String of Pearls
Strings of pea-sized beads spilling over the edge of a pot, unmistakable and a little addictive. It wants bright light and very little water, and it is the succulent most often killed by kindness. Toxic to pets.
String of pearls is the trailing succulent everyone wants and many people lose in the first year. The beads are leaves, each one a little water tank, and the plant wants exactly what a desert plant wants: strong light, gritty soil, and long dry spells between drinks.
The mistake is treating it like a fern because it hangs. It is closer to a cactus with a haircut.
Light
Bright light with a few hours of gentle direct sun. An east window, or a spot near a south one with the strands out of the hottest afternoon glare. Too little light and the beads space out along thin, weak strands. Too much hot sun and they scorch.
Water
Let the soil dry out completely, then water thoroughly. Every twelve days or so in summer, half as often in winter. The beads tell you: plump means wait, slightly flattened or wrinkled means water. Rot starts at the soil surface where the strands touch wet mix, so a top dressing of grit helps.
Soil and potting
A very gritty succulent mix in a shallow pot; the roots are shallow and fine. Terracotta is ideal. Repot every couple of years or when the crown of the pot is bare and the strands are all at the edges.
Feeding
A quarter-strength succulent feed every eight weeks in spring and summer.
Propagation
Cut a few inches of strand, lay it on the surface of dry succulent mix with the beads facing up, and pin it down. Roots form where the strand touches soil. Laying cuttings back across the top of the parent pot is the best way to fill a thinning plant.
In a hot, dry home
Suited to the climate. Dry air and heat are fine; the sun through a west window in July is not, so keep it in east light or a few feet back. Ours thrives in a bright bathroom window where it never gets hot afternoon sun.
String of Pearls varieties
Same care, different look. These are the named forms you will see for sale.
- String of Pearls
Round green beads on threads.
- String of Pearls Variegated
Beads streaked cream and pink. Slower; wants more light.
- String of Bananas
Curio radicans: banana-shaped leaves, faster and tougher than pearls.
- String of Dolphins
Curio × peregrinus: leaves shaped like leaping dolphins. Same care.
- String of Watermelons
Curio herreanus: striped oval beads. Same care.
- Fishhooks
Curio radicans Fishhooks: long, curved leaves on trailing stems; the toughest of the group.
- Pickle Plant
Kleinia stapeliiformis: upright, pickle-shaped stems. Same succulent care.
- Blue Chalk Sticks
Curio talinoides: upright blue-grey finger leaves.
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A different genus with heart-shaped leaves. Has its own profile.
Full profile
Problems and fixes
Beads shrivelling
Likely cause: Thirst, or occasionally root loss from earlier overwatering
Fix: Water thoroughly. If it does not plump up in a few days, check the roots and re-root healthy strands.
Beads mushy, strands rotting at the soil
Likely cause: Overwatering
Fix: Stop watering. Cut healthy strands and root them on fresh dry mix.
Sparse beads on long thin strands
Likely cause: Not enough light
Fix: Move to brighter light. Trim the sparse strands and lay them across the pot to re-root.
Bald top of the pot
Likely cause: Older strands dying back at the crown
Fix: Coil cuttings across the surface and pin them to fill it in.
String of Pearls questions
Is string of pearls toxic to cats and dogs?
Yes. The sap causes vomiting and drooling and can irritate skin. Hang it well out of reach.
How often should I water string of pearls?
Only when the soil is completely dry and the beads have started to flatten, roughly every twelve days in summer and every three to four weeks in winter.
Why is my string of pearls dying at the top of the pot?
The oldest strands at the crown die back and rot where they touch damp soil. Water less, top-dress with grit, and lay cuttings across the top to refill it.
Plants with a similar rhythm
String of Hearts
- Light
- Bright indirect to direct sun
- Water
- Every 10 days
- Pets
- Safe
Burro's Tail
- Light
- Bright indirect to direct sun
- Water
- Every 2 weeks
- Pets
- Safe
