Ceropegia woodii is a flowering plant in the dogbane family Apocynaceae, native to South Africa, Eswatini and Zimbabwe.

In 1881, the species was discovered hanging from rocks on Groenberg Mountain in Western Cape, SA, at an altitude of 1800 feet, by John Medley Wood, curator of the Durban Botanic Gardens.

The plant that had been sent to Kew subsequently flowered, providing the material for Plate 7704 of Curtis's Botanical Magazine published in 1900.

The prolific botanical artist Matilda Smith prepared the plate, while the Kew taxonomist, N. E. Brown, produced a detailed description, naming the plant after its discoverer.

[2][3] Its trailing habit, neat appearance, and tolerance of neglect, made it an ideal plant for hanging baskets.