Senecio herreanus - String of Tears

Highlights

Senecio (now Curio) herreanus, aka String of Beads, String of Tears, String of Watermelons, and String of Raindrops (Jacobsen & Heath): A stunning trailing species from Namibia closely related to String of Bananas (Curio radicans). Its narrow, green to purple stems are somewhat stiff and can grow over 1.0' long whether trailing from a pot or creeping along the ground as they do in the wild. The subglobose leaves are truly shaped like raindrops. They are lined with fine purple stripes and translucent "leaf windows" that help the plant absorb more sunlight. Purple tones on the leaves and stems will deepen when grown in bright sunlight.

Soft succulents will not survive a hard frost, but if there is a risk of freezing temperatures they can be brought indoors to grow on a sunny window sill or under a grow light. They need bright sunlight, great drainage, and infrequent water to prevent rot. Pick containers with drainage holes and use well-draining cactus and succulent soil with mineral grit such as coarse sand, pumice, or perlite. Water deeply enough for water to run out the drainage hole, then wait for the soil to fully dry before watering again.

C. herreanus produces white, pompom-like blooms that smell of cinnamon. To grow a full, trailing cascade, ensure all stems get sunlight and prune regularly, replanting the stem cuttings back in the pot.Look to our Succulent Cuttings Guide for tips on succulent propagation.

Full Senecio Guide

Product Size

2.0" Pot

Current Primary Color

Green

All Seasonal Colors

Pink, Purple / Black

Bloom Color

White Bloom

Grow Zone (Hardiness)

Zone 10 (30F)

Recommended Light Conditions

Bright Indoor Light, Filtered / Partial Sun

Maximum Height

Over 12"

Growth Habit / Shape

Hanging / Trailing

Special Characteristic

Easy to Propagate, Showy Blooms

THIS PLANT IS HARDY IN ZONES 10+

10

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Popular Questions

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3 years ago

Does this succulent have a bloom? See answer

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3 years ago  •  Staff Answer

Thanks for your question!

String of tears has a bloom. It's white with many, very thin petals. The yellow stamen stick out in a ring around the center of the flower. They are also fairly fragrant, which is rarer in succulent plants. I hope this helps. See full answer »

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3 years ago

Are any of these Senecio plants safe for pets? See answer

I’m trying to find a trailing succulent for my home, and wondered if this plant is pet safe? I have dogs and cats. See more »

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3 years ago  •  Staff Answer

Some research shows that Senecio rowleyanus can cause digestive issues if consumed, so to be on the safe side, we do not consider any Senecio pet-safe. But we carry tons of Pet Safe Succulents here. You can also use the Growth Habit filter on the left to filter for just Hanging/Trailing plants.
Source: https://mountaincrestgardens.com/pet-... See full answer »

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6 months ago

Would the 1:2 pumice to cacti mix work well for Strings of Dolphins, Lemons, Tears, Watermelons (in different pots See answer

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6 months ago  •  Staff Answer

No. The string succulents require a bit more organic matter in their soil than cacti do. Try just the bagged cactus soil. If you want to mix the soil yourself, try a 1:1 ratio of pumice/perlite to normal potting soil. See full answer »

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5 months ago

When using LED grow llghts, what PPFD do you recommend for string succculents and Haworthia? See answer

The lights are on for 12-16 hours a day. See more »

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5 months ago  •  Staff Answer

We don't tend to use PPFD in our grow light recommendations, because that's going to change depending on your light's spectrum.

We recommend looking for a full spectrum, white LED light that delivers 300 - 800 lumens per square foot. Click the link below to read our full grow light recommendations.
Source: https://mountaincrestgardens.com/blog... See full answer »

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3 years ago

The low indoor light varieties I'm looking at say to plant in a deep pot. How many inches is that? See answer

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3 years ago  •  Staff Answer

If the plant comes in a 2" pot, I'd plant in a pot that's, at least 3.5" deep. However, I wouldn't plant it in a pot that's deeper than 5" to start. Haworthia like their roots to be a little tight so be sure not to over pot it at first. See full answer »

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1 year ago

Can you recommend indoor lighting? Full spectrum, grow spectrum? Any preferred brand? See answer

Zone 4/5 here. My succulents live indoors in the winter and need supplementary light to avoid stretching. Would love to know what artificial lights you use/recommend. Full spectrum (white), grow spectrum (blue/purple), other? Do you have a preferred brand of lighting? How many hours extra are needed for soft, hard, other, succulents? See more »

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1 year ago  •  Staff Answer

Yes! You can find grow light specs and recommended types here on our Guide to Grow Lights for Succulents.
Source: https://mountaincrestgardens.com/blog... See full answer »

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2 years ago

We keep our home at 65° year round. The indoor succulents seem to struggle indoors but outside gets too hot See answer

We live in north central Arkansas. It gets brutally humid and hot during the late spring, summer, and early fall months. I have all my succulents on my west facing porch because the backyard belongs to our Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
Would getting a porch shade be a good idea for the summer in late afternoon? All my succulents get the mid afternoon sun and I know it's too much for some of them but bringing them inside our too cool temp home doesn't help either. Even when I put them in an East facing window they still don't seem to do so well because of the indoor temp. See more »

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2 years ago  •  Staff Answer

The only issue with porch shades is that they're frequently too shady. If you erected some kind of shade using shade cloth designed for plants, that could help. You wouldn't need it to be too shady, roughly 30%-40% would do the trick.

However, 65°F isn't too cold for many succulents. Especially once the radiant heat from direct sunlight in an south facing window is factored in, that you wouldn't feel in the air. The issue may have more to do with humidity than temperature. Looking at the relative humidity predictions for Stone County (just as an example) it's suppose to get over 70% in the near future! This makes watering more tricky as plants don't dry out nearly as quickly as they should and rot can set in as a result.

If your house is less humid than it is outdoors, then moving them inside may do them more good than shade cloth outside. In fact, shade cloth may only further prolong drying and exacerbate the problem. See full answer »

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3 years ago

Which type of succulents will grow best in an east facing window in an all white room? See answer

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3 years ago  •  Staff Answer

Your best bet are low light succulents. They'll get some morning sun but no more. Click the link below to see all our low light succulents.
Source: https://mountaincrestgardens.com/expl... See full answer »

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4 years ago

What kind of soil should I use with succulents? See answer

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4 years ago  •  Staff Answer

Shop Succulent Soil Here

Succulents need grittier soil than other plants because they are adapted to dry conditions and store water in their leaves. Regular potting soil mixes stay damp for long periods of time, which can cause rot in succulents. Instead, use a sandy, well-draining soil so you can water thoroughly without leaving your succulent in standing water.

IN POTS…

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4 years ago

When should I plant my succulents after they arrive? See answer

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4 years ago  •  Staff Answer

Our plants can be transplanted immediately upon arrival.
If you want to wait to transplant, they can remain in their original containers for up to a month. If the pots came in a plastic carrier tray, remove the pots from the carrier tray prior to the first watering.

Keep the plants indoors near a sunny window or outdoors under a roof (only if outdoor temperatures stay above your succulent's minimum hardiness temperature). Water only after the soil is fully dry by drenching from above with a faucet, hose, or watering can. Gently shake excess water from the leaves and allow containers to drain completely.

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