STRING OF PEARLS
Curio rowleyanus
You will love this remarkable succulent for its easygoing nature and unusual pearl-like foliage. As they grow, the stems form a delicate cascade, which has a restful effect on the mind, much like trickling water. The aromatic flowers will further stimulate your senses.
“I’m so easy to share with the people you love.”
Get to know me
My green pearls are an odd type of leaf whose shape reduces evaporation, helping me survive in the desert. Each “pearl” has a transparent slit that acts as a window, allowing light to flood inside and help power my photosynthesis.
Be mindful of me
Give me an energy boost by adding a high-potash fertilizer to my water two or three times a year. Pull off any old, shriveled leaves and trim back stems in spring, as necessary to keep its size and appearance in check.
I’ll delight your senses
With the right care, I’ll provide aromatherapy in summer, when I produce lots of white flowers with a pleasant, spicy scent. Take a sniff and enjoy the mood-enhancing power of smell
Rescue me!
Watch out in summer in case my pearls are starting to look a little scorched from too much direct sunlight. Just move me temporarily to a shadier spot.
Let’s make babies
If you want to care for and share my offspring, snip off a stem in early summer, cut it into pieces, and lay them on fresh soil with a thin layer of sand in a pot. Watch till tiny roots appear before watering.
Help me thrive
POSITION Place in a bright spot out of direct sunlight. Grows best at 64–75°F (18–24°C), but it will tolerate short periods at 50°F (10°C).
POTTING Use cactus compost or a 50:50 mix of 4mm grit and loam-based compost. Repot in spring in dry compost and water after 2 weeks.
GROWTH RATE In the right conditions, this plant can grow 8–10in (20–25cm) per year, reaching an ultimate length of 3ft (1m).
CARE Water every 2 weeks in spring and summer and not at all in fall and winter (though don’t forget to say “hi!”).
BE AWARE: I can be harmful if eaten, so keep me away from young children and pets