String of Spades Care: The Trailing Plant with Spade-Shaped Leaves

String of Spades (Ceropegia woodii ‘Spades’) is a variegated form of String of Hearts, and it is one of the most unique trailing succulents you can grow. The leaves are spade-shaped (like playing card spades) instead of heart-shaped, with green and silver variegation that creates a beautiful pattern. Each leaf has a silver center with green edges (or sometimes the reverse, depending on the light and genetics). The vines are thin, delicate, and wiry, growing several feet long and looking beautiful cascading from a hanging basket or high shelf.

String of Spades has the same easy care as String of Hearts: drought-tolerant, forgiving of neglect, and fast-growing (often several inches per month during the growing season). It also produces small tubers along the vines, which store water and make the plant even more forgiving. If you have kept String of Hearts alive (or even if you have killed a few and learned from it), String of Spades will be just as easy.

The main difference between String of Spades and String of Hearts is the leaf shape. String of Hearts has rounded, heart-shaped leaves. String of Spades has pointed, spade-shaped leaves. Both are equally easy to care for, but String of Spades is slightly less common and feels a bit more special.

Quick Care Summary

Light: Bright, indirect light
Water: When soil is completely dry (every 2 to 3 weeks)
Humidity: Normal household humidity is fine
Growth habit: Trailing succulent
Biggest mistake: Overwatering

Light

String of Spades needs bright, indirect light to maintain its variegation. In lower light, the silver variegation fades and the leaves turn mostly green. In very bright light (or some direct sun), the variegation becomes more pronounced and the plant grows faster.

Best light:

South or west-facing window with a sheer curtain (bright but not scorching)
East-facing window (bright morning sun, no harsh afternoon sun)
Within 1 to 3 feet of a window
Or under a grow light (12 to 14 hours per day)

String of Spades can tolerate some direct sun (especially morning sun from an east window), but too much direct sun can scorch the leaves and cause brown, crispy patches.

Signs of too little light:

Leggy growth (long stretches of vine with few leaves)
Variegation fades (leaves turn mostly green, lose the silver pattern)
Slower growth (less than 1 inch per month)
Vines grow thin and weak
Leaves become smaller and spaced farther apart

If your String of Spades is getting leggy or the variegation is fading, move it closer to a window. Prune back the leggy vines, and the new growth will be more compact and variegated in brighter light.

Signs of too much light:

Leaves turn brown, red, or purple (sunstress)
Crispy, scorched patches on leaves
Leaves shrivel even when watered

A little sunstress (leaves turning slightly red or purple) is normal and harmless. But if the leaves are scorching or shriveling, move the plant back from the window or add a sheer curtain.

Variegation maintenance: The silver variegation depends on bright light. In low light, the plant reverts to mostly green leaves (the plant produces more chlorophyll to capture more light). You cannot reverse the reversion on existing leaves, but new growth will be more variegated if you move the plant to brighter light.

Watering

String of Spades is drought-tolerant and prefers to dry out completely between waterings. It has small tubers (bulb-like structures) that store water, so it can handle long periods without watering. In fact, underwatering is safer than overwatering. When in doubt, wait a few more days.

How to water:

Check the soil by sticking your finger 1 to 2 inches down (or lift the pot to feel the weight)
If the soil is bone dry (and the pot feels light), water thoroughly until water runs out the drainage holes
Empty the saucer within 30 minutes (do not let it sit in water)
Wait until the soil is completely dry again before watering

Typical schedule:

Spring and summer (active growth): Every 2 to 3 weeks
Fall and winter (slower growth): Every 3 to 4 weeks (or longer)

The schedule depends on your home conditions. In a warm, dry, bright home, you might water every 2 weeks. In a cooler, more humid, or lower-light home, every 4 weeks might be enough. The pot size also matters—smaller pots dry out faster.

Signs of overwatering:

Yellow, translucent, mushy leaves (leaves lose their firmness)
Soft, rotting stems
Leaves falling off easily
Soil stays wet for more than a week
Foul smell from the soil
Black or brown rot on the tubers

If you see signs of overwatering, stop watering immediately. Let the soil dry out completely. Remove any rotted sections of vine. If the tubers are rotted, you may need to propagate the healthy parts and start over.

Signs of underwatering:

Leaves shrivel slightly (they lose their plumpness and look deflated)
Leaves feel thin and papery
Tubers shrink (if you can see them)
Older leaves at the base of the vine dry up and drop

If the leaves are shriveled, give the plant a thorough watering. The leaves should plump back up within 24 to 48 hours. String of Spades can handle some shriveling—it is a sign the plant is thirsty, but it is not an emergency like it would be with most other houseplants.

The tubers: String of Spades produces small, bead-like tubers along the vines and in the soil. These tubers store water and nutrients, which is why the plant is so drought-tolerant. If you forget to water for a month, the plant will tap into the tubers and survive. You can also propagate the tubers (see propagation section).

Soil and Pot

Use well-draining soil. String of Spades needs soil that dries out quickly (within a week or so). If the soil stays wet too long, the roots and tubers rot.

Best soil:

Cactus and succulent mix (pre-made, easy)
Or regular potting soil mixed with perlite (1:1 ratio—half soil, half perlite)
Or potting soil + perlite + coarse sand (equal parts)

The soil should feel light and gritty. When you water, it should drain quickly (within a few seconds). If water pools on the surface or the soil stays wet for more than a few days, add more perlite or sand.

Pot requirements:

Must have drainage holes (non-negotiable)
Terracotta pots are ideal (they breathe and wick away excess moisture, which prevents overwatering)
Hanging basket or pot on a high shelf (to show off the trailing vines)
Shallow pot works fine (String of Spades has shallow roots)

Pot size: String of Spades does not mind being rootbound. A small pot (4 to 6 inches) is plenty for most plants. When the roots fill the pot and start circling, you can repot to the next size up (only 1 to 2 inches larger). Do not use an oversized pot—the soil will stay wet too long and the roots will rot.

When to repot:

When roots grow out of the drainage holes
When the plant dries out extremely fast (within a few days after watering)
Every 2 to 3 years, even if the plant seems fine

Repot in spring or early summer when the plant is actively growing. Do not repot in fall or winter.

Temperature and Humidity

String of Spades is not fussy.

Temperature: 60 to 80 F
Humidity: Dry air is fine

Fertilizer

String of Spades does not need much food.

Fertilize once in spring and once in summer
Use diluted liquid fertilizer (half strength)
Skip fertilizing in fall and winter

Pruning

String of Spades can get very long—sometimes 4 to 6 feet or more. Prune to control length, remove damaged sections, or encourage bushier growth (more vines from the base).

How to prune:

Cut back long vines with clean scissors or pruning shears
Cut just above a node (the spot where a leaf attaches to the vine) or just above a tuber
Remove damaged, yellow, or shriveled leaves
Propagate the cuttings (do not waste them)

To encourage bushier growth: Pruning the ends of the vines does not directly make the plant bushier (String of Spades grows from the base and from nodes, not from cut ends). But pruning redirects the plant’s energy to the base, and you can propagate the cuttings and plant them back in the same pot to create a fuller look.

How to make the plant look fuller:

Prune the long vines
Propagate the cuttings in water
Once the cuttings have roots (2 to 4 weeks), plant multiple cuttings back in the same pot
After a few months, you will have a thick, full pot of vines instead of a few long, sparse strands

How often to prune:

Whenever the vines get too long for your space
Or once or twice a year to keep the plant compact and tidy

I prune mine every spring and propagate the cuttings. After a few years, I have a lush, full hanging basket instead of a few scraggly vines.

Propagating String of Spades

String of Spades propagates easily from stem cuttings or tubers. The success rate is very high (probably 90 percent or better if you use healthy cuttings and provide bright light).

Method 1: Stem cuttings in water (easiest, most reliable):

Cut a section of vine (4 to 6 inches long with at least 3 to 4 pairs of leaves)
Remove the bottom 1 to 2 pairs of leaves to expose the nodes
Place the cutting in a small glass or jar of water (nodes submerged, leaves above water)
Set in bright, indirect light
Change the water every few days to keep it fresh
Roots develop in 2 to 4 weeks (sometimes sooner)
Once roots are 1 to 2 inches long, plant in soil

Method 2: Stem cuttings in soil (slightly faster, no transplanting needed):

Cut a section of vine (4 to 6 inches)
Remove the bottom 1 to 2 pairs of leaves
Lay the cutting on top of moist (not wet) succulent soil
Press the nodes lightly into the soil (they do not need to be buried)
Mist the soil lightly every few days to keep it slightly moist (not soaking wet)
Roots develop in 2 to 4 weeks, and the cutting will anchor itself
Once rooted, treat like a mature plant (let the soil dry completely between waterings)

Method 3: Tuber propagation (unique to String of Spades and String of Hearts):

String of Spades produces small, bead-like tubers along the vines
Gently twist or cut off a tuber (make sure it is firm, not mushy)
Press the tuber lightly into moist soil (half-buried)
Mist lightly every few days to keep the soil slightly moist
New growth appears in 4 to 8 weeks (sometimes longer—be patient)
Once the new growth has a few leaves, treat like a mature plant

Tuber propagation is slower than stem cuttings, but it is a fun experiment. Not all tubers will grow, but the success rate is around 60 to 70 percent.

Tips for success:

Use healthy, non-shriveled cuttings or tubers (plump, firm, no damage)
Propagate in spring or summer (faster rooting)
Keep cuttings in bright light but not direct sun
Be patient—even if it takes 4 to 6 weeks, the cuttings usually root

You can propagate multiple cuttings in the same pot to create a fuller plant faster. I usually propagate 5 to 10 cuttings at once and plant them all in the same hanging basket.

Common Problems

Leggy growth (long vines with few leaves)

Cause: Not enough light. String of Spades stretches toward the light when it is too far from a window.

Fix:

Move the plant closer to a window (within 1 to 3 feet)
Prune back the leggy vines
Propagate the cuttings and plant them back in the pot for a fuller look

The new growth after pruning will be more compact if the plant is in brighter light.

Yellow, translucent, mushy leaves

Cause: Overwatering or root rot. The roots or tubers are sitting in wet soil for too long and starting to rot.

Fix:

Stop watering immediately
Let the soil dry out completely
Check the roots and tubers—if they are black, mushy, or smell bad, trim off the rotted sections
Repot in fresh, well-draining soil
Water less frequently going forward (only when soil is bone dry)

If the rot has spread to most of the plant, propagate the healthy sections and start over.

Variegation fading (leaves turning mostly green)

Cause: Not enough light. The plant produces more chlorophyll (green pigment) in low light to capture more light, which reduces the silver variegation.

Fix:

Move the plant to a brighter spot (closer to a window or under a grow light)
Prune off the reverted green leaves (optional, but it redirects energy to variegated growth)
New growth will be more variegated in brighter light

You cannot reverse the color change on existing leaves, but new leaves will have more silver if the light is brighter.

Shriveled, deflated leaves

Cause: Underwatering. The leaves and tubers have used up their stored water.

Fix:

Give the plant a thorough watering (water until it drains)
The leaves should plump back up within 24 to 48 hours
Water more frequently going forward (but still let the soil dry completely between waterings)

Occasional slight shriveling is normal—it is the plant’s way of telling you it is thirsty. But if the leaves stay shriveled even after watering, the roots may be damaged.

Leaves turning red, purple, or brown

Causes:

Sunstress (too much direct sun): Leaves turn red or purple as a protective response
Sunburn (too much harsh sun): Leaves turn brown with crispy, scorched patches
Cold damage (below 50 F): Leaves turn brown or black and shrivel

Fix:

If sunstress (red/purple), move the plant back from the window slightly, or leave it (a little sunstress is harmless and some people like the color)
If sunburn (brown/crispy), move the plant back from the window or add a sheer curtain
If cold damage, move the plant to a warmer spot (above 60 F)

Pests

String of Spades is pest-resistant but can attract mealybugs (white, cottony bugs that hide in leaf crevices and along vines) or spider mites (rare, only in very dry conditions).

How to treat:

Inspect the plant regularly (check along vines, under leaves, and near tubers)
If you see mealybugs, dab them with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol
For spider mites, rinse the plant under a gentle stream of water, then spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil
Repeat treatment every 5 to 7 days for 2 to 3 weeks

Quarantine new plants for 2 weeks before placing them near your other plants to catch pests early.

Vines not growing or growing very slowly

Causes:

Not enough light (too far from a window)
Dormancy (slower growth in fall and winter is normal)
Rootbound (roots have filled the pot, but this is less common—String of Spades tolerates being rootbound)
Not enough nutrients (has not been fertilized in over a year)

Fix:

If light is low, move the plant closer to a window
If it is fall or winter, be patient—growth will resume in spring
If rootbound, repot to a slightly larger pot
If underfed, fertilize once in spring and once in summer

What To Do Next

If your String of Spades is thriving:

Propagate it and plant the cuttings back in the same pot for a fuller look
Try String of Hearts (the classic version, heart-shaped leaves, just as easy)
Or try String of Hearts ‘Variegata’ (heart-shaped leaves with pink, white, and green variegation)

If your String of Spades is leggy:

Move it closer to a window (within 1 to 3 feet)
Prune back the long vines and propagate the cuttings
The new growth will be more compact in brighter light

If your String of Spades is struggling:

Check the soil moisture (overwatering is the most common cause of problems)
Make sure the pot has drainage holes
Move the plant to brighter light if growth is slow or variegation is fading

If you want more easy trailing succulents:

String of Dolphins (dolphin-shaped leaves, similar care)
String of Bananas (banana-shaped leaves, similar care)
String of Nickels (round coin-shaped leaves, similar care, more forgiving)
String of Pearls (round bead-like leaves, slightly more finicky but still drought-tolerant)

If you want a challenge after mastering String of Spades:

String of Turtles (tiny patterned leaves, slightly more finicky, needs more humidity)
Dischidia ovata (succulent trailing plant, similar vibe but different care)

String of Spades is one of the easiest and most rewarding trailing succulents. If you can keep it in bright light and resist the urge to overwater, it will grow like crazy and look stunning. And if you mess up, it is very forgiving—just propagate the healthy parts and start over.