Fishhooks Senecio: An Easy-Care Trailing Succulent
If you want an easy-care plant that trails like crazy, then call off the search – you’ve found it. The Fishhooks Senecio (some call the ones I have Grey Fishhooks Senecio) likes to ramble and at 4′ long, shows no signs of slowing down. This succulent loves any admiration you can throw its way but is not fussy at all when it comes to caring. Mine grow outdoors here in Santa Barbara but they make excellent houseplants.
This is 1 of my Fishhooks Senecios. My what long trails you have!
This plant also goes by the names Fishhooks Plant, String Of Fishhooks, Senecio “Fish Hooks ” as well as by its botanic moniker Senecio radicans. This is a bit confusing because there’s another succulent (which you see at the end of this post) that I know as String Of Bananas which also has the botanic name Senecio radicans. No matter what you call the plant I’m showcasing, it trails like crazy & is a snap to maintain.
Caring for Fishhooks Senecio
Light / Exposure
Indoors the Fishhooks likes to live in a bright to high light spot, like near a south or west window. Just be sure to keep it away from hot glass or prolonged exposure to hot summer sun because it’ll burn. Remember, those leaves & stems are full of water. Outdoors here on the coast of California mine get morning sun & are shaded from the hotter afternoon sun. If you’re inland where the sun is more intense, bright shade is the way to go.
Hardiness
String Of Fishhooks run the gamut when it comes to temperature – from 25 degrees to 100 degrees F.
Watering
I water my Fishhook Senecios every 2 weeks, less in the winter if it’s been raining (more rain please in Southern California!) &/or if it’s cool. Indoors, you want to water yours every 3-6 weeks depending on the season & how hot & dry your home is. It’s good to let it almost thoroughly dry out between waterings. No matter the frequency, you want to thoroughly water the plant & make sure all the water drains out.
Soil
Speaking of water draining out, you want to plant your String Of Fishhooks in a light, fast draining mix. I use a succulent & cactus mix when potting & rooting all my succulents. This way, there’s much less chance that the roots will rot out. Like the majority of succulents, it’s better to keep them on the drier side than too wet.
Fertilizer
I never fertilize my succulents but instead top dress them them with a nice amount of worm castings (1″) & organic compost (2″) every spring. They really don’t need any fertilizing but if you feel for some reason that yours does, then feed with an organic liquid fertilizer formulated for houseplants & apply once in the spring. Never fertilize in the winter when the plants are resting. Hey, plants need a little break too!
Hangin’ out with my Fishhooks!
Pests
Mine have never gotten any & this plant is not notorious for any infestations. Indoors, yours might get mealy bugs (this critter looks like small specks of cotton) & if it does, just take it to the sink or shower & wash it down. Just make sure your Fishhooks Senecio never stays too wet for too long, especially in those cooler months. Outside, use the garden hose for a gentle blasting.
Pruning
You’ll need to prune it if you want to control the length. Just know that new growth will eventually fork off from the cut ends, usually as 2 trails instead of 1. You’ll get lots of cutting from this 1!
Propagation
Fishhook Senecios are easy to propagate by stem or leaf cuttings. I have that covered in this video – you can skip to the :44 second mark if that’s what you’re looking for.
Uses
This plant is best used in hanging baskets & wall pots. It’s great in mixed container plantings too but it does wander & hog real estate from other plants. I had some growing in a pot by my driveway & it traveled down the pot & pedestal & has meandered & rooted it’s way through the garden. You can see it in this post & video about my never ending succulent repotting job.
The Fishhooks grew through the back of this bed & have found their way out onto the gravel landscaping. I’ll need to start pruning it back to keep it off of the walkway. If it gets too dense from the pinching, then it’s time to take it out.
Good To Know
Fishhooks Senecio grows fast in the warmer weather & even faster if outdoors. As a year round houseplant, the growth will probably be moderate but still faster than other plants. As I said above, just be careful if you plant it in the same pot with other plants because it does tend to overtake other less vigorous plants.
If you want to grow this succulent as a houseplant all you need is nice bright light and to be stingy with the water. Whether you grow Fishhooks Senecio indoors or out, just make sure you give it room to trail!
Happy gardening!
This succulent also goes by Senecio radicans, String of Bananas & String Of Fishhooks. Confusing! I call it String Of Bananas because these plumper leaves look more like bananas to me. I’ve also seen it listed as Senecio radicans “glauca”. What do you call it???
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Nell, the founder of Joy Us garden, was born into a gardening family and grew up in Connecticut’s countryside. After living in Boston, New York, San Francisco, & Santa Barbara, she now calls the Arizona desert home. She studied horticulture & garden design, working in the field all her life. Nell is a gardener, designer, blogger, Youtube creator, & author. She’s been gardening for a very long time & wants to share what she’s learned with you.
Love the article. Lots of info. My question is can a donkey tail and fish hook succulent be planted together?
Thank you Levie. Yes they can. There’s 1 heads up though: the Burro’s Tail is quite a bit heavier than the Fish Hooks. In time it could start to smother it. I’ve found the Fish Hooks to grow faster though. They both like the same conditions so the choice is yours! Nell
Hi, Nell. I am just starting with succulents; they had me at low maintenance. 🙂 I’ve had a String of Bananas for several months & I’m astounded at its growth & infrequent watering! I’m here because I didn’t know its name. I wasn’t having luck on Google; but I did run into some of your other posts. I started a new board on Pinterest for Succulents to save the excellent material I was finding. Up pops THIS post as the 1st suggested pin! Gotta love Pinterest! Thirty minutes on Google with no results. Thirty seconds on Pinterest & voilà! I look forward to running into you often & gleaning much from your experience. Thank you for sharing! ~ Eva
My pleasure Eva! Thank you for your lovely comment. We have some posts on succulents coming up in the future so stay tuned. All the best, Nell
Nell,
We discovered the fish hook plant this past summer and bought one. We brought it indoors for the winter and it’s growing A LOT of new stems/trails. But I also noticed that a lot of the longer/established one seem to have browned/dried out towards the base of the pot but the lower portion is fine. I’ve been trying not to over water it but am wondering if I’ve been too restrictive on the water.
Is it common for this to happen over the winter? Thanks in advance for any help.
Cheers,
Lee
ps: we affectionately call this plant the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Hi Lee – That’s funny! The trails on mine are about 8′ long so I call it Lady Godiva. I’m not sure what light situation you have it in or how often you’re watering it but it sounds like too little light/too much water. I get individual leaves drying on mine in the winter but no stems. The stems propagate very easily (you can see some of the roots emerging) so you can always cut them & stick them back in the pot. Hope this helps, Nell
Super helpful post, thank you! I just bought my first fish hook plant and potted it in a terracotta pot. I watered it for the first time and the water is leaking out of the sides of the pot a bit, which I’m hoping will help keep the soil nice and dry. It sits by a west-ish facing window but there are lots of trees outside so I would consider the light a bright shade. If I want it to thrive, how often should I water the indoor plant?? I’m hoping I can get some nice trails going. I live in North Carolina if that helps.
Megan – I can’t answer that exactly because I don’t know what the size of the pot is & the soil mix & the temp. conditions in your home. A range would be: every 7-20 days. Nell
Dear Nell:
I need some advice,my fishhook is dying,their leaves are getting dry and shriveled and I know that is an indication of overwatering. I did change the soild few days ago,thinking that It may revives but it hasn’t. Still look sad and everyday more dry.Im so sad i had it for so many months and it was doing great and i dont know what I did it.:(Please tell me what else should I do.Or I already loss it.
Thanks Patricia.
Hi Patricia – Oftentimes an overwatered plant doesn’t recover. It depends on how long the roots have been starved for oxygen so it’s hard to say. Perhaps you can try taking some cuttings & then repotting. Nell