Houseplant · Asteraceae
String of Dolphins
Curio × peregrinus
Hang it in bright, indirect light, water it sparingly, and watch a pod of tiny dolphins spill over the pot.
Bright indirect
50–77°F · 10–25°C
USDA 9–12
12–35 in · 30–90 cm
Overview
String of dolphins is a trailing succulent whose leaves curl into the shape of leaping dolphins, which is the whole reason people grow it. It belongs to the daisy family and is a cultivated hybrid, a cross between string of pearls and candle plant, so you will not find it growing wild. The strands drape over the edge of a pot and can reach 12 to 35 inches (30 to 90 cm) long.
It earns its easy reputation by asking for very little. Bright, indirect light and a gritty mix that dries out fast are most of the job, and the plant shrugs off the kind of neglect that kills fussier houseplants. The one thing it will not forgive is a soggy pot, since standing moisture rots the stems from the base up.
Hang it in a basket or set it on a high shelf where the strands have room to fall. That placement does double duty, showing off the dolphin leaves and keeping the mildly toxic stems away from pets and children that might otherwise take a bite.
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
Give it bright, indirect light for most of the day, near a window but out of the harsh midday sun that scorches the leaves. It puts up with some direct morning sun, but a dim corner stretches the stems thin and blurs the dolphin shape.
Water
Water lightly through the growing season and let the gritty mix dry out completely before the next drink. The plant tells you when it is thirsty: the leaves start to look slightly shriveled. In winter, water barely if at all, since cold and wet together are what rot the stems.
Soil
Plant it in a gritty, fast-draining cactus or succulent mix that never holds water around the roots. It is relaxed about pH, taking anything from 6.0 to 8.0, so the drainage matters far more than the chemistry.
Temperature
Keep it in the comfortable range of 50°F to 77°F (10°C to 25°C), which suits most homes year round. It has no tolerance for frost, so bring it well inside before the temperature drops.
Humidity
Average room air is plenty, and it actually prefers things on the dry side. There is no humidity figure to hit and no need to mist, which would only invite rot.
Feeding
Feed about once a month through the growing season, from spring into early autumn, using a half-strength general-purpose liquid fertilizer. Stop feeding over winter while growth slows down.
Pruning
Trim the trailing stems with scissors whenever you want to tidy the shape or push it to grow bushier, and it bounces back fast. Wear gloves, because the cut sap can irritate your skin.
Repotting
Repot roughly every 1 to 2 years, or sooner if roots crowd the surface or poke out the drainage holes. Step up just one pot size to something with drainage; a pot too large holds extra moisture the roots do not want.
Size & spacing
The strands trail 12 to 35 inches (30 to 90 cm) long and spread about as wide. Give a single plant its own hanging pot so the dolphins can cascade freely without tangling into anything else.
Troubleshooting
This plant has two failure modes, and they pull in opposite directions. Too little water shrivels the dolphins while too much rots the stems, so reading which way it is leaning saves the plant. Match what you see below before you reach for the watering can.
Mushy stems and blackened bases that collapse
This is rot, and it follows a mix that stays too wet for a succulent that wants to dry out. The stems turn soft at the soil line, the base blackens, and a sour smell often gives it away. Stop watering, cut away every soft stem and root, then take a few healthy cuttings and start over 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
Leaves shrivel, stretch out, or lose their dolphin shape
Two different problems wear the same look. A bone-dry mix leaves the dolphins soft and puckered, while too little light stretches the stems thin and pale until the leaf form blurs. Give it a thorough drink when the leaves first start to shrivel, move it somewhere brighter, and trim the leggy growth so it fills back in compact.
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
Keep this one out of reach. Every part holds pyrrolizidine alkaloids and an irritant sap, which makes it toxic to cats and dogs and a poor choice around other pets, livestock, and small children. Nothing on the plant is meant to be eaten, and the sap can sting skin, so handle it with gloves.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Toxic
A cat that chews the trailing stems usually throws up and gets the runs, drools, and turns sluggish. The plant carries pyrrolizidine alkaloids, so keep it well out of jumping reach.
Dogs Toxic
Expect vomiting, loose stools, and a low, tired dog after a chewing session. The same alkaloids are behind it, and the bitter sap may leave the mouth sore too.
Horses Toxic
The parent plant is listed as toxic to horses. Beyond the stomach upset, the pyrrolizidine alkaloids in these Curio succulents are the kind that can harm the liver over repeated grazing.
Rabbits Toxic
Not a safe nibble. The alkaloids that trouble 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 react badly to the pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which build up in the liver with repeated feeding. Fence the plant off and clear away any trimmings.
Birds Caution
Treat it as off limits. The toxic compounds in the foliage make this a poor choice around pet birds, so hang it where curious beaks can't reach.
People Caution
No part of this plant is meant for eating, and a curious bite can upset the stomach. The sap also stings skin, so wear gloves when you prune and keep small children from pulling at 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
String of dolphins is sold as a single hybrid rather than a spread of named cultivars, so there is really just one to know.
Curio × peregrinus (typical String of dolphins)
This is the standard hybrid, carrying curved, branched leaves that arch like a pod of leaping dolphins, much like string of pearls but with that distinctive forked shape.
How to propagate
Making more is genuinely easy, and you can do it two ways with nothing more than a pair of scissors and some gritty mix.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring to summer during active growth · Roots in about a month
Take stem cuttings 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) long in spring or summer while the plant is growing, strip the lower leaves, and lay or tuck them so the bare nodes sit against a moist, gritty mix. Roots form readily at those nodes and a cutting settles in within about a month.
LayeringEasy
Spring to summer · About a month to root
Layering is the no-fuss route. Peg a trailing stem down onto the compost so its nodes touch the surface, leave it attached to the parent while it roots over roughly a month, then snip it free once it has anchored.
Myths
String of dolphins is a wild species you can find in nature.
It never grew on its own anywhere. It is a cultivated hybrid, Curio x peregrinus, bred by crossing string of pearls (Curio rowleyanus) with candle plant (Curio articulatus), which is exactly where its leaping-dolphin leaves come from.