Houseplant · Asteraceae
String of Bananas
Curio radicans
Set it up with bright light, a gritty mix, and dry stretches between waterings, and string of bananas races over the pot edge fast.
Bright indirect
50–77°F · 10–25°C
USDA 10–11
12–35 in · 30–90 cm
Overview
String of bananas is a trailing succulent that grabs attention, hung with plump, banana-shaped leaves that pour off the pot in long green ropes. It hails from southern Africa and joins the daisy family. Grow it indoors and it takes off fast while forgiving the odd mistake, which is exactly why it wins so many fans.
Here is what makes it tick: every curved leaf packs its own water supply, and the pale stripe down the side works as a window that channels light inside. That built-in tank lets the plant power through a skipped watering, and it also pins down its one weakness, which is sitting in wet soil. Treat it like the desert grower it is and it rewards the hands-off approach.
Hang it in a bright window or launch it from a high shelf and the stems will race down a few feet. That trailing habit does double duty, dropping the leaves into a great display while lifting them out of easy reach, and reach matters here because every part is toxic to pets and people if eaten.
Care
The short version: bright indirect light, a sharp-draining gritty cactus mix, and water only after the top half of the soil dries. Ease right off in winter, and keep the pot out of standing water.
Light
Aim for bright, indirect light, the sweet spot a few feet back from a sunny window. It handles a little direct morning sun and takes some shade in stride, but harsh afternoon rays will scorch the leaves brown, so head that off.
Water
Hold off until the top half of the soil dries out, then drench it and let the runoff clear. This drought-loving succulent rots if it stays wet, so dial watering right down in winter and give only enough to stop the leaves shriveling.
Soil
Reach for a gritty, fast-draining cactus or succulent mix so water blasts straight through. It shrugs at acidity anywhere from pH 6.0 to 8.0, but it flatly refuses a heavy mix that traps water at the roots.
Temperature
Standard room warmth keeps it cruising, ideally 50°F to 77°F (10°C to 25°C). Keep it above freezing and clear of cold drafts, since frost stops it cold.
Humidity
This low-humidity plant thrives in dry indoor air and needs zero fuss. Skip the misting entirely, and steer it away from damp, stuffy corners that only invite rot.
Feeding
Feed it lightly through spring and summer while growth is charging along, about once a month. Grab a diluted balanced or cactus fertilizer, and cut it off over winter when growth idles.
Pruning
Cut back any leggy or bare stems to drive fuller growth, and pinch the tips to steer its shape. Hang on to every trimming, because each one springs into a whole new plant.
Repotting
Repot just every 2 to 3 years, or the moment it looks packed in, since it flowers and grows best kept a touch snug. Look for roots bursting through the drainage holes and soil that dries almost the instant you water.
Size & spacing
Those trailing stems stretch 12 to 35 inches (30 to 90 cm) long and tumble about as far past the rim. Give them open air off a shelf or basket so the strands swing free instead of matting up.
Troubleshooting
Track nearly every issue on this plant straight back to water, whether it ran dry or drowned, and the leaves flag it in a hurry. Get in the habit of reading them. Spot your symptom below and jump on it before a small wrinkle escalates into rot.
Mushy, blackening stems caving in at the base
Collapsing, blackened stems spell root rot, the single fastest way to lose this plant, and it takes hold when water lingers at the roots. Cut off watering, let the mix bake dry, then pop it out of the pot and slice away everything brown and soft. Rescue a handful of firm cuttings and fire them up in fresh gritty mix before the rot claims the rest.
Fix:
- Stop watering and let the mix dry out
- Unpot and cut away rotted roots and stems
- Take healthy stem cuttings and restart in fresh gritty mix
- Repot into fast-draining cactus medium in a pot with drainage
Wrinkled, deflated beads that have gone soft
Shriveled beads mean the plant is flat-out thirsty. Each leaf runs as a water tank, so once the soil bakes dry they crumple and cave in. Soak it hard until water pours from the base, and the beads snap back to plump within a day or two.
Fix:
- Water thoroughly until it drains from the bottom
- Resume watering whenever the top half of the soil is dry
- Ensure the pot has drainage and the mix is not hydrophobic
Brown or reddish scorching on the sunniest beads
Brown or reddish patches shout sunburn from light cranked too high. The beads facing the glass fry first under blazing or afternoon sun. Shift it into bright indirect light, block the midday glare, then ramp the light back up in easy steps.
Fix:
- Move to bright indirect light
- Shade from intense afternoon summer sun
- Acclimate gradually before increasing light
Toxicity
Here is the one thing to stay sharp on: keep this plant clear of animals and up beyond a child's reach. Every part packs pyrrolizidine alkaloids plus a milky sap that irritates skin, so it is toxic to cats and dogs and a hazard to other animals and people if eaten. Hang it high and rinse your hands the moment you finish trimming.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Toxic
A cat that gnaws the stems quickly starts drooling, throws up, and drops its interest in food. Diarrhea and a flat, sluggish mood tend to follow, and a big mouthful can hammer the liver.
Dogs Toxic
Dogs run the same course. After chewing the trailing stems, expect vomiting, loose stools, drooling, and a worn-out, off-color dog.
Horses Toxic
The whole genus carries the same pyrrolizidine alkaloids, so a grazing horse lands in stomach trouble, and repeated browsing drives a real risk of liver damage over time.
Rabbits Caution
No rabbit-specific research exists, but the toxin hits mammals broadly, so shut it off from them entirely. A rabbit that grabs a bite can wind up with a churning gut and sapped energy.
Livestock Toxic
Cattle and other grazers land squarely on the at-risk list. The alkaloids stack up with steady browsing and can scar the liver, piling onto the nausea and dullness one feed already brings.
Birds Caution
No study has covered birds here, so keep them well clear as a precaution. Between the irritant sap and the alkaloids, nothing suggests a curious bird would handle a bite.
People Caution
No part of this plant is food. Swallow it and nausea and a churning stomach follow fast, while the milky sap can redden or sting skin, so scrub your hands after pruning.
Wear gloves or wash hands after handling, as the irritant sap can cause contact dermatitis.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
The named forms are few, but one selection pops up often enough that it pays to recognize it.
Curio radicans 'Fish Hooks'
Growers prize this selection for its sharply curved, hook-shaped leaves, the exact feature that sparked the nickname string of fishhooks.
How to propagate
This is where the fun kicks in, because the plant multiplies with almost no effort, and the very stems you snip to keep it neat turn straight into new plants.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring through summer during active growth · About 2 to 4 weeks to root
Cuttings are the quick, foolproof route almost everyone jumps on. Snip stems while the plant is charging along in spring or summer, let the cut ends dry and callus for a day, then lay or press them onto gritty, fast-draining mix. Keep it barely damp and the pieces fire out roots in around 2 to 4 weeks.
SeedModerate
Spring · Several weeks to months
Seed works too, though it crawls and rarely beats the speed of cuttings. Sow in spring on a fast-draining mix, hold it warm, and brace for several weeks to months before the seedlings bulk up enough to pot on.
Myths
Senecio radicans is really its proper botanical name.
Kew's Plants of the World Online has moved the goalposts, naming Curio radicans the accepted name and parking Senecio radicans as an old synonym. Nurseries still slap the Senecio label on it just about everywhere, but Curio radicans is the current name.