Trailing succulents are attractive, low care plants that do well in plant hanger or on plant stand where their long vines with fleshy leaves can be on full display. Some of these plants have very similar appearances (such as strong of pearls or string of raindrops), and get common names that start with "string of."
String of plants' light and water needs vary based on their origins and unique characteristics. Many of these plants originate in tropical settings, and therefore they tend to prefer indirect or dappled sunlight and moist soil, contrary to what you might think a succulent would need.
Here are some of our favorite types of string of plants to add to your vining succulent collection.
The string of hearts plant is a popular trailing succulent that has heart-shaped pale green leaves with silvery edges. The vines can grow quite long and can be trimmed regularly to keep them looking neat. Avoid overwatering as this may causes leaves to turn yellow or drop off.
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Name: String of hearts (Ceropegia woodii)
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Light: Bright, indirect light
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Water: When the surface of the soil is dry
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Soil: A well-draining potting soil made for succulents
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Mature Size: Up to 12 ft. long
This variation of the string of hearts plant has lovely pale pink and cream variegated leaves, making it a sought-after plant for gifts for plant lovers, especially around Valentine's Day. It is comparatively rare and hard to find.
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Name: Variegated string of hearts (Ceropegia woodii variegata)
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Light: Bright, indirect light
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Water: When the surface of the soil is dry; avoid overwatering
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Soil: A well-draining potting soil made for succulents
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Mature Size: Up to 10 ft. long
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The string of dolphins plant is aptly named as the fleshy blue-green leaves look exactly like tiny green dolphins leaping through the air. Native to Bolivia and Argentina, this beautiful plant is highly sought after and less easy to find than other string-of plants. They like bright, indirect light.
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Name: String of dolphins (Senecio peregrinus)
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Light: Bright, indirect light
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Water: When the surface of the soil is dry; deeply and infrequently
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Soil: A well-draining potting soil made for succulents, supplemented with perlite
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Mature Size: Up to 3 ft. long
- String of Raindrops
This trailing succulent plant is native to Namibia. It produces white flowers. The sap of this plant releases a pleasing woody, slightly spicy scent said to be similar to sandalwood or cinnamon.
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Name: String of raindrops (Senecio herreianus)
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Light: Bright, indirect light
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Water: When the surface of the soil is dry; deeply and infrequently
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Soil: A well-draining potting soil made for succulents; change the soil at least once a year
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Mature Size: Up to 12 in. long
The bright plump leaves of this plant look like tiny green bananas. String of bananas is native to South Africa. The vines are somewhat fast-growing and benefit from frequent trimming to keep them healthy. There is a cultivar called 'String of Fish Hooks' that is a paler blue-green color with a more slender leaf shape.
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Name: String of bananas (Senecio radicans)
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Light: Partial, indirect light
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Water: When the surface of the soil is dry; deeply and infrequently
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Soil: Well-draining potting mix
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Mature Size: Up to 3 ft. long
This easy-care, drought-tolerant hanging plant is a semi-succulent trailing vine with long thin fleshy green leaves. It tends to grow fairly quickly and when its roots begin to stick up out of the soil or through the pot's drainage holes, it needs repotting to give it more space.
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Name: String of needles (Ceropegia linearis)
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Light: Bright, indirect
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Water: When the surface of the soil is dry; deeply and infrequently
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Soil: A well-draining potting mix
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Mature Size: 6 to 8 ft. long
String of turtles is named for its oval-shaped, light and dark green leaves that resemble small turtle shells. Native to Ecuador and Brazil, it is considered a tropical succulent vine. String of turtles stays fairly small and is a somewhat slow grower, so is a great choice if you want trailing vines but don't have too much space.
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Name: String of turtles (Peperomia prostrata)
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Light: Indirect
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Water: When the surface of the soil is dry; deeply and infrequently
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Soil: A well-draining potting mix
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Mature Size: Up to 12 in. long
This compact trailing succulent vine has blue-green leaves that are teardrop shaped. The name citriformis comes from the similarity of the leaf's shape to a lemon. It was formerly known as Senecio citriformis, and is sometimes confused with string of raindrops (Senecio herreianus). Unlike other trailing succulents, the stems on these tend to stay very short (up to 4 inches long), so they're a great choice for small spaces.
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Name: String of tears (Curio citriformis)
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Light: Indirect
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Water: When soil is mostly dry
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Soil: A well-draining potting soil made for succulents
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Mature Size: Up to 4 in. long
The rounded ovals of Curio herraneus are light green with darker-green stripes, making them resemble tiny watermelons. The stripes often turn to a dark red color during the growing season. The narrow stems do well in hanging baskets. A ceramic pot with drainage holes is best, as terracotta pots may dry out too fast, and plastic might hold water in too welll.
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Name: String of watermelons (Curio herreanus)
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Light: Indirect
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Water: Keep soil slightly moist
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Soil: A well-draining potting soil made for succulents, supplemented with perlite
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Mature Size: Up to 12 in. long
The string of arrows is a variation of string of hearts; the oval leaves are usually slightly larger and pointed as opposed to heart shaped, and have lovely silvery variegation. It is easy care and tolerates light humidity. This plant can be relatively difficult to find, but some nurseries specializing in succulents do carry it.
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Name: String of arrows (Ceropegia woodii 'String of Arrows')
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Light: Bright, indirect
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Water: When the surface of the soil is dry
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Soil: A well-draining potting soil made for succulents
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Mature Size: Up to 12 in. long
String of spades
This variation of string of hearts has the same attractive dark green leaves with silvery variegation, with a slightly more elongated shape that comes to a point, much like the spades suit in a deck of playing cards.
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Name: String of spades (Ceropegia woodii 'String of Spades')
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Light: Bright, indirect
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Water: When the surface of the soil is dry
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Soil: A well-draining potting soil made for succulents
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Mature Size: Up to 12 in. long
The string of nickels has bright green waxy round leaves, roughly the size of a nickel. It is classified as an epiphyte (a plant that grows on other plants, but is not a parasite) and in its native Asian and Australian habitats is often found growing on tree branches or trunks. Though it can be hard to find, it is nevertheless a popular houseplant and is propagated easily from cuttings.
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Name: String of nickels (Dischidia nummularia)
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Light: Indirect
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Water: When the surface of the soil is dry; be sure water can drain out
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Soil: Porous, course growing medium; mix potting soil with shredded coco husks and some sphagum moss
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Mature Size: 12 to 18 in. long, and 12 to 20 in. wide
