Houseplant · Crassulaceae
String of Buttons
Crassula perforata
Hand it bright light and a dry, gritty mix and this succulent stacks its leaves into crisp little towers.
Bright indirect
50–77°F · 10–25°C
USDA 9–11
8–18 in · 20–45 cm
Overview
String of buttons earns its name the moment you spot it, with triangular leaves climbing the stem in tidy stacks like beads on a string. It runs in the Crassulaceae family with jade and stonecrop, and it keeps to a fun, tabletop-friendly 8 to 18 inches (20 to 45 cm) tall indoors. That stacked, geometric build is the hook, and strong light keeps every tower sharp.
Growers love it because it delivers a lot for very little, landing squarely in easy plant territory that wants bright light and a dry-side watering habit. The leaves stockpile their own water, so the soil gets to dry out fully before the next round. Push into spring and it can throw up small star-shaped flowers in pale yellow to white, a satisfying payoff above all that foliage.
Give it light and elbow room and the stems take off, branching and trailing to about 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm) and pouring over the rim of a pot or basket. Let the light slip and the stems stretch and lean, swapping those crisp towers for a loose sprawl. Keep it bright and it rewards you by staying compact and full.
Care
The short version: bright light, a gritty fast-draining mix, and water only once the soil dries out completely. Keep it warm, throttle back the water in winter, and it practically grows itself.
Light
Hand it bright light, ideally bright indirect with a few hours of direct sun. Harden it off and it powers through full sun, but a dim corner stretches the stems and the crisp stacked shape falls apart.
Water
Let the soil dry out completely before you water again, since the leaves carry their own stash. Dial the water right back through winter dormancy. It rots fast in soggy soil, so when in doubt, hold off and let it dry.
Soil
Plant it in a gritty cactus or succulent mix that drains in seconds, not minutes. A slightly acidic pH around 6.0 to 6.5 hits the mark, and the grit is what stops the roots from sitting wet.
Temperature
Keep it humming in the 50°F to 77°F (10°C to 25°C) range. It won't take frost, so whisk it somewhere warm before the cold rolls in.
Humidity
Good news: low household humidity is exactly what it craves, so there's no number to chase. Dry air and brisk airflow keep rot from getting a foothold.
Feeding
Feed it only in spring and summer while it's actively growing, using a diluted balanced or low-nitrogen succulent fertilizer. A light seasonal feed does the job, and piling on nitrogen just pumps out soft, weak growth.
Pruning
Pinch or trim any leggy, stretched stems to fire up branching and a tighter, stacked build. The cuttings you take root without a hitch, so put every piece back to work.
Repotting
Bump it up every 2 to 3 years, or sooner once it crowds the pot, and tackle it in spring. Watch for roots breaking through the drainage holes, soil drying out unusually fast, or a top-heavy plant straining at the edges.
Size & spacing
Indoors it climbs to about 8 to 18 inches (20 to 45 cm) tall and trails out to roughly 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm) wide. Give it room to spill, or hang it and let those stacked stems cascade.
Troubleshooting
Track nearly every string of buttons problem straight back to light or water. Too little light and the stems shoot out, too much water and the roots rot, and a sudden hit of strong sun scorches the leaves. Spot your symptom below and one quick change usually turns it right around.
Yellow, mushy leaves and a soft base
Soft, see-through leaves and a dark, squishy base flag root rot, driven by too much water in soil that drains too slowly. Cut the water and let it all dry out. If the base is already gone, pop the plant out, slice away the slimy brown roots, and repot the firm pieces in fresh gritty mix, or grab cuttings from whatever growth still looks strong.
Fix:
- Stop watering and let soil dry fully
- Unpot, cut away rotted roots and stems, and repot healthy portions in fresh gritty mix
- Take cuttings from firm growth if the base is lost
Stems stretching out and losing their stacked shape
That stretch is etiolation, the plant lunging toward light it can't find. New growth pushes out pale and elongated, and the whole stem cranes toward the nearest window. Shift it somewhere much brighter, then prune the drawn stems and root the cuttings to fire up a tight, stacked plant all over again.
Fix:
- Move to a brighter spot with several hours of direct or very bright indirect light
- Prune stretched stems and root the cuttings to restart compact growth
Brown or reddish scorch marks on the leaves
Those patches are sunburn, hitting when strong direct sun lands on a plant that hasn't hardened off. The damage flares on the surfaces facing the light, usually right after a move outdoors or to a hot window. Pull it back to bright indirect light, strip the worst leaves, and walk it into full sun over a week or two.
Fix:
- Move to bright indirect light and remove badly damaged leaves
- Reintroduce direct sun gradually over one to two weeks
Toxicity
Pet owners get to relax with this one: string of buttons is generally non-toxic and safe to keep around the house. A curious cat, dog, or rabbit that grabs a taste should shrug it off with no harm done. The leaves are an ornamental succulent and not a snack, so there's no reason to encourage nibbling, but this plant earns a spot anywhere you like.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Cats get a clear pass with string of buttons, so a cheeky nibble won't do them any harm.
Dogs None
Dogs can hang out right alongside this succulent, since a chewed leaf isn't known to poison them.
Horses None
Horses come to no harm from this plant at all.
Rabbits None
A rabbit can sample a stem and bounce off fine, because the plant packs no toxins known to affect them.
Livestock None
Grazers like goats and sheep stay unaffected by string of buttons.
Birds None
Pet birds face no recognized danger from this plant.
People None
People are in the clear too, though the leaves are strictly an ornamental succulent, not a bite to eat.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
United Kingdom
Animal PoisonLine: 01202 509000 (fee applies)
Australia
Animal Poisons Helpline: 1300 869 738
Varieties
Most plants on the bench are the plain green species, and one named selection is well worth chasing down.
Crassula perforata 'Variegata'
Crank up the light and its leaves flush with creamy-yellow to pinkish variegation and a bright pink blush along the margins.
How to propagate
String of buttons multiplies fast and freely, and a single plant loads you up with all the cuttings you need to fill more pots or pass around.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring through summer during active growth · 2 to 4 weeks to root
Stem cuttings are the quick win here. Snip a stem segment in spring or summer, let the cut end callus over for a day or two, then drop it on or into gritty mix. New roots grab hold in about 2 to 4 weeks.
Leaf cuttingsModerate
Spring through summer · 4 to 8 weeks to root and sprout
Fancy a challenge? Start one from a single leaf. Pull a whole healthy leaf, let it callus, and lay it on dry succulent mix in spring or summer. It runs 4 to 8 weeks to root and sprout, at a lower success rate than stem cuttings, but it's a fun one to pull off.
Myths
String of buttons must be poisonous because it looks like other toxic succulents.
Crassula perforata is generally treated as non-toxic and safe around cats and dogs. Plenty of succulents really do pack toxins, so the family's wary reputation checks out, but this one sits well clear of the dangerous crowd. Keep the leaves as decoration rather than a snack, and take a stray nibble completely in stride.