silphium, from the ancient city of Cyrene. Silphium was used as an aphrodisiac in ancient Romans’ bedrooms and Julius Caesar is said to have kept a nest egg of it right in the government treasury! Ancient Greeks even put it on their currency and it’s thought to have been the world’s first effective contraceptive, but the reason we associate the heart symbol with love today is said to have been this very plant’s heart-shaped seeds.
If you’re looking for a gift, either for yourself or a loved one, nothing is quite like a live buddy to care for and love – plants! And since we’re talking about Valentine’s day, why not get in theme and get a plant with heart-shaped leaves? Your apartment buds have put together a short list of the most beautiful heart-shaped leaved indoor plants to spruce up your home and make you feel like love really is in the air!
1. Heartleaf Philodendron
Philodendron hederaceum, more commonly known as Heartleaf Philodendron, is the first cordate leaved plant on our list – and with good reason! Not only is it known as a hard to kill houseplant, perfect for beginner gardeners, but it’s also especially beautiful and versatile. You can keep it bushy and wide by pinching it back and cutting close to the node, encouraging the Philodendron to branch out and grow new stems. Or, you can let it take over your house as the heart-shaped vine plant it wants to be. The Heartleaf Philodendron loves to trail, so let it hang from a beautiful macramé hanger and allow it to spread from one bookshelf to another!
This heart-shaped indoor plant doesn’t need a lot of TLC to thrive, but we’ve still put together a handy guide on caring for a Heartleaf Philodendron to help you take care of this beauty! Or, if this one isn’t quite the one for you, here are 12 other types of Philodendron to spruce up your home.
2. String of Hearts
Ceropegia woodii, or String of Hearts as we all know it, is another gorgeously delicate plant with heart-shaped leaves worthy of your attention on Valentine’s day and any other day of the year! The Rosary Vine, as it’s also called, is considered a magical plant filled with soft feminine energy that brings luck and love into your home.
If placed in front of a window (perhaps in a hanging basket?) and with just a little bit of TLC, this heart-shaped vine plant is a fast grower that will reward you with evergreen chains of hearts reaching up to 13 ft in length.
If you’ve decided to get this one, make sure to also check out our String of Hearts care guide.
3. Sweetheart Hoya
Hoya kerrii has many different names – Wax Heart, Valentine Heart, Hoya Heart, all the hearts! But my favorite name of all, and the one it most commonly goes by, is Sweetheart Hoya, and while it may look a lot like a heart-shaped cactus, it’s actually not a succulent at all – just a succulent-like plant with heart-shaped leaves. You may have seen this Southeast Asia native quite often in recent years, especially around Valentine’s day as its appealing heart shape makes it an easily marketable flower – and super Instagrammable too!
Its tough-to-kill nature and rather small size make it perfect for the office life – you could easily pull off only watering it once a month and it doesn’t have any spectacular lighting needs either. You can place it anywhere in your home or office, as the only light requirement this heart shaped leaf plant has is to avoid perpetually dark places.
4. Heart Leaf Fern
At first glance, Hemionitis arifolia, or the Heart Leaf Fern, doesn’t look like much of a fern at all. At least not the bushy and frilly ferns we’re most used to seeing. In comparison, this heart shaped indoor plant has bigger and thicker foliage that shines slightly in certain lighting.
This heart leaved fern is not as tough to kill as the others on this list – being a native of Southeast Asia, the Heart Fern loves warm and humid environments. Place it in a pot with well-draining, fertile soil somewhere in your house with bright indirect sunlight and, if you want to be extra, mist it using a spray water bottle every time you pass by it. Your Heart Fern will love you for it!
Check out our Heart Leaf Fern care guide to learn more about growing this lovely plant!
5. Anthurium
The Anthurium, or the Flamingo Lily as it is also called, is one of the most well know varieties of heart-shaped house plants and people all over the world love its long-lived ‘flowers’ which symbolize warm hospitality and lifelong friendship. The ancient Greeks believed the Anthurium to actually be Cupid’s arrows, and according to Feng Shui, they’re lucky plants who bring cheer and bliss in your life. To this day it remains Valentine’s day most gifted flower.
This gorgeous plant with heart shaped leaves is not only a sight to see, but it’s also one of the easiest to take care of. If you place it in a sunny spot and allow the soil the dry between watering sessions, it will stay blooming the whole year!
6. Philodendron ‘Gloriosum‘
There are more than 400 species of Philodendron, one more beautiful than the other, but I was still caught off-guard when I saw my first Philodendron Gloriosum, a Philodendron variety with big heart-shaped leaves. This heart-shaped Colombia native has a beautiful and lush dark green, velvety foliage with pale white veins, and is a creeper rather than a climber, meaning it will try to escape its pot while growing.
Being a tropical heart shaped leaved indoor plant, the Philodendron Gloriosum would like to ask of you the same things he’d ask of his preferred tropical environment – bright indirect sunlight, moderate watering and vast humidity. As with the Heart Fern, if you can make a habit of misting it every time you pass by it, this plant with heart shaped leaves will grow and send happy tropical vibes all around your home!
Conclusion
So, whether you’re planning on going big with a Philodendron Gloriosum, or keeping it small and cute with a Sweetheart Hoya, remember that Valentine’s Day is all about love – and what better way of saying “I love you” than with a gorgeous plant with heart-shaped leaves to love and care for?
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