Genus Ceropegia that produces over 200 species of vining or shrub plants in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa. They can be evergreen or semi-evergreen, erect, climbing to trailing, usually succulent, perennials with opposite leaves. They have curiously shaped flowers in summer, sometimes followed by cylindrical fruits containing silky tufted seeds.

Ceropegia woodii is an evergreen succulent in the genus Ceropegia (Apocynaceae), native to South Africa and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitat may stretch as far north as Tanzania on mainland Africa and as far west in the Atlantic Ocean as the Canary Islands. The plant is also found in Madagascar. It is sometimes treated as a subspecies of the related Ceropegia linearis, as C. linearis subsp. woodii. Common names include Chain of Hearts, Rosary Vine, Hearts on a String.

The genus name Ceropegia, was given by Linneaus to describe his interpretation of the appearance of the flowers as fountains of wax, from the words keros, meaning wax, and pege meaning fountain. The species name honors John Medley Wood, who collected native African plants. Chain of Hearts is a caudiciform plant, having a swollen basal stem or root for water storage. It develops a woody caudex at its base as it matures. It is an evergreen tuberous perennial with long trailing stems to 1 m or more. Opposite heart shaped, leaves are 1-2 cm wide and long. Superficially resemble cyclamen leaves in shape and coloring, silver mottling on top, and green or purple undersides purple beneath.

Ceropegia woodii bloom primarily in the summer and fall, but flowers may appear sporadically at odd times throughout the year. Lantern shaped pink and purple tubular flowers 2 cm long. Its flowers can capture insects but these are not carnivorous plants. The five purple petals are fused at the tips, forming a cage-like canopy so the blossoms resemble a small inverted pink vase.

Chain of Hearts thrives in a well-drained sandy soil. It must dry out completely in between watering, as it will rot if over watered. It is dormant in winter and may droop. But take care not to add fertiliser at this point as it could also cause the plant to rot. Fertilize infrequently with half strength houseplant fertilizer when actively growing. It has few pests, but mealy bugs can be a problem. Ceropegia woodii is easily propagated from cuttings, from tubers produced at the base of the leaves or by seed.

Use in Landscape: Chain of Hearts is tender, in temperate regions it is a very popular houseplant, often grown in hanging baskets so the long trailing branches can hang down with their leaves spaced out like a row of large beads. But the stems can also be trained up a small trellis or topiary frame. Ceropegia woodii can be grown outdoors only in subtropical and tropical areas, with a minimum temperature of 10 °C. Partial shading is useful when the plant is grown outdoors.  As it is drought tolerant, suitable for xeriscaping.