Temperature
55–80°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
String of bananas
Curio radicans
String of bananas wants direct light and water every 12 to 21 days, once the leaves lose their firmness. Toxic to cats, dogs, and humans.
Light
Direct
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
A south or east window within two feet, ideally hanging. Faster and considerably more forgiving than string of pearls.
Water
Every 12–21 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the leaves lose their firmness, not on a schedule.
Humidity
20% and up
Fine in normal household air. Prefers 40%.
Difficulty
Easy
Scores 2 of 5: Scores 2 of 5: the string-of plant to buy first. It has the same look as string of pearls with none of the fragility, because the thicker leaves and deeper roots forgive a watering mistake.
Habit
Trailing
Grows to 12–72 inches. No support needed.
Toxic to cats, dogs, and humans — poison severity low
Contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Reported signs include vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy.
If a pet has chewed a leaf, rinse the mouth with water and call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
Full detail for cats → Full detail for dogs →
What each authority says
- ASPCA
- No record page found under any name tested.
- NC State Extension
- Poison severity: Low · Pyrrolizidine alkaloids · Toxic if ingested by humans, pets, or livestock: loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. If large amounts are ingested, it can cause irreversible liver disease. The sap can cause skin irritation or rash.
Light
Direct light. A south or east window within two feet, ideally hanging. Faster and considerably more forgiving than string of pearls.
Water
Every 12 to 21 days in a 6-inch pot, when the leaves lose their firmness.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | soak and dry |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | the leaves lose their firmness |
Soil and potting
Two parts cactus mix, one part perlite.
Repot roughly every 3 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. Each links to a diagnosis page with the causes ranked for this species.
- Root rot act today
- Leggy growth monitor
- Leaf drop this week
Pests
Recorded for this species. Each links to identification and treatment.
Propagation
Stem cutting in soil. Roots in 14 to 28 days.
A cutting without a node will not root. It may stay green in water for months and never produce a single root, because it has no growth point.
| Preferred method | stem cutting |
|---|---|
| Medium | soil |
| Time to root | 14–28 days |
| Node required | Yes |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Curio radicans Checked 2026-09-12.
- Wikidata entity Q50840600 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Curio radicans Accepted name; family Asteraceae. Checked 2026-09-12.
- Photograph: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 3.0.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02