Valentine's Day: Getting Back to Our Roots

February has not even begun, and I am already looking forward to Valentine’s Day.

I have been realizing that children are the most skilled at celebrating Valentine’s Day. They give out their greetings and tokens of love with abandon. In classrooms, the youngest of all make sure every age-mate is acknowledged… then their teachers… then their family and friends outside school. The greetings and tokens are small and sweet, not lavish. But no one is forgotten.

As we get older, it seems we narrow our lists. Bigger tokens of love are given to fewer people. By the time we are adults, the list may include just one, if that.

This year, I would like to revisit my younger days and do what children do—acknowledge everyone, and broaden the list to the greatest extent possible. I will honor both ‘love’ and ‘like’, both ‘complete devotion’ and ‘appreciation’. This year, I have committed to really celebrating this holiday that warms up our lives during the upcoming month.

A dozen red roses for everyone? No. A card? Well, maybe. But I think something small, sweet, and unexpected fills the bill best. String of Hearts plants might just be the perfect choice for threading together all of those I love.

In seeking out a String of Hearts plant or several, knowing the botanical name Ceropegia woodii is a help to me. The broadly known name, String of Hearts, might do the same. But surely the botanical name really opens up the full world of these plants. String of Hearts come in varieties—some with silvery patterning, some with variegation, some that are mostly dark-leafed. But what ties all these plants together is their foliage: Their small hearts hold tight to vining stems that look like strings, with the hearts being reminiscent of lockets on a necklace.

The leaves of most Ceropegia woodii plants are undeniably heart-shaped. Although the hearts at first appear to have the thinness of paper, they are succulent and actually have more depth to them. These plants are surprisingly tough. The variety I tend, Variegated String of Hearts, has the feel of lightly embossed leather. I have tugged at the stems, not treating them with kid gloves in any way, and my Variegated String of Hearts plants have lost not a single leaf. The leaves hold tight, not giving in to outside interference.

Now one note is that there is the String of Spades plant. This is a nice cousin to the String of Hearts plants, and the leaves look similar. But for Valentine’s Day… well, stick to the perfect heart shapes that will spread your message with clarity—a message of admiration, love, and appreciation.

I am most drawn to Variegated String of Hearts. However, I have recently seen Ceropegia woodii, Silver Glory, and it strikes me as an ideal Valentine’s plant. I like these two options due to their coloration—creamy with a few blush tones in the case of Variegated String of Hearts, and almost sparkly in the case of Silver Glory. These colors go well with the reds and pinks of Valentine’s Day. But String of Hearts Rosary Vine is also quite beautiful, in a dark, dark green that contrasts well with the bright candy colors that are so popular for February 14.

With so many options before me, I start to feel like a kid again. Do you remember being an elementary school student and selecting or making your set of valentines to share? I do. There were so many choices, all equally good. It is the same with these plant options. Which color? Variegation or not? I am honest in saying I do not think it matters. What matters is the acknowledgment itself. Any one of these String of Hearts plants would be perfect—given with love and admiration and, I am predicting, greeted with the same by those who receive them.