Denver houseplant sitter &
routine garden maintenance
My oldest string of pearls plant, 2025
string of pearls
(curio rowleyanus)
String of pearls (aka Bead Plant, String of Beads, String of Peas, etc.) is a succulent vine (1) that stores water in its small round leaves (3). It is native to the dry areas of South Africa where it grows in a vine-like manner, crawling along the ground, and rooting wherever it happens to come in contact with the ground, often growing under bushes and rocks (1). Has occasional flower blooms that smell of cinnamon (3).
basic string of pearls care
Common Recommendations
LIGHT
bright/indirect
String of pearl plants prefer lots of light, however direct midday sun is too aggressive (3).
WATER
medium
With string of pearl plants it's better to err on the side of under watering. Remember, these plants are native to South Africa and as such are used to minimal rainfall and dry soil. That said, it's best to avoid under watering as well (of course!) - your best bet is to water them when the top 2 to 3cm of soil are dry. You can also try watering them from the bottom, ensuring that the soil is evenly moist (and allow excess water to drain away freely). You'll need to water less often in the winter, about once per month. (1)(2)
FERTILIZER
light
String of pearl plants need little fertilizing - a freshly potted SoP won't need to be fed for a full year, after which time you'll want to fertilize it every 8 weeks during the growing season.(2) Do not fertilize in the winter.
POTTING
Either cactus potting mix or potting soil mixed with perlite is ideal (1). Make sure your pot has a drainage hole (3).
TO PROPAGATE
It's best to propagate string of pearls in the spring when they are actively growing (3). No need to root in water - you can plant String of pearls directly in soil and it will root. Full propagation instructions here.
Toxic to people & pets
"Almost all members of the Senecio genus contain toxins, including string of pearls. Keep children and pets away from your string of pearls to prevent them from eating any parts of the plant. If ingested in larger quantities, gastrointestinal complaints such as diarrhoea or vomiting may occur" (3).
My
Experience
I can't remember when I first got my string of pearls! It's been years, 3 or 4 at least. Since then I've propagated lots of string of pearls plants, with varying success. Read on for more information.
LIGHT
In my experience, string of pearls do indeed want a lot of light and I've had a lot of them absolutely pop off directly in an east-facing window. My main SoP that I've had for eons is in an east-facing window but that window is over a porch with an awning, which means it doesn't get quite as much light. As such, it's doing well but the little leaves are not as fat as they could be. I recently (July 2025) potted some SoP and put them directly under a grow light (and also changed up the soil, more on that below) so we'll see how that goes!
WATER
I always just feel the soil to see if it's moist and if not I water it. I've found they don't need to be watered a ton.
FERTILIZER
I have definitely not been fertilizing them much so it's good they don't need much lol. I usually throw in some of my homemade compost in the spring and call it good. I'll try more consistent fertilizing and see how that goes.
POTTING
I've successfully grown string of pearls in pots with and without holes. I recently (July 2025) repotted a number of strands in pots with holes and changed up the potting soil (I added a handful or two of perlite) and am hoping that yields better results.
TO PROPAGATE
As mentioned I've propagated countless string of pearls. They root super quickly and easily straight in the soil. But if you make the mistake of putting them somewhere with low light (which I tried more than a few times) hoping they push through, they probably won't do too well. Every time I tried to force them into a low light situation they would stop growing and get shriveled looking. Which is super not cute.
Did I miss a great string of pearls fact?
Any experience you'd like to share?
Feel free to contact me and leave a (kind-hearted) comment!
Close up of geranium flowers, 2025
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