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Senecio Rowleyanus: A Guide to Growing and Caring for String of Pearls

December 26, 2024

Is it because it is just like a string of pearls? I am a gal who likes her jewelry after all.

Illustration of a String of Pearls plant in a terracotta pot with a smiley face and a tiny heart. Text highlights care instructions: "Make sure your plant pot has a drainage hole!", "Only water it when the soil is completely dry.", "Bright indirect sunlight. Watch it thrive and fill your heart with joy!
image from joyofgreen
A variety of potted plants arranged on wooden shelves create a charming display. Among them are a cascading string of pearls plant, a string of hearts that makes your heart go pitter-patter, and other green, leafy plants with unique shapes and polka-dotted leaves.
Hoya linearis, senecio rowleyanus, ceropegia woodii make a pretty indoor shelf garden. image by myplantcollection_
A row of hanging succulent plants, known as "String of Pearls," features long, trailing stems covered in small, round green leaves that cascade like a plant lover's heartbeat. The pots are mounted on a gray concrete wall inside a bright greenhouse.
Curio rowleyanus (String of Pearls) aka Senecio rowleyanus is a perennial succulent with trailing stems, up to 3 feet (90 cm) long, lined with small, spherical leaves up to 0.3 inch (0.8 cm) in diameter. image from worldofsucculents

Two large, weathered pots overflowing with plants are pictured. The pot in the foreground contains a blue-green agave plant, while the pot in the background has a similar agave plant and long, trailing strings of small, round green succulent beads that make a gardener’s heart skip a beat.
exotic_nurseries feature Agave parryi & Senecio rowleyanus, commonly known as string of pearls, spilling beautifully over the Vintage feature planters. Project by @good.manors

A collection of various potted houseplants arranged on a two-tiered shelf. The top shelf features hanging succulents and leafy plants, while the bottom shelf includes snake plants, polka dot begonia, and other heart-stealing greenery, creating a lush, vibrant display.
myplantcollection_

String of pearls – Senecio rowleyanus- care instructions

To care for a string of pearls plant, place it in bright, indirect light and water sparingly, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings. Trim any yellow or wilted leaves (pearls) to encourage new growth. Fertilize monthly during the growing season and repot every 2-3 years.  They can be rooted from stem cuttings and tend to have shallow roots.  Place any pearls (the bead-like leaves) that break off in the top of the pot (try to make sure the small pointed tip is in contact with the soil), and you will see that bare roots and weak surface roots will begin to emerge.  make sure these are secured in the soil so that this new string will thrive.  

These are generally indoor plants, that require bright sunlight.  They originate from the dry desert of south Africa and their water-storing leaves are an adaptation to the native landscape (protecting them from evaporative water loss).  

Picture from the California Cactus center.

  1. Jessica says:

    My MIL will LOVE this plant, I cannot wait to show it to her!

    Your blog is gorgeous!

    Jess

  2. Mie says:

    I think mine is almost dead now. It went worse and worse and I always had the idea that it didn’t have enough water because the soil almost always feels dry, even shortly after I watered it. But then I went on a vacation for a week and to be sure it wouldn’t have a shortage of water I had put it in a bowl with water. And when I returned he was worse than ever. I will keep on trying ad stop watering it, but I think the end is near … .

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