Houseplant · Asteraceae
String of Dolphins
Curio × peregrinus
Grow a whole pod of dolphins on one trailing string, hang it in bright, indirect light, and let it tumble.
Bright indirect
50–77°F · 10–25°C
USDA 9–12
12–35 in · 30–90 cm
Overview
String of dolphins is the succulent to reach for when you want something that genuinely turns heads, its leaves curling into the shape of leaping dolphins. It hails from the daisy family and is a cultivated hybrid, a cross of string of pearls and candle plant, so there is no wild version to chase. Let it run and the strands trail 12 to 35 inches (30 to 90 cm) straight over the rim.
Best of all, it rewards you without demanding much back. Bright, indirect light and a gritty mix that drains fast cover the essentials, and it powers through the odd skipped watering that would flatten a fussier plant. Just keep it out of a soggy pot, because standing water rots the stems from the base up.
Hang it high, in a basket or up on a shelf, and let those strands spill. That single move pays off twice: the dolphin leaves get room to show their stuff, and the mildly toxic stems stay clear of pets and children who might grab a mouthful.
Care
The short version: bright, indirect light, a gritty cactus mix in a pot that drains, and water only when the leaves start to look a little shriveled.
Light
Park it in bright, indirect light for most of the day, right by a window but clear of the fierce midday sun that scorches the leaves. A little morning sun only helps. Skip the dim corners, though, because low light stretches the stems thin and drains the dolphin shape away.
Water
Water lightly through the growing season, then let that gritty mix dry out completely before the next round. The plant flags its thirst on its own, with leaves that start to look slightly shriveled. Come winter, ease right off and water barely if at all, since cold and wet together are what rot the stems.
Soil
Set it up in a gritty, fast-draining cactus or succulent mix that sheds water instead of trapping it at the roots. It shrugs off pH swings from 6.0 to 8.0, so pour your attention into drainage and let the chemistry look after itself.
Temperature
It cruises along in everyday room warmth of 50°F to 77°F (10°C to 25°C), which most homes hit year round. Frost is the deal-breaker, so bring it well indoors before the cold arrives.
Humidity
Humidity barely registers with this one. Ordinary room air works, and it actually leans dry, so put the mister away, since extra moisture only opens the door to rot.
Feeding
Feed it once a month through the growing season, from spring into early autumn, with a half-strength general-purpose liquid fertilizer. When winter slows the growth, stop feeding and let it coast until spring.
Pruning
Snip the trailing stems with scissors any time you want a tidier shape or a fuller, bushier plant, and it springs right back. Pull on gloves first, because the fresh-cut sap can irritate skin.
Repotting
Repot every 1 to 2 years, or jump on it sooner once roots crowd the surface or poke out the drainage holes. Step up a single pot size to something that drains, since an oversized pot just hoards water the roots want no part of.
Size & spacing
Turn it loose and the strands trail 12 to 35 inches (30 to 90 cm) and spread about as wide. Give each plant its own hanging pot so the dolphins can pour down freely without tangling into their neighbors.
Troubleshooting
This plant keeps troubleshooting refreshingly simple, since almost everything comes down to water. Give too little and the dolphins shrivel; give too much and the stems rot. Spot which way yours is tipping, match it below, and you will have it back on track fast.
Mushy, blackening stems giving way at the base
This one is rot, and it strikes when the mix stays soggier than a succulent will ever tolerate. The stems go soft at the soil line, the base blackens, and a sour smell usually seals the diagnosis. Move fast: stop watering, cut out every soft stem and root, then root a handful of healthy cuttings in gritty mix inside a clay pot that breathes.
Fix:
- Stop watering and let the mix dry out
- Remove and discard rotted stems and roots
- Take healthy stem cuttings to propagate and start fresh in a gritty, fast-draining mix
- Repot into a clay pot with drainage to improve evaporation
Shriveled, leggy leaves losing the dolphin shape
One look, two culprits, and both are quick fixes. A bone-dry mix leaves the dolphins soft and puckered, while too little light stretches the stems thin and pale until the shape washes out. Give it a deep drink the second the leaves shrivel, shift it into brighter light, and trim the leggy runners so it rebounds compact and full.
Fix:
- Water thoroughly when leaves begin to shrivel, then let the mix dry completely again
- Move to a brighter spot with bright, indirect light
- Trim leggy, distorted stems to encourage compact new growth
Toxicity
Here is the one spot to slow down and pay attention. Every part packs pyrrolizidine alkaloids and an irritant sap, which makes it toxic to cats and dogs and a poor pick around other pets, livestock, and small children. None of it is food, and the sap stings skin, so grab your gloves for pruning and hang it up out of reach.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Toxic
A cat that chews the strands will usually be sick, get the runs, drool, and go sluggish. The leaves are loaded with pyrrolizidine alkaloids, so hang it well past any leap a cat can muster.
Dogs Toxic
A dog that grabs a chew tends to vomit, pass loose stools, and turn tired and low. The same alkaloids are behind it, and the bitter sap can leave the mouth sore, so keep it out of reach.
Horses Toxic
The parent plant is listed as toxic to horses, so this hybrid gets the same treatment. Past the stomach upset, the pyrrolizidine alkaloids in these Curio succulents can wear on the liver with repeated grazing.
Rabbits Toxic
A rabbit should never get a bite of it. The alkaloids that hit cats and dogs work the same way on a rabbit's gut, so keep the strands out of the hutch and off the floor.
Livestock Toxic
Grazing animals can go downhill fast, since the pyrrolizidine alkaloids stack up in the liver with repeated feeding. Fence it off and sweep up every trimming.
Birds Caution
Count it off limits for birds. The toxic compounds in the foliage make it a poor call around pet birds, so hang it where no beak can reach.
People Caution
No part of this plant is for eating, and a curious bite can upset the stomach. The sap stings skin too, so glove up to prune and keep small children from yanking on the strands.
Wear gloves when pruning or handling cut stems, as the milky/irritant sap can irritate skin.
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
Good news for anyone who hates decision fatigue: there is just one. String of dolphins comes as a single hybrid, not a long roster of named cultivars, so you can skip straight to growing it.
Curio × peregrinus (typical String of dolphins)
This is the hybrid everyone is after, its curved, branched leaves arching like a pod of leaping dolphins, a dead ringer for string of pearls except for that standout forked shape.
How to propagate
This is where the fun really kicks in, because more plants are yours for the taking. Two easy methods deliver, and both need nothing more than scissors and a gritty mix.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring to summer during active growth · Roots in about a month
In spring or summer while the plant is charging ahead, take cuttings 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) long, strip the lower leaves, and lay or tuck them so the bare nodes press into a moist, gritty mix. Roots burst from those nodes with ease, and a cutting settles in within about a month.
LayeringEasy
Spring to summer · About a month to root
Layering is the truly hands-off trick. Peg a trailing stem onto the compost so its nodes touch the surface, leave it feeding off the parent while it roots over roughly a month, then snip it free the moment it has anchored.
Myths
String of dolphins grows wild out in nature.
Not a chance, it never grew on its own anywhere. It is a cultivated hybrid, Curio x peregrinus, created by crossing string of pearls (Curio rowleyanus) with candle plant (Curio articulatus), and that cross is what delivers those leaping-dolphin leaves.