Heart-shaped plants for Valentine’s Day

Heart-shaped garden plants

Bleeding heart

This elegant, delicate perennial, known as Lamprocapnos spectabilis (formerly classified as dicentra), bears arching stems laden with heart-shaped blooms in late spring and early summer. Reaching about 90cm tall, it is particularly attractive in partial shade, where every stem carries rows of small, romantic flowers. Gardeners who prefer not to grow pink or red can choose white forms, including ‘Alba’, which combine beautifully with low-growing plants such as saxifrages and hellebores.

Growing tips: Choose a cool, damp and sheltered position, although bleeding heart will also grow successfully in a sunny border. Protecting it from the day’s hottest sun and keeping the soil moist should help to prolong flowering. It develops into long-lasting clumps that can remain in place for years, and it dislikes being transplanted.

Heart-leaved houseplants

Sweetheart plant

Known as the sweetheart plant because of its fleshy, succulent leaves shaped like hearts, this much-loved houseplant is widely available from garden centres. A single heart-shaped leaf cutting is often sold as an attractive specimen in its own right.

Native to Thailand and southern China, it can fill a pot with thick, leathery, heart-shaped foliage when provided with suitable conditions. However, a pot containing only one heart-shaped leaf is unlikely to develop into a complete plant, as these are generally not genuine stem cuttings. For a plant that will grow correctly, select one with a well-rooted stem and further leaves already visible. Fully grown plants may produce cream and red, star-shaped flowers.

Growing tips: Do not overwater this succulent. Water only once the compost feels thoroughly dry, applying water to the soil rather than the leaves. Position it somewhere bright but away from direct sunshine, radiators and draughts. Choosing a more established plant also gives it a better chance of lasting.

String of hearts (Ceropegia woodii)

This trailing succulent houseplant comes from South Africa and Zimbabwe. Its fine, wiry stems are covered with grey heart-shaped leaves that have pinkish undersides. It works well cascading from a shelf or hanging planter, perhaps paired with other trailing plants such as string of pearls and string of dolphins.

Growing tips: Let the compost dry completely before watering again, and never allow the roots to stand in water, as this will kill the plant. Should the leaves begin to turn yellow, remove the affected growth and withhold water until the soil is very dry. Apply houseplant fertiliser twice yearly, and keep it in a bright, light location out of direct sunlight. Turn the pot occasionally so that every stem receives enough light.

Flowering heart-shaped plants indoors

Anthurium andraeanum

Native to South America and the Caribbean, this tropical-style houseplant is also called the flamingo flower. Its unmistakable red, waxy, heart-shaped flowers, or spathes, together with their central cream or yellow spikes, bring a dramatic burst of colour to indoor spaces. Pink, orange and white varieties are available too.

Growing tips: As they originate in warm, humid regions, aim to recreate similar conditions. Keep them somewhere warm and bright, but out of direct sun, in free-draining, peat-free acidic compost. Water with rainwater where possible, ideally at room temperature, and allow the upper third of the compost to dry before watering again. Cold tap water can shock the plant. A bathroom may provide suitable humidity, or mist the foliage regularly instead.

Indoor cyclamen

An indoor cyclamen makes a lovely alternative to a Valentine’s bouquet. Its delicate red, pink or white flowers rise above attractive green and grey leaves shaped like hearts, and may last longer than many floral presents-possibly for as long as six weeks.

Growing tips: A cool setting is essential if you want it to survive, so avoid placing it near a radiator. Provided frost is not forecast, the potted plant could even be kept on a covered porch, or in an unheated conservatory or greenhouse. Do not overwater: wait until the pot has partly dried out, then water from below by standing it in a shallow bowl of water and allowing the compost to take up moisture. Drain the pot well afterwards.

As an alternative to a Valentine’s bouquet, its dainty blooms in red, pink and white, displayed over pretty green and grey heart-shaped foliage, can outlast many other flower-based gifts and may remain attractive for up to six weeks.

Growing tips: For the plant to last, maintain cool conditions rather than putting it beside a radiator. If there is no frost expected, leave it in its pot on a sheltered porch or place it in an unheated conservatory or greenhouse. Avoid excessive watering by allowing the compost to dry partially first. Water from underneath by placing the pot in a shallow dish of water so the soil can absorb it, then ensure the pot drains fully once watering is complete.