How to Care for String of Pearls
The String Of Pearls plant had me at first sight.
I knew this was a plant I wanted for my very own one day. When I moved to Santa Barbara, quite a few pots had been left behind at my new home by the previous owner. I zoomed in on one of them for a String of Pearls.
Fortunately, they’re easy to find here. Four years ago I bought a 2″ plant and in it went into the large pot on the patio outside my dining room planted along with the Coprosma, Plectranthus, and whatever seasonal annuals catch my fancy. It grew fairly fast and tends to trail rather than spread so I figured it was time for a little propagation.
NOTE: This post was published on 4/4/2013. I’m updating it on 3/22/2023. It’s one of the very first posts that I ever wrote. My, how blogging has changed!
I’ve since written nine more posts on the String Of Pearls plant. Rather than do an extensive update on this one, I’m just going to list the more current posts right below and you can refer to those for much more information on this fascinating succulent.
Posts With More Details About Growing A String Of Pearls Plant (newer to older)
- String Of Pearls Succulent Growing Guide: A Round Up Of Care Posts
- Answering Your Questions About String Of Pearls
- Repotting A String Of Pearls Plant
- Growing String Of Pearls Plants Indoors: 10 Common Problems You May Have
- Propagating A String Of Pearls Plant
- String Of Pearls Plant Flowers
- Growing A String Of Pearls Plant Outdoors
- String Of Pearls Houseplant Care
- Rejuvenating My String Of Pearls Plant
Propagating A String Of Pearls
As evident in the picture above, I’ve been cutting them off when they hit the ground. They trail down about 3′. Where they’ve been cut, a split or 2 occurs. From there, they keep on growing from there.
This would usually trigger any other plant to spread but with this one, it just keeps growing lengthwise and not widthwise. So it was time to pull out my floral nips (their long pointed blades are great for taking cuttings) and get busy.
I cut off a few of those long, slender stems and stripped the top round leaves (aka “the pearls) off so I could stick those stems right back into the pot. I make sure at least 3 or 4 leaf nodes are down into the soil – that’s where the roots emerge from.
This pot is filled with good organic potting soil and regularly top-dressed with both compost and worm compost so no soil prep is necessary here. I have lots of succulents in my yard which I normally heal off. But, with these stems being so minuscule in diameter, I skip that step and directly plant them back in.
Read about my worm compost/compost feeding right here.
How to Care for String of Pearls (outdoors)
The light exposure is bright but not direct – the Coprosma shades it from any direct afternoon sunlight. Soil that is well-drained, such as potting soil or cactus mix, is very important because they like to completely dry out between waterings.
Those round little pearls store water in them. Like any succulent, what I am going to tell you next is important to its survival:
Do not overwater this plant.
I can selectively and routinely water the Coprosma, Plectranthus, and annuals. This gives the String of Pearls a drink when I feel it needs it.
As for insects and diseases, mine stays free and clear. So, there’s no personal advice I can give on that.
By the way, they do flower but the small white, fuzzy blooms are pretty insignificant when it comes to size. But boy, they are sweetly scented! This plant is popular because it’s unusual and a conversion piece, not for a showy flower display.
Warning: This is an old video!
Those adorable little leaves which I call “peas.”
Want to learn more about How to Care for Succulents Indoors? Check out these guides!
Well, there you have it, how to care for String Of Pearls (outdoors) in a nutshell. String Of Pearls plants are most commonly sold as houseplants, so be sure and check out those more current posts listed at the top.
Happy gardening,
Additional Care Guides on Succulents
- 7 Hanging Succulents To Love
- Flowering Kalanchoe Care
- How Much Sun Do Succulents Need
- How Much Water Do Succulents Need
- Aloe Vera Care 101
- Propagating String Of Bananas Plant Is Fast & Easy
- How To Grow String Of Hearts
This post may contain affiliate links, you can read our policies here.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
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.
Hi Mahsa – My String Of Pearls grows in bright light outdoors. I have grown them indoors but in strong natural light. This isn’t a low light houseplant. Outdoors it’s a different story. Honestly, I’ve never grown plants in artificial light so I can’t answer that. Just be sure not to over water it! Nell
hI i’m Sally, I have ben looking all over for this plant, please let me know where I can find one? or a start of one?I would like them in the house & outside. I live in Las Vegas,Nev. Thank You so much for your time .
Hi Sally – If there’s no nursery in Vegas which sells them, try online. Google “String Of Pearls plant for sale” – I know vendors on Etsy & amazon sell them. Nell
Hi Nell – I found your site by searching for pearl chlorophytum seeds because I saw a beautiful blue string of pearls on Etsy and wanted to know about the care of this succulent. The same photo you have of the pot above is being used by Noah’s Seeds from China only it has been photoshopped to be blue. You may already know but in case you don’t I thought I’d share.
Hi Goldy – I did a quick search & couldn’t find the picture. Thanks for letting me know! Nell
I’ve always known them as Christ’s beads. I asked for them at the nursery and they gave me a blank look. Hah! I was told to keep them in a plastic pot because a terrace cotta pot holds too much moisture for it. What is your opinion Nell?
Hi Maria – And they’re also called Rosary Beads Plant, very close to Christ’s Beads. It’s just the opposite – terra cotta is porous (unglazed) which causes a root ball to dry out a bit faster. SOPs is fine in either a terra cotta or plastic pot. Here’s a new post I did on this plant: https://www.joyusgarden.com/10-problems-growing-a-string-of-pearls-plant-indoors/ Nell
Hi there! I’ve had my String of Pearls indoor in Seattle for a few years, it has grown faster in the summer but been happy year round with direct morning light and indirect light in the hottest points of the day.
Thanks for such a great article on the care of this plant. It’s one of my favs too!
Hi Melissa – This is a popular plant indeed! I just did 3 updated posts on this plant so you might want to check them out. Many people struggle with them but it sounds like you’ve got the touch. Nell
I know this is an older post.. However, I own a string of pearls succulent plant. It hangs in my kitchen window. I only water it once per week, but all of my strings are drying out and dying.. Any clues as to what I might can do different? Does it need to be outside?