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.
