String of pearls (Curio rowleyanus) spilling bead-like leaves over a pot on a windowsill — Photo by Sam Galli on Unsplash

String of pearls care

Curio rowleyanus · Asteraceae

Also called String of beads.

By the Greenie team · Fact-checked October 5, 2026

A trailing succulent from the dry Eastern Cape of South Africa, with thin stems strung with pea-sized, water-storing leaves. It was long known as Senecio rowleyanus. It looks best spilling from a hanging basket, but it is picky: too much water, too little water or poor light all make the pearls shrivel.

Toxic to pets Drought tolerant

Light

Bright Indirect

Watering

Every 2 weeks

Difficulty

Medium

Pets

Toxic to cats and dogs

Height indoors

0.3-0.9 m

GrowthUnconfirmed

Moderate

Temperature

10-27 °C

Not below 10 °C

HumidityUnconfirmed

30% - 50%

Fine in dry rooms

Soil pHUnconfirmed

6.0-7.0

Slightly acidic soil

Native to

South Africa

Through the year

Water deeply only once the mix has dried out, or when the pearls start to look slightly wrinkled. Give less in winter, when it rests.

Spring
Every 2 weeks
Repot if needed into fresh gritty mix and give it a light feed.
Summer
Every 2 weeks
Growing and possibly flowering: water when the mix is dry and protect it from harsh midday sun.
Autumn
Every 2 weeks
Bring it indoors before any frost and start watering less.
Winter
Monthly
Keep it cool and bright and water sparingly.

Feeding

Once a year in spring. A light dose of balanced liquid fertilizer, or none in a year when you repot into fresh mix.

Care tips

Use a shallow clay pot
Its roots are small and shallow; a shallow terracotta pot dries out faster and lowers the risk of rot.
Grit in the mix
Use cactus mix, or mix potting soil up to half and half with sand, grit or pumice.
Restart old plants from cuttings
Plants tend to decline after a few years. Lay 8-10 cm stem tips on moist mix with a few nodes touching it and they root quickly.
Cool, dry winter rest
A winter at around 13-16 °C with little water can help it flower the following summer.

Common problems

Root rot

What you seeStems turn soft and brown near the soil and pearls drop or turn mushy.

What to doCut off healthy stem tips to restart the plant, and in future use a gritty mix in a shallow pot and let it dry fully between waterings.
Shrivelled pearls

What you seeThe pearls wrinkle, flatten or lose their round shape.

What to doCheck the mix first: if it is bone dry, water deeply; if it is wet, the roots are failing. Also move the plant into brighter light.
Mealybugs and aphids

What you seeWhite fluff or small insects clustered on the stems.

What to doDab them off with rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab, or rinse the stems, and check again each week.

Pets

Is string of pearls safe for cats and dogs?

Toxic to cats and dogs. Listed by the ASPCA under its former genus, Senecio, as toxic to cats and dogs. The plant contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can damage the liver; NC State Extension rates the poisoning risk as low, but keep it out of pets' reach.

Houseplants the ASPCA lists as safe for cats and dogs

Good to know

Each pearl has a dark, see-through stripe, a leaf window that lets light into the inside of the leaf.
Its small white flowers smell of cinnamon.
The species name honours Gordon Rowley, a British botanist who specialised in succulents and cacti.