String of Frogs
A creeping fig with tiny, oak-shaped leaves on thread-thin stems that trail, creep and cling to anything they touch. A terrarium and hanging-pot plant that wants steady moisture and humidity, and repays it with a dense green curtain.
String of frogs is a creeping fig with leaves shrunk down and cut into tiny oak-leaf lobes, each one smaller than a fingernail, along thin wiry stems. It creeps across soil, climbs a damp surface by aerial roots, or trails over the side of a pot, and in a terrarium it will carpet the floor and walls within a season.
It is not a succulent, whatever the name suggests. It wants the opposite treatment: steady moisture, humidity, and shade from hot sun. Let it dry out and the leaves crisp overnight and do not recover. Kept damp, it is fast and dense.
Light
Medium, indirect light. A north or east window, or a spot well back from a brighter one. It tolerates fairly low light and is perfect under a terrarium lamp. Direct sun scorches the small leaves quickly.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist at all times, watering every four days or so in summer and weekly in winter, more in a small hanging pot. The stems and leaves have no water storage; a dry pot means crisped leaves within a day. Drain well though; soggy soil rots the fine roots.
Soil and potting
A moisture-holding, airy mix: potting soil with coco coir and perlite. Shallow, wide pots suit its creeping habit. Repot every eighteen months, one size up. It also grows well pinned onto a damp moss board or in a closed terrarium.
Feeding
Quarter-strength balanced feed every four weeks in the growing season. Light feeding only.
Propagation
The easiest ficus to propagate. Stem cuttings root in water or damp mix in two to three weeks, and any stem pinned to moist soil roots at the nodes. Trim and re-pin to keep the pot full.
In a hot, dry home
Difficult outside a terrarium. It needs fifty percent humidity and constant moisture, which a dry house fights on both counts. In a closed glass container or a cloche it is easy; as a hanging plant in open air it needs a humidifier and watering every two or three days in summer. Keep it far from the AC vent.
String of Frogs varieties
Same care, different look. These are the named forms you will see for sale.
- Creeping fig (green)
Ficus pumila with plain oval leaves; the vine that covers walls outdoors. Same care, faster.
- Creeping fig Variegata
Small oval leaves edged in white. Slower.
Problems and fixes
Leaves crisp and brown all over
Likely cause: The pot dried out
Fix: Trim back to green growth, keep it moist; it regrows from the stems if they are alive.
Stems rotting, leaves dropping green
Likely cause: Soggy soil
Fix: Improve drainage; let the surface dry slightly between waterings.
Sparse, stretched stems
Likely cause: Too little light
Fix: Brighter spot; pin cuttings back into the pot.
Leaves pale and scorched
Likely cause: Direct sun
Fix: Move to filtered light.
String of Frogs questions
Is string of frogs a succulent?
No, despite the name. It is a creeping fig and wants steady moisture and humidity, the opposite of string of pearls.
Is it pet safe?
No. Like other ficus it has irritating sap and is mildly toxic if chewed.
Can it grow in a terrarium?
Yes, ideally. It is one of the best terrarium plants and will carpet the floor and climb the glass.
Plants with a similar rhythm
Beetle Peperomia
- Light
- Low to bright indirect
- Water
- Every 10 days
- Pets
- Safe
