How to Propagate String of Pearls (Failproof Method)

The String of Pearls plant (Senecio Rowleyanus or Curio Rowleyanus) is a classic and popular succulent houseplant with peas or bead-like leaves. It’s also considered a great starter plant for someone new to the world of plants. String of Pearls is relatively easy to grow, however, it has a few quirks you should know about.

The most important thing you need to know about propagating String of Pearls, is that it can be done with either seeds or cuttings – and cuttings are way faster!

We’ve prepared a step by step guide on how to propagate String of Pearls using cuttings and some tips on caring for your newly propagated plants. These methods will work equally well for the variegated form of String of Pearls and for other ‘String of’ plants (such as String of Beads, String of Bananas, or String of Hearts plant.)

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How to Propagate String of Pearls from Stem Cuttings

Like many succulent plants, the String of Pearls is relatively easy to propagate using cuttings in either water or soil.

What you need:

• healthy, mature String of Pearls plant
• Clean, sharp scissors
• Potting mix (prefer succulent potting or a sandy soil mix) or a vase or glass of water

This is how you take a cutting from a String of Pearls:

1. Choose a healthy vine to take as your stem cutting. Make sure the stem isn’t bruised or injured in any way to give your plant the best chance at life. You’ll want to make sure to include several pearls as these are the String of Pearls’ leaves.
2. Take a cutting at least 4 inches long with clean, sharp scissors, cutting between the pearls.
3. Remove the pearls from the first inch or so of the cut end as this end will be in water or in soil to propagate. You want to have at least 3-4 nodes clear to go into the water or soil (nodes are the area where leaves attach to the stem of the plant.)
4. Allow the cut end to dry for a day, then they are ready for propagating in either soil or water.

To Propagate Your String of Pearls in Water

Water propagation couldn’t be easier! Here are the steps to get you started:

1. Fill a small vase or jar with several inches of water.
2. Place your prepared cuttings into the water. The water should cover 3-4 leaf nodes only.
3. Position your cuttings in a warm position where they will receive bright indirect sunlight. Don’t position them in direct sun or they may die.
4. New roots should form within 3-5 weeks and you’ll be able to watch them grow through the glass!
5. Pot up your new plants once you see good root growth, about 2 inches.

To Propagate Your String of Pearls in Soil

There are two ways to propagate your String of Pearls in soil:

• by planting the cuttings in the soil.
• by placing the cuttings on top of the soil.

Both ways can work equally well. The String of Pearls naturally forms shallow roots in the top of the pot.

To plant cuttings in soil:

1. Fill a small pot or hanging basket with succulent potting soil. I like terracotta for succulents as it helps draw excess water away from the plant. Make sure your pot has a drainage hole as these plants like good drainage – too much water will put your plant at risk of root rot.
2. You can use a chopstick to poke holes into the soil, about 1-2 inches deep.
3. Poke each cutting into a hole, and cover with soil, making sure 3-4 nodes are covered.
4. Mist lightly with water every couple of days to make sure the soil stays a little damp.
5. You should see roots within 3-5 weeks.

If placing the String of Pearls cuttings on top of the soil:

1. Begin as for the previous method.
2. Place the cuttings on top of the soil, making sure the nodes are in contact with it. You might like to use hairpins to pin the stems to the soil.

How to Propagate String of Pearls from Seeds

It takes a long time to propagate String of Pearls from seeds, which is why most people use cuttings to grow more of their favorite plant. Cuttings have a great success rate too.

But, if you’re determined to propagate your String of Pearls from seed, here’s how to do it:

1. Acquire your seeds. If you have a mature String of Pearls plant, you can collect the seeds after if flowers. The pollinated flower heads will open up and release fuzzy, feathered seeds. You may also be able to find seeds from a reputable nursery or seed shop.
2. Plant seeds in succulent potting mix and keep moist until they germinate. The easiest way to do this is to keep covered with a plastic sheet.
3. Keep in a warm, bright light location out of direct sunlight. It’s important they get enough light. Seeds will germinate within a few weeks to months (yes, months). Germination will be faster during Spring/Summer while the plant is in its growing season.

Are There Other Ways to Propagate String of Pearls?

If you’re wondering if you can propagate String of Pearls in a different way to these methods, the answer is ‘maybe!’

Some gardeners have had success propagating their Strings of Pearls from just a leaf. But, this would be a time consuming method.

You might also have heard about the ‘Butterfly method’ of propagation where you divide a cutting into multiple parts each with a single node pinned to soil. I’ve not tested this one myself but it seems like a valid way to propagate.

You could also try propagating String of Pearls into moss rather than soil.

When is the Best Time To Propagate String of Pearls

Like most plants, the best time of year to propagate String of Pearls during it’s growing season – Spring to Summer. This way you won’t have to wait as long for roots to form and you’ll be more likely to succeed.

FAQ On How to Propagate String of Pearls

Is it better to propagate String of Pearls in water or soil?

There are pros and cons to each method of propagation.

Propagating in water is great because:

• you can see when the roots form
• it has a high rate of success

But, you will need to eventually repot your plantlings into soil.

Propagating directly into soil means your plant is growing where you want it to stay (at least until it gets a lot bigger) so you won’t need to worry about repotting for a while.

More Reading

How to Propagate String of Hearts (The Easy Way)

String of Hearts Care Guide: How to Help This Gorgeous Plant Thrive