Photo: Flickr user Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 2.0 · source

Houseplant · Asteraceae

String of pearls

Curio rowleyanus

In other languages: Erwtenplant (Nederlands) · Collier de perles (Français)

String of pearls comes from dry regions of South Africa, where it creeps over the ground, often in the shade of shrubs and rocks. It forms long, thread-thin stems with round, pea-sized leaves that store water, so they look like a string of beads. Each little ball has a translucent stripe, a window that lets light inside. In a hanging pot it makes a green curtain 60 cm long or more. It needs little water and plenty of light, but it is poisonous to pets and children. It used to be called Senecio rowleyanus.

Caution: All parts are poisonous if swallowed, especially to cats and dogs, but also to children: they can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and drowsiness. The beads look like peas or sweets and drop off easily. Hang the plant out of reach, clear up fallen beads and wash your hands after pruning, as the sap can irritate the skin.

Updated on 10 October 2026

Light
Sun or partial shade
preferably some sun
Moisture
Dry
tolerates drought
Legal basis
Potting soil
Hardiness
Houseplant
min. 5 °C
Size
0.6 m
tall, 0.3 m wide

Key facts
Pruning months	April–July
Height	0.6 m
Poisonous to people and pets	Yes, take care with children and pets

Identify

String of pearls: how do you recognise it?

Habit: Creeping or trailing succulent with stems of 60 cm or more; about 30 cm wide in a pot.
Leaves: Spherical, 5–8 mm, green and fleshy, with a translucent stripe that lets light through.
Stems: Thread-thin and green; they root wherever they touch the soil.
Flowers: Not often indoors: small, white flower heads like little paintbrushes.
Roots: Fine and shallow: a shallow pot is all it needs.

Plants: March–April · Pruning: April–July

In your garden

Why grow it?

An unusual trailing plant with strings of beads spilling over the rim of the pot.
Drought-tolerant: the beads store water, so a missed watering is no disaster.
Light in weight: ideal for a hanging pot or a high shelf.
Easy to propagate: just lay a piece of stem on the compost.
It can spend the summer outside in a sheltered spot, out of harsh midday sun and rain.

String of pearls: where does it grow best?

Plenty of light with some morning or evening sun; no scorching midday sun behind glass.
Too little light gives thin stems with wide gaps between the beads.
Normal room temperature in summer; in winter preferably cool, 10–15 °C, but not below 5 °C.
Dry room air is no problem.
Hang it out of reach of cats, dogs and children, long trailing stems included.

Light: Sunny or bright, out of direct sun
Potting soil: Cactus compost
Acidity: Neutral
Watering: Sparingly
Size: 0.6 m tall, 0.3 m wide
Temperature: Minimum 5 °C

Goes well with

String of hearts: Another trailing plant with long stems and small heart-shaped leaves, also content with little water.
Echeveria: A rosette-forming succulent for the same bright windowsill and the same sparing care.
Wax plant: Trailing or climbing, with fleshy leaves that also need little water.

Maintenance

String of pearls: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April.

Repot in March–April, only when the pot is full: every 2–3 years is enough.
Choose a wide, shallow pot with a drainage hole; terracotta dries out faster and is ideal.
Use cactus and succulent compost, with some extra coarse sand or perlite if you like.
Do not set the plant deeper than before, and coil a few stems on top of the compost: they root and keep the pot full.
Wait a week after repotting before watering, so that damaged roots can heal.
Wear gloves: the sap can irritate the skin.

Care

Watering: Water thoroughly when the compost is almost completely dry, then empty the saucer. In summer roughly every 1–2 weeks, in winter once a month or less.
Thirsty or too wet: Wrinkled, sunken beads mean it is thirsty; soft, glassy or brown beads mean too much water.
Feeding: From April to August, cactus and succulent feed at half strength once a month.
Summer outdoors: From June to September it can go outside in a sheltered spot with morning sun, out of the rain.
Repotting: Every 2–3 years in spring, in fresh cactus compost.

Tip: When repotting or after trimming, coil a few pieces of stem on the compost: they root quickly and keep the top of the pot full and attractive.

String of pearls: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April–July.

When: From April to July, when the stems get too long or bare. Real pruning is not needed.

How:

Cut over-long or bare stems back with clean scissors.
Lay the trimmed pieces on the compost to fill the top of the pot again.
Remove dried-up or rotten stems.

Caution: Wear gloves or wash your hands after pruning: the sap can irritate the skin. Clear up trimmings and fallen beads so that pets cannot get at them.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings: From April to August, cut 5–10 cm pieces of stem, remove the lowest beads and insert the bare part in barely moist cactus compost, or lay the stem flat on the compost and press it in lightly. Roots form in 2–4 weeks.
Layering: Lay a stem, still attached, on a small pot of compost placed alongside; after a few weeks it has rooted and you can cut it free.

String of pearls: how does it get through the winter?

Indoors all year: it cannot take frost and should not go below 5 °C.
A cool, light winter spot at 10–15 °C with very little water suits it and can encourage flowering.
In a warm room: the lightest spot, a small drink now and then, never soggy.
No feeding from September to March.

Diseases and pests

Rot: Glassy, soft beads and black stems at the base, caused by too much water or a cold, wet pot. Water less; take cuttings from healthy stems if the base is already rotting.
Bare on top: The stems are still alive, but the top of the pot is bare. Lay cuttings on the compost or cut long stems back.
Wrinkled beads: Caused by a long dry spell. Water thoroughly; the beads will plump up again.
Mealybug: White, woolly tufts on the stems and between the beads. Remove them with a cotton bud dipped in a little alcohol.
Aphids: On young tips in spring. Rinse off with lukewarm water.

Through the year

January: Cool and light. Very little water, no feed.
March: Repot if the pot is full. Water a little more.
April: Repot. Monthly feed. Take cuttings and shorten long stems.
May: Take cuttings. Cut back bare stems.
June: Feed. It can go outside in a sheltered spot out of the midday sun.
July: Feed. Water when the compost is almost dry. Last trim.
August: Last feed. Watch for mealybug.
September: Bring indoors. Water less.
October: Cool, light spot. Little water.
December: Very little water. Cool and light.

Use

Edible and useful

Not edible. All parts of string of pearls are poisonous: they contain alkaloids that cause vomiting, diarrhoea and drowsiness if swallowed, in cats and dogs and in children too. The green beads look like peas, grapes or sweets and drop off easily: clear them up straight away and hang the plant high up, out of reach of children and pets, including cats that like to grab trailing stems. The sap can irritate the skin: wash your hands after pruning and taking cuttings. Call your vet if an animal has eaten some. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

You and this species

Did you know?

The translucent stripe on each bead works like a window: it lets light in, while the round shape keeps water loss low.
The species name honours Gordon Rowley, a British expert on succulents.
It used to be called Senecio rowleyanus; it is now placed in the genus Curio, but you will see both names on sale.

Garden plants · All species