Houseplant · Crassulaceae
String of Buttons
Crassula perforata
Give it bright light and a gritty, dry mix, and this gentle little succulent stacks its leaves into tidy towers.
Bright indirect
50–77°F · 10–25°C
USDA 9–11
8–18 in · 20–45 cm
Overview
String of buttons gets its name from the way its small triangular leaves stack up the stem like beads threaded on a string. It sits in the Crassulaceae family alongside jade and stonecrop, and indoors it stays a friendly, manageable size at 8 to 18 inches (20 to 45 cm) tall. That neat, geometric stacking is the whole charm, and bright light is all it takes to keep it looking its best.
If succulents are new to you, this is a forgiving place to start. It asks for strong light and a patient hand with the watering can, and little else. The leaves hold their own water, so letting the soil dry out fully before the next drink keeps everything happy. Come spring it may reward you with small star-shaped flowers in pale yellow to white, a sweet little extra on top of the foliage.
Given room and light, the stems branch out and trail, spreading to around 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm) and spilling gently over a pot or basket. If the light dims and the stems start to stretch and lean, do not worry, because that is easy to fix, and a quick trim brings the tidy stacked shape right back.
Care
The short version: bright light, a gritty fast-draining mix, and water only after the soil has dried out completely. Keep it warm, go easy on water through winter, and this gentle succulent will mostly take care of itself.
Light
Give it plenty of bright light, ideally bright indirect with a few hours of gentle direct sun. Once it has hardened off it can handle full sun, but in a dim corner the stems reach and stretch and that lovely stacked shape loosens up.
Water
Let the soil dry out completely before you water again, since the leaves keep their own little reserve. Ease right off through winter dormancy. This plant is happiest on the dry side and rots quickly in soggy soil, so when you are unsure, it is always safer to wait.
Soil
Settle it into a gritty cactus or succulent mix that drains in seconds rather than minutes. A slightly acidic pH around 6.0 to 6.5 suits it nicely, and all that grit is what keeps the roots from sitting in water.
Temperature
Keep it cozy in the range of 50°F to 77°F (10°C to 25°C), which is comfortable room warmth for most homes. It cannot take frost, so bring it somewhere warm well before the cold arrives.
Humidity
The dry air most homes already have is exactly what this succulent likes, so there is no humidity target to chase. A little airflow and low humidity go a long way toward keeping rot away.
Feeding
Feed only through spring and summer while it is actively growing, using a diluted balanced or low-nitrogen succulent fertilizer. A light seasonal feed is all it needs, and going heavy on nitrogen only brings soft, floppy growth.
Pruning
Pinch or trim any leggy, stretched stems and the plant will branch out and stack more tightly for you. The pieces you snip off root without trouble, so nothing has to go to waste.
Repotting
Move it up every 2 to 3 years, or sooner if it starts crowding its pot, and do it in spring. Watch for roots peeking through the drainage holes, soil that dries out surprisingly fast, or a top-heavy plant leaning at the edges.
Size & spacing
Indoors it grows 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 space to spill over, or hang it up so those stacked stems can drape freely.
Troubleshooting
Nearly every hiccup with string of buttons comes down to light or water, and each one is easy to turn around. Too little light stretches the stems, too much water troubles the roots, and a sudden dose of strong sun can mark the leaves. Find what matches below, make one small change, and the plant will forgive you.
Yellow, mushy leaves and a soft base
Soft, see-through leaves and a dark, squishy stem base are signs of root rot, brought on by too much water in soil that drains too slowly. First, stop watering and let everything dry right out. If the base has already gone, gently lift the plant, trim away the slimy brown roots, and repot the firm pieces in fresh gritty mix, or take cuttings from any growth that still looks healthy and start fresh.
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 neat stacked shape
What you are seeing is etiolation, the plant simply reaching for light it cannot find. The fresh growth comes in pale and elongated, and the whole stem leans toward the nearest window. The fix is gentle and reliable: move it somewhere much brighter, then trim the stretched stems and root those cuttings to grow a tight, tidy 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, and they appear when the plant meets strong direct sun before it has had a chance to adjust. The marks land on the surfaces facing the light, usually just after a move outdoors or to a hot window. Nothing to fret over: shift it back to bright indirect light, pinch off the worst leaves, and ease it into full sun slowly 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
Here is the honest picture for pet owners: string of buttons is a Crassula, the same group as the jade plant, which the ASPCA lists as toxic to cats and dogs. A pet that chews the fleshy leaves may end up vomiting, sluggish, or unsteady on its feet, so it is best kept up out of reach. It is an ornamental succulent rather than a snack, though people can handle it without trouble.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs
Safe for
People · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats Mild
As a Crassula relative of the jade plant, string of buttons can leave a cat that nibbles the leaves vomiting, drowsy, or wobbly on its feet, so keep it well out of a cat's reach.
Dogs Mild
A dog that chews these fleshy leaves may turn queasy, listless, or unsteady, the same reaction seen with jade and other Crassula succulents, so set it somewhere a dog cannot reach.
Horses None
Horses are not troubled by this plant at all, so it stays a safe presence around them.
Rabbits None
A rabbit that nibbles a stem will be just fine, since the plant holds no toxins known to affect them.
Livestock None
Grazing animals such as goats and sheep can be near string of buttons without coming to any harm.
Birds None
Pet birds have nothing to fear from this succulent, which carries no recognized danger for them.
People None
For people there is nothing toxic in the leaves, though they are a decorative succulent and not meant for eating.
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 of the plants you will come across are the plain green species, and it is lovely as it is, but there is one named selection worth getting to know.
Crassula perforata 'Variegata'
Its leaves take on creamy-yellow to pinkish variegation and blush a soft pink along the edges whenever the light is nice and bright.
How to propagate
Making more string of buttons could hardly be simpler, and one healthy plant hands you all the cuttings you need to fill fresh pots or pass along to friends.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring through summer during active growth · 2 to 4 weeks to root
Stem cuttings are the gentle, almost foolproof way to grow more of this plant. Snip a stem segment in spring or summer, let the cut end callus over for a day or two, then rest it on or tuck it into gritty mix. Fresh roots settle in over about 2 to 4 weeks.
Leaf cuttingsModerate
Spring through summer · 4 to 8 weeks to root and sprout
You can also begin from a single leaf, though this one asks for a little more patience. Gently pull off a whole healthy leaf, let it callus, and lay it on dry succulent mix in spring or summer. Give it 4 to 8 weeks to root and sprout, and know that leaves take a bit less reliably than stem cuttings do.
Myths
String of buttons must be poisonous because it resembles other toxic succulents.
Crassula perforata is generally treated as non-toxic and safe to keep around cats and dogs. It is true that many succulents do carry toxins, so the family's cautious reputation is understandable, yet this one is simply not among the risky sorts. The leaves are for looking at rather than nibbling, but a stray taste is nothing to lose sleep over.