Million Hearts Plant, or Dischidia ruscifolia, is gaining in popularity, and for good reason! It is very easy to grow, grows quickly, and the heart shaped leaves (hence the common name!) are delightful! Keep reading to learn how I grow this amazing epiphyte!
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Million Hearts Plant is actually an epiphyte, which means it grows on other plants such as on trees or tree branches. It is really important to know this because it will dictate how you care for it!
This plant is native to Asia. The care of this plant is very similar to Dischidia nummularia, another species in the Dischidia genus, except I think the ruscifolia species (Million Hearts) is even easier to grow.
Another added benefit is that Million Hearts Plant flowers readily and often. The flower are white and TINY! But they pack quite a fragrance!
Once I was walking around my sunroom and I noticed a wonderful fragrance and I initially couldn't figure out where it was coming from. It was coming from my Dischidia ruscifolia.
Do you see the tiny white flowers in the photo below on my plant? I told you the flowers are tiny...but what a fragrance!
Here is a close look at one of the flowers.
Table of Contents
Dischidia Ruscifolia Care
Since these plants are epiphytes, you should treat them a little differently. Keep reading to learn how best to care for these plants!
DISCHIDIA POTTING MIX
Like any epiphyte, these plants should not be grown in normal potting soil. Dischidia, and other epiphytes, grow attached to trees. They use their roots to attach onto their host trees. Very similar to many orchids.
Because they grow naturally with a lot of air circulation all around them, they are best grown in a very loose potting mix. You can use either an orchid bark mix or something like coco husk chips.
I have heard of people using normal potting soil, but I personally wouldn't because they are epiphytes in nature and it doesn't make any sense to place them in potting soil. You may risk having issues.
I grow my own Dischidia ruscifolia in coco husk chips myself because I wanted to experiment and it produced great results! I could have used an orchid bark potting mix, but I wanted to try something new to experiment.
Whether you use orchid bark or coco husk chips, I like to soak them in hot water for a good half an hour before I use them in order to hydrate them.
I just used my bathroom sink to soak the coco husk chips. I'll get into how I propagated my plant a bit later. A friend had sent me cuttings which I rooted and used to make my plant. More on that later!
WATERING DISCHIDIA
As far as watering goes, I treat these like my moth orchids. (If you want to read how I care for my moth orchids, check out my blog post on moth orchid care!)
You want to let the potting mix dry out a bit in between watering. When do you water, circle your watering can all over the surface of the pot in order to ensure that you get a thorough soaking.
Since it's an epiphyte, go ahead and get the leaves wet too! I do like to mist my Dischidia plants. (Not for humidity...because misting really is not effective at all to increase humidity...but because epiphytes will absorb moisture when you get them wet).
On the other end, be very careful not to let your plant stay wet for extended periods or it may rot. If you plant your Dischidia in a chunky mix like orchid bark mix or coco husk chips, it will be difficult to "overwater."
And ALWAYS have a drainage hole!
LIGHT
Bright indirect light, or filtered light, works well for this plant. A little morning sun also works very well, especially indoors. And especially during the winter.
I keep my own plant in front of an Eastern facing window and it thrives there.
When they get some direct sunshine, the leaves may turn a little reddish in color. That is perfectly fine, but be careful not to give it too much sun otherwise it may burn.
FERTILIZING
Like most of my houseplants, I fertilize dilutely with almost every watering during the growing season (typically from about March through September or so). So basically Spring and Summer.
My fertilizer of choice is Dyna-Gro Grow. It is a nutritionally complete, premium fertilizer that contains all the micro and macro nutrients that plants need.
PROPAGATING MILLION HEARTS PLANT
I grew my own plant from cuttings that a friend send me. The cuttings transported very well since the leaves are succulent and very sturdy!
To propagate them, I simply stripped the bottom leaves off the stems and placed them in a vase of water. Be careful though because the plant will excrete a white, milky substance that may irritate your skin. Wash your hands with soap and water after handling.
After several weeks, roots formed and I potted them up in my coco husk chips like I described above.
Be sure to change your water at least once a week to keep it fresh. If you notice any cloudiness, change it more frequently.
YELLOW LEAVES
One common problem that people see sometimes is yellow leaves. One of my Instagram followers sent me the photo below of her plant that started to get yellow leaves.
After a little back and forth trying to understand her growing conditions, I helped her determine that her plant was kept very dry.
Her plant was potted in a coarse orchid bark. It is really difficult to "overwater" this plant if it is kept growing in a coarse orchid bark mix. I determined that she was not soaking the plant enough.
One helpful tip, as you saw previously in this post (whether you use orchid bark mix or coconut husk chunks) is to soak them in warm water for a while before using them. This helps to condition the mix so it can accept water.
And if you have your plant growing in chunk mixes, you really need to drench them very well. Once the potting medium approaches dryness, it is time to soak it again.
That's about it folks! If you see a Dischidia ruscifolia, I highly recommend it! It is a fantastic and easy to grow houseplant. It has a good growth rate as well.
I find that it grows a bit faster the Dischidia nummularia, but I love both!
Check out my blog posts that I wrote on growing Dischidia nummularia and also the "watermelon" Dischidia which is Dischidia ovata. All so different, and all so lovely!
Do you have any Dischidia plants in your collection? Comment below with any questions!
I have million hearts plants,but it automatically dried up,though add little water at a week,and homemade fertilizer.
I shifted my plants at East window,but I can't understand,what is the problem,
How informative!! Waiting on cuttings now from a plant swap. After reading this article I feel confident I will succeed in producing a beautiful full plant
Hi Raffaele
I just got 2, one variegated, one green. I thought you kinda treated them like Hoya’s. I used, 3/4 succulent soil (very gritty mix, with a touch of worm castings, and coco fiber) I hope this works okay. I do have another dischidia, it seems to grow well in my mixture. They both seemed to be planted in peat or coco fiber, not sure which, I didn’t rinse off the original potting mix before planting, didn’t want to disturb the roots. Why do plant sellers use that mix if it’s not the right medium? Your articles are very informative, thank you.
Deb ☺️
Hi Deb! There are a LOT of very different mediums that plants can successfully grow in. There isn't one "magic" soil mixture or medium that will work. Dischidias seem to be pretty resilient, as long as the mixture is very well drained. I'm glad you enjoyed the article, and if your plants are growing well, keep doing what you're doing!
Hi Rafaele, do you use only coco husk to grow them or do you mix some soil in the coco husk? I just got a plant from my nursery and want to propagate. Do let me know. Thanks.
Hi Nikhil! These plants are quite versatile with soil mixes, so that would work too... but my own plant is just growing in pure coco husk chips. The pieces are pretty coarse. If you want to propagate them in a medium, it might be good to mix in a little soil too in order to hold moisture. I propagated mine in water and then I put them straight into the coco husk chips. If you put them straight into a potting medium, be sure to keep it relatively moist to encourage rooting. Hope this helps!
@Raffaele, Thanks for the tip, since i just got my plant i am letting the leaves that are hanging over the mother plant rest on the pot with the coco husk medium. The coco husk pot is sort of a self watering pot so the husk is moist (but I will keep an eye on it, hope they root (fingers crossed).
Hey. I bought one a couple of weeks ago but there is no growth in the stem although flowers are blooming. It gets enough water and light. Any suggestions for faster growth?
If your conditions are good like you describe, you have to just have patience. The plant has to get used to your environment and it will grow when it is ready :-). If you're not fertilizing, be sure to fertilize during the growing season.
I just bought a small pot of the Dischidia Ruscifolia and I noticed the leaves have been turning yellow at the tips and many leaves have fallen off over the past week. I waited till the medium (potting mix with some moss) was dry before watering. May I know what could possibly be causing this? It is hanging in a pot under the shelter right about 2 feet away from the window. The window is open all the time and there is light and breeze. Not direct sunlight on the plant though.
I just bought a small 2.5 inch plant and got it a week ago. When I got it a few stems looked a bit yellow on the cut ends. Now a few of the leaves are yellow. It arrived wet and I waited to water til it was dry. Gets bright indirect light. Any ideas? Hope I can save it. Also haven’t repotted or anything.
How close to a window is your plant? Your plant may just need a little time to adjust since you just got it. Has the soil dried out since you received it?
@Raffaele, it did dry out once since arriving and I watered thoroughly then until water came out the drainage hole. It’s right next to the window around the edge so it’s not in the sun but it’s very bright.
@Rafaele and i did replant it just a few hours ago into a terra cotta pot in succulent mix and rocks at the bottom for drainage as well as a drainage hole. Hope that’s ok. ?. Roots had come out the drainage hole of nursery pot and I felt like the plastic pot and soil held on to the moisture for too long. I hope I am not dooming this thing. Maybe should also mention it’s the variegated variety.
I use Dyna-Gro Grow for my houseplants. You'd have to check the roots and see if they're tight inside the pot, or maybe growing out of the drainage holes.
My friend has bought me one of these, been after one for ages.
I have a perfect light spot for it in a bathroom, it's not direct except for the morning.
But would you recommend a bathroom? will there be too much moisture in the air?
Hi Carly! That sounds like a perfect spot! It will not be too much moisture in the air at all. An Eastern exposure window with morning sun, and humid air, will be wonderful!
Hi Nevil. What you have to remember is that you went to a very porous media, so it requires much more frequent watering compared to the compost. I'd have to see a photo to see if it died, but you may still be ok. You'll have to change your watering habits with this one since you've placed it in bark. Hope this helps!!
Hello! This is a great article on care tips!! Where do you find coco husk chips? Or what brand would you recommend? Would the coco husk chips used for reptiles be appropriate to use? Thanks in advance for any recommendation you might have.
Hi Corrie! I ordered on Amazon and the vendor was Jim's Orchid Supply. I don't see why you couldn't use the one marketed for reptiles as long as it's just pure coconut husk! Check the package to see if it contains anything else. If it's just coconut husks, you should be good to go!
So happy I found this! I just received one yesterday and honestly knew nothing about it. Did I just bring it into my house and wing it? No! I started researching this morning and thought “Maybe Raffaele has a blog on it”. And here I am! And now I feel confident that I can give this plant the care it needs! Thanks!
How do you get their leaves to grow so closely together? I love the way that looks but mine grow so far apart and feels a bit stringy in comparison despite it being in a south facing window (with a sheer curtain).
Hi Nicole! This is affected purely by light. For pretty much any plant, the distance between the leaves will increase if you have lower light. How long have you had yours? Has it been in lower light in the past?
I have million hearts plants,but it automatically dried up,though add little water at a week,and homemade fertilizer.
I shifted my plants at East window,but I can't understand,what is the problem,
Did you do anything differently from what I wrote about in the article? I'd need more information to help.
@Raffaele, no sir,
How informative!! Waiting on cuttings now from a plant swap. After reading this article I feel confident I will succeed in producing a beautiful full plant
Thanks!
This information is very important for me
You're very welcome Maria!
Is the million hearts plant poisonous to children and pets?
Hi Deborah, I did a quick search for that, and supposedly the plant can be toxic if ingested.
Hi Raffaele
I just got 2, one variegated, one green. I thought you kinda treated them like Hoya’s. I used, 3/4 succulent soil (very gritty mix, with a touch of worm castings, and coco fiber) I hope this works okay. I do have another dischidia, it seems to grow well in my mixture. They both seemed to be planted in peat or coco fiber, not sure which, I didn’t rinse off the original potting mix before planting, didn’t want to disturb the roots. Why do plant sellers use that mix if it’s not the right medium? Your articles are very informative, thank you.
Deb ☺️
Hi Deb! There are a LOT of very different mediums that plants can successfully grow in. There isn't one "magic" soil mixture or medium that will work. Dischidias seem to be pretty resilient, as long as the mixture is very well drained. I'm glad you enjoyed the article, and if your plants are growing well, keep doing what you're doing!
Hi Rafaele, do you use only coco husk to grow them or do you mix some soil in the coco husk? I just got a plant from my nursery and want to propagate. Do let me know. Thanks.
Hi Nikhil! These plants are quite versatile with soil mixes, so that would work too... but my own plant is just growing in pure coco husk chips. The pieces are pretty coarse. If you want to propagate them in a medium, it might be good to mix in a little soil too in order to hold moisture. I propagated mine in water and then I put them straight into the coco husk chips. If you put them straight into a potting medium, be sure to keep it relatively moist to encourage rooting. Hope this helps!
@Raffaele, Thanks for the tip, since i just got my plant i am letting the leaves that are hanging over the mother plant rest on the pot with the coco husk medium. The coco husk pot is sort of a self watering pot so the husk is moist (but I will keep an eye on it, hope they root (fingers crossed).
Hey. I bought one a couple of weeks ago but there is no growth in the stem although flowers are blooming. It gets enough water and light. Any suggestions for faster growth?
If your conditions are good like you describe, you have to just have patience. The plant has to get used to your environment and it will grow when it is ready :-). If you're not fertilizing, be sure to fertilize during the growing season.
I just bought a small pot of the Dischidia Ruscifolia and I noticed the leaves have been turning yellow at the tips and many leaves have fallen off over the past week. I waited till the medium (potting mix with some moss) was dry before watering. May I know what could possibly be causing this? It is hanging in a pot under the shelter right about 2 feet away from the window. The window is open all the time and there is light and breeze. Not direct sunlight on the plant though.
Did it stay completely dry for a long time? Was it dry when you bought it? How long have you had it?
I just bought a small 2.5 inch plant and got it a week ago. When I got it a few stems looked a bit yellow on the cut ends. Now a few of the leaves are yellow. It arrived wet and I waited to water til it was dry. Gets bright indirect light. Any ideas? Hope I can save it. Also haven’t repotted or anything.
How close to a window is your plant? Your plant may just need a little time to adjust since you just got it. Has the soil dried out since you received it?
@Raffaele, it did dry out once since arriving and I watered thoroughly then until water came out the drainage hole. It’s right next to the window around the edge so it’s not in the sun but it’s very bright.
@Rafaele and i did replant it just a few hours ago into a terra cotta pot in succulent mix and rocks at the bottom for drainage as well as a drainage hole. Hope that’s ok. ?. Roots had come out the drainage hole of nursery pot and I felt like the plastic pot and soil held on to the moisture for too long. I hope I am not dooming this thing. Maybe should also mention it’s the variegated variety.
What fertilizer do you recommend?
I’m planning o get one soon...a 2 inch one. And when would I know it’s time to change to a bigger pot?
I use Dyna-Gro Grow for my houseplants. You'd have to check the roots and see if they're tight inside the pot, or maybe growing out of the drainage holes.
Hi,
My friend has bought me one of these, been after one for ages.
I have a perfect light spot for it in a bathroom, it's not direct except for the morning.
But would you recommend a bathroom? will there be too much moisture in the air?
Thank you
Hi Carly! That sounds like a perfect spot! It will not be too much moisture in the air at all. An Eastern exposure window with morning sun, and humid air, will be wonderful!
My dischidia ruscifolia came planted in compost. I transplanted it into orchid bark mix but all the leaves are turning yellow. Have I killed it.
Hi Nevil. What you have to remember is that you went to a very porous media, so it requires much more frequent watering compared to the compost. I'd have to see a photo to see if it died, but you may still be ok. You'll have to change your watering habits with this one since you've placed it in bark. Hope this helps!!
Hello! This is a great article on care tips!! Where do you find coco husk chips? Or what brand would you recommend? Would the coco husk chips used for reptiles be appropriate to use? Thanks in advance for any recommendation you might have.
Hi Corrie! I ordered on Amazon and the vendor was Jim's Orchid Supply. I don't see why you couldn't use the one marketed for reptiles as long as it's just pure coconut husk! Check the package to see if it contains anything else. If it's just coconut husks, you should be good to go!
Thanks for the info!!
Thank you very, very much for this care-instructions! Regard from Eva in Sweden.
You're very welcome, Eva! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
So happy I found this! I just received one yesterday and honestly knew nothing about it. Did I just bring it into my house and wing it? No! I started researching this morning and thought “Maybe Raffaele has a blog on it”. And here I am! And now I feel confident that I can give this plant the care it needs! Thanks!
You're welcome Gretchen! They are pretty easy and tough plants! Enjoy your plant!
How do you get their leaves to grow so closely together? I love the way that looks but mine grow so far apart and feels a bit stringy in comparison despite it being in a south facing window (with a sheer curtain).
Hi Nicole! This is affected purely by light. For pretty much any plant, the distance between the leaves will increase if you have lower light. How long have you had yours? Has it been in lower light in the past?
Your plant needs more light for the leaves to grow closer. Less light, more legging plants, father apart the distance between leaves