Pet safety
Is String of Hearts safe for cats and dogs?
String of Hearts is not listed by the ASPCA, but reputable horticultural sources treat it as safe for cats and dogs.
Considered safe
String of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii) is not listed in the ASPCA database; this assessment follows reputable horticultural sources and errs on the side of caution. It is treated as safe for cats and dogs.
Why there is no ASPCA entry for String of Hearts
Ceropegia woodii does not appear in the ASPCA's toxic and non-toxic plant database at all, in either direction. Anyone searching for a definitive answer on this plant will not find one there, which is worth knowing before trusting a confident yes or no found elsewhere. The verdict on this page follows reputable horticultural sources and deliberately errs toward caution.
Why sources disagree about String of Hearts
Search results for this plant genuinely disagree: well known pet sites call it non-toxic, a plant-care blog calls it mildly toxic, and several guides state that the ASPCA lists it as non-toxic. We checked the ASPCA's cat and dog plant lists on 2026-08-06 for the botanical name and the plant's common names (string of hearts, chain of hearts, rosary vine, sweetheart vine) and found no matching entry, in either direction. The only entry containing rosary on those two lists is Rosary Pea, which is Abrus precatorius, a different plant entirely. This page keeps the safe verdict the horticultural consensus supports, treats it as unlisted rather than ASPCA-confirmed, and errs toward keeping any plant away from a determined nibbler.
| Source | Verdict | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| ASPCA plant lists | No entry | No matching entry on the ASPCA cat or dog list for Ceropegia woodii or its common names (string of hearts, chain of hearts, rosary vine, sweetheart vine), as of 2026-08-06. |
| Catster | Non-toxic | The vet reviewed answer reads: "String of hearts is non-toxic to cats, as well as dogs and humans." |
| Cats Protection | Safe | Lists "String of hearts (Ceropegia woodii)" in its list of common houseplants safe for cats. |
| Our House Plants | Not toxic | States: "The plant itself is not toxic, so is safe around cats, dogs and people from that standpoint." |
| Leaf and Paw | Mildly toxic | States that string of hearts "is considered toxic to both dogs and cats", attributes the risk to saponins, and places all ceropegias in a "mildly toxic" category. |
Every source in this table was read on 2026-08-06. Text inside quotation marks is verbatim from that day's version of the page; the rest summarises what the page said.
What this verdict does and does not mean
Being non-toxic does not mean a plant is chew-proof: even pet-safe houseplants can upset a cat's or dog's stomach if they eat a large amount, simply because it is plant matter. Most toxic houseplants cause irritant-level symptoms, such as drooling, mouth soreness, or a mild upset stomach, rather than a medical emergency. A small number of plants are a genuine emergency, most notably true lilies (Lilium and Hemerocallis species) for cats, which can cause fatal kidney failure from even a small amount of pollen or a nibbled leaf. If you are ever in doubt, or your pet has eaten part of a plant, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435.
More on pet safety
Read the full care guide for String of Hearts, browse the pet safety checker for other plants, or identify a plant from a photo first if you are not sure what you have. Verdicts here follow the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.