Houseplant · Asteraceae
String of Pearls
Curio rowleyanus
Hung high above a shelf, this trailing succulent lets a cascade of green pearls soften the edge of a room.
Bright indirect
50–81°F · 10–27°C
USDA 9–12
1–3 ft · 0.3–0.9 m
Overview
String of pearls arrives from the dry reaches of South Africa, a trailing succulent whose bead-like leaves quietly bank water against the long dry season. Each pearl keeps a slim clear stripe, a small window that draws light inward while the plant conserves its moisture. At home it earns its keep overhead, hung where the strands can pour down a wall or a shelf edge and bring a little movement to the room.
A member of the aster family and a relative of the daisy, it will, in a good summer, offer up small white flowers scented faintly of cinnamon, though indoors those blooms stay a rare occasion. For years it went by Senecio rowleyanus, the name still printed on most tags, though botanists have since placed it in the genus Curio. Whichever label the nursery uses, the trailing pearls are the same.
Living with one comes down almost entirely to the rhythm of watering. The pearls fill out when the plant is content and slacken when it is dry, a quiet cue that folds neatly into a weekly routine, while wet soil is the surest way to lose it. Give it bright light and a pot that drains freely, let the mix dry through between waterings, and it settles in for years.
Care
The short version: bright indirect light, a gritty fast-draining mix in a shallow pot, and a full dry-down between thorough waterings, eased back in winter with a light feed come spring.
Light
Set it where the light is bright but indirect, the glow of a window without hot sun landing on the beads. Once eased into it, the plant tolerates a little direct sun, though unfiltered midday rays scorch the pearls, and a dim corner leaves the strands thin and bare. A spot near a bright window, just out of the sun's direct path, suits it best.
Water
Watering is the heart of the routine. Soak the mix until it drains, then leave it be until it has dried through completely, generous in summer and restrained in winter. The beads slacken when thirsty, but standing moisture invites the root rot that claims most of these plants, so lean toward the dry side.
Soil
Plant it in a gritty, fast-draining cactus or succulent mix so water moves through rather than pooling at the roots. A pH anywhere from 6.0 to 8.0 suits it, and a shallow clay pot, easy to tuck onto a shelf, helps the soil breathe and dry between waterings.
Temperature
Ordinary room warmth keeps it happy, roughly 50°F to 81°F (10°C to 27°C), the comfortable range of most living spaces. It welcomes a cooler winter rest near the low end, and since frost is beyond it, it stays indoors once the nights turn cold.
Humidity
Everyday dry indoor air is exactly its element, so there is no call for misting or pebble trays cluttering the display. That dry air quietly guards against rot around the stems and beads.
Feeding
It asks for very little at the table. A light spring feeding with a dilute balanced or cactus fertilizer carries it through active growth, and the winter rest calls for nothing at all.
Pruning
A trim of the leggy or bare strands coaxes the plant fuller, and a pinch of the longest stems keeps the silhouette neat where it hangs. The pieces you remove root easily into new plants, ready to fill another basket.
Repotting
There is no hurry to repot, every one to two years is ample, and a shallow container flatters both the plant and the shelf better than a deep one. Roots crowding the pot, or soil that dries almost as soon as you water, signal it is time.
Size & spacing
The strands trail somewhere around 1 to 3 feet (30 to 91 cm), spreading to a similar width, enough to make a real presence overhead. Hung in a basket, the beaded stems fall well past the pot and draw the eye downward.
Troubleshooting
Almost every misstep with string of pearls begins at the watering can or the window. The pearls read like a gauge, softening when the plant is dry and turning mushy when it has had too much. Take the cue below and adjust early, well before a soft stem gives way to rot.
Soft, mushy stems with pearls dropping or turning glassy
Soft, blackening stems and beads that drop or turn glassy point to root and stem rot, the most common end for this plant, brought on by soil that never dries. Set the watering aside at once, cut away the mushy stretches, and begin again by rooting healthy stem tips in fresh gritty mix rather than nursing the old plant along. Repot what remains into fast-draining mix in a shallow pot.
Fix:
- Stop watering and remove affected mushy sections
- Take healthy unaffected stem cuttings and restart in fresh gritty mix
- Repot into fast-draining cactus mix in a shallow, well-drained container
Wrinkled, soft, and flattened pearls
Plump beads that turn wrinkled and go soft are simply asking for water, the familiar look of underwatering once the mix has dried well below the surface. Water thoroughly until it drains, then let the pot dry all the way down before the next round. Treat the first hint of shriveling, rather than the calendar, as your signal to water.
Fix:
- Water thoroughly until it drains, then let the mix dry completely before watering again
- Resume a regular dry-down cycle, watering more in summer than winter
Pale, brown, or crispy pearls on the sunlit side
Beads that bleach pale or crisp brown on the side facing the window have taken sun scorch from light too harsh and direct. Bright light is welcome, but blazing midday sun on beads not yet hardened to it is not, so move the plant back into bright indirect light. When you do shift it toward stronger sun, ease the change over a week or two.
Fix:
- Move to bright indirect light
- Acclimate gradually before increasing sun exposure
Toxicity
For all its easy charm, this is a toxic plant, and it belongs somewhere considered. The leaves and sap hold pyrrolizidine alkaloids, so pets that sample the pearls may vomit and turn listless, and the milky sap stings skin and unsettles the gut. A high perch keeps it out of reach of animals and children, and gloves are worth reaching for before you prune.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Toxic
Sample the pearls and a cat will usually be sick, then settle into a quiet, lethargic slump. Some drooling and loose stools may come with it, and the sap can leave the mouth feeling raw.
Dogs Toxic
Dogs land in a similar state, with vomiting and a noticeable dip in energy the signs most often seen, plus diarrhea in some after they chew the strands.
Horses Caution
Because the alkaloids common to this genus tax a horse's liver, the trailing stems belong somewhere a horse cannot reach. Leaves that are eaten can leave the animal with a sour stomach and a listless, off-feed spell.
Rabbits Caution
Rabbits should be kept clear of it entirely. These same liver-taxing compounds turn the leaves into a hazardous mouthful, so no rabbit should be left to graze the pearls hanging within reach.
Livestock Caution
Cattle, sheep, and goats all react badly to Senecio-type alkaloids, which accumulate and wear on the liver over time. A houseplant seldom finds its way into a barn, though it is wise to keep it well away from any animal that grazes.
Birds Caution
Solid research on birds is thin, so caution wins here. A pet bird is best kept clear of the strands, foraging instead on greens whose safety is certain.
People Caution
None of this plant is food, and swallowing the leaves can leave the stomach unsettled. Its milky sap also stings broken skin, so gloves are wise at pruning time, and small children should be kept from slipping the pearls into their mouths.
Wear gloves when handling or pruning, as the sap can irritate skin and cause a rash in sensitive individuals.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
The plain green form is the one most homes display, though a single named selection turns up on occasion for those after something different.
'Variegata' (variegated string of pearls)
Marbled in green and creamy white, its beads lend the trailing strands a paler, softer cast than the plain green form.
How to propagate
Multiplying string of pearls asks little, and a routine trim tends to leave spare strands worth rooting for another corner of the house.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Active growth, spring through summer · Roots typically develop at the nodes within a couple of weeks
Cuttings are the quick, dependable route to more plants, best taken from spring through summer. Snip 3 to 4 inch stem tips, strip the lower beads, and lay the bare nodes on moist gritty mix or bury them lightly. Roots gather at each buried node within a couple of weeks.
SeedModerate
Not commonly used in cultivation · Slow and uncommon in cultivation; less reliable than cuttings
Seed is possible, though rarely worth the effort at home. The wind-borne seeds carry a cottony tuft and are hard to find in the trade, and they start slowly and prove far less reliable than cuttings, so most growers pass them by.
Myths
The proper name for this plant is Senecio rowleyanus.
That name still graces most tags and shop listings, yet the plant has been reclassified. Kew's Plants of the World Online now recognizes Curio rowleyanus, keeping Senecio rowleyanus on as a synonym, so both names lead to the very same plant.
Being a succulent, it lives on neglect and seldom wants water.
The plant is more particular than that easygoing image lets on. Its pearls shrivel when it runs dry, and it rots and fails quickly in soil left wet, so what it wants is a complete dry-down between thorough waterings, neither drought nor constant damp.