String of Pearls
Curio rowleyanus · String of Beads
A trailing succulent from the dry Cape of South Africa, where it creeps along the ground in the shade of rocks and shrubs. Each round bead is a tiny water tank with a clear window down one side that pipes light into the leaf.
Family
Asteraceae
Origin
South Africa
In the wild
Creeps on dry ground
Indoors
Trails 0.6–0.9 m
Growth
Moderate
With pets
Toxic
Where it's from
The Cape, South Africa
Dryland creeper
From the Eastern and Western Cape, on semi-arid ground where it hides under taller plants.
Outdoors: zones 9b–12
Frost-tender. Only a summer plant outside, and it must come in before cold.
Not invasive
No spread in the wild is reported in the sources used here.
A marble that drinks light
Each pearl is a water-storage organ. The round shape shrinks the surface exposed to dry air, and a thin clear band down each bead lets sunlight into the leaf so it can photosynthesise on the inside. When it does flower in summer, the small white blooms are said to smell of cinnamon.
A built-in window
The translucent crescent on each bead pipes light into the leaf interior.
It self-layers
Strands root wherever they touch soil, so a loop pressed onto the pot thickens the plant.
Cinnamon flowers
The rare summer pom-pom blooms are said to smell of cinnamon and spice.
How to keep it
LightBright, indirect
Bright light keeps the strands full. Harsh midday sun scorches the beads.
WaterLet it dry out
Water sparingly and let the soil dry between drinks. Soggy soil rots it.
HumidityDry air is fineA dry-climate succulent. No misting needed.
Temperature10–27°CFrost-tender. Keep it above freezing, cooler in winter rest.
SoilGritty cactus mixFree-draining, with sand or perlite. Never water-retaining.
FeedingLightly, in summerA dilute succulent feed in the growing season only.
DifficultyModerateForgiving of neglect, unforgiving of overwatering.
With petsToxicPyrrolizidine alkaloids. Vomiting, diarrhoea and drooling if chewed; sap can irritate skin.
PropagationStem cuttingsLay a tip on the mix; it roots where the stem touches soil.
RepottingRarelyShallow roots like a snug pot. Plants tend to decline after a few years, so renew from cuttings.
What the data says
What it costs
Common and cheap. The variegated form is a mild collector upsell, not a four-figure rarity.
$8–20
Cream-and-pink variegated strands run roughly $10–30, slower to fill in and a little sought-after. No bidding wars.
The air-purifier myth
It lands on air-purifying lists on the strength of one sealed NASA box from 1989.
100–1,000
plants would be needed to match the air a room's normal ventilation already moves (Cummings and Waring, 2019). Buy it for the beads, not for cleaner air.
IUCN · Not assessed
In the wild
Widespread in the Cape and ubiquitous in cultivation.
It is not assessed on the global IUCN Red List, and South Africa's national list treats it within a taxonomically unsettled Curio complex rather than as threatened. No conservation pressure from the houseplant trade is documented.
When it sulks
Mushy stemsOverwatering and root rot. The number one killer.
Flat, raisin-like beadsUsually too long without water; check the roots, as overwatering can look the same.
Scorched beadsToo much direct sun.
Bald, leggy strandsLow light, or natural die-back after a few years. Renew from cuttings.
PestsMealybugs, aphids, whitefly and fungus gnats.
Varieties & company
The varieties
Plain greenVariegataString of BananasString of Dolphins
Pairs with · keep apart from
JadeEcheveriaCactiCalatheaFernsPeace Lily
A new plant, every week.
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