String of hearts pests, webbing or sticky leaves: causes and what to do
6 results in the diagnosis tree begin with pests, 5 of them marked likely when the answers fit. They are ordered here for String of hearts (Ceropegia woodii), using what its sources say about pests and diseases, humidity and watering and 3 problems recorded for it.
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Ceropegia woodii is a flowering plant in the dogbane family Apocynaceae, native to South Africa, Eswatini and Zimbabwe. It is sometimes treated as a subspecies of the related Ceropegia linearis, as C. Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Native range: Zimbabwe to S. Africa (subtropical). Also sold as Bushman's Pipe, Chain of Hearts, Chinese Lantern, heart vine, hearts entangled and Necklace Vine.
What String of hearts’s sources say that bears on this
- Pests and diseases
- Watch for aphids, mealybugs and scale. Too much water leads to root rot and yellow leaves; too little water leads to wilting. Excess sun scorches the leaves, and wide spacing between leaves shows the plant lacks light.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Scale insects, aphids and mealybugs attack it. Diseases: basal rot if kept too wet over winter.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
- Most foliage plants prefer more humidity than a heated room gives; succulents are named as an exceptionPenn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Watering
- Let it dry out fully before watering again. It is dormant in winter, when it needs even less water.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026During growth, water moderately and feed 2 or 3 times with a low nitrogen liquid fertiliser.RHS · read 13 September 2026
How this shows up on a String of hearts
Hard, rounded scale on the undersides of the leaves
The string of hearts is sticky to the touch and yellows slowly. Along the veins on the undersides sit small shell-like scales that lift off with a fingernail.
RHS lists scale insects among the pests it may attract. The insect settles under a waxy shell and feeds on sap for life, so a colony builds quietly along the stems.
Telling it apart: Whether the bumps sit on the veins. Scale follows the sap; spots from disease scatter across the leaf.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Sticky buds and shoot tips crowded with small insects
The youngest growth of the string of hearts is sticky and distorted, and a closer look finds colonies of small, pear-shaped insects.
RHS lists aphids among the pests it may attract. They feed on the sap of soft new growth, which distorts it, and they multiply quickly without mating.
Telling it apart: What the white bits are. Aphids leave papery cast skins; mealybugs leave wax with an insect inside.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Sticky leaves and white fluff where they meet the stem: mealybugs
The string of hearts carries white, cottony specks in its crevices, and growth slows. Leaves beneath the colonies turn sticky and, in time, dull or yellow.
RHS lists mealybugs among the pests it may attract. The wax keeps them dry and hard to reach, so they multiply in the sheltered joints of the plant.
Telling it apart: Where the white is. Mealybugs gather in joints and under leaves; a powdery coating across the top of a leaf is mildew.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Possible causes, likeliest first for a String of hearts
Most likely mealybugs
Ranked higher because String of hearts's recorded problems point this way.
- Sticky leaves and white fluff where they meet the stem: mealybugs RHS
Why: Mealybugs are soft insects that cover themselves in white wax, which gives the cottony look.
What to try:
- Move the string of hearts away from other plants.
- Wipe off every insect you can see with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, testing a single leaf first.
What would settle it: Touch a tuft with a cotton swab. If a small, pale, oval insect is underneath, it is a mealybug.
Most likely scale insects
Ranked higher because String of hearts's recorded problems point this way.
- Hard, rounded scale on the undersides of the leaves RHS
Why: Scale insects settle in one place under a hard or waxy shell and feed on sap.
What to try:
- Move the string of hearts away from other plants.
- Scrape the scales off with a fingernail or a soft brush, then wipe the stems and leaves.
What would settle it: Push a bump gently with a fingernail. Scale comes away and leaves a mark; a bump that is part of the string of hearts does not move.
Most likely aphids
Ranked higher because String of hearts's recorded problems point this way.
- Sticky buds and shoot tips crowded with small insects RHS
Why: Aphids cluster on soft new growth and flower buds, where the sap is easiest to reach.
What to try:
- Rub them off with fingers, or rinse them off in a sink or shower.
- Repeat every few days while new ones appear.
What would settle it: Look for the pale shed skins among the insects. Aphids molt as they grow, and the skins are left behind in the colony.
Less likely for a String of hearts, still possible
Questions
- What usually causes pests on a String of hearts?
- For String of hearts: mealybugs, scale insects and aphids.
- How can I tell which one it is on my String of hearts?
- What can you see? Fine webbing, and tiny pale speckles on the leaves; White, cottony tufts in the leaf joints; Small brown or pale bumps on stems and leaves that do not move; Clusters of small, soft insects on the new growth; Tiny dark flies around the soil; Sticky, shiny residue, but no insect I can see.
- What do String of hearts's sources say about its pests and diseases?
- NC State Extension: Watch for aphids, mealybugs and scale. Too much water leads to root rot and yellow leaves; too little water leads to wilting. Excess sun scorches the leaves, and wide spacing between leaves shows the plant lacks light. RHS: Scale insects, aphids and mealybugs attack it. Diseases: basal rot if kept too wet over winter.
- What does this look like on a String of hearts?
- The string of hearts is sticky to the touch and yellows slowly. Along the veins on the undersides sit small shell-like scales that lift off with a fingernail. Telling it apart: Whether the bumps sit on the veins. Scale follows the sap; spots from disease scatter across the leaf.
Other plants that show pests
HoyaSilver-flecked leaves and marked or distorted flowers: an insect pest
AlocasiaFine pale speckling on the leaves, then webbing at the tips: spider mites
Aloe veraSticky leaves and immobile shell-like insects on the stems
Areca palmDull, finely mottled fronds and faint webs: spider mites
Arrowhead plantCurled, sticky new leaf blades with green or black insects: aphids
Asparagus fernCurled, sticky new fronds with green or black insects: aphids
Something else wrong with the String of hearts?
What this does not cover
This page orders a decision tree's results using a plant's sourced care. It has not seen your plant, its pot or its window, and two problems at once are common: that is the usual reason a confident answer turns out wrong. The questions in the diagnosis tool narrow it further than a list can.