Houseplant · Asteraceae
String of Dolphins
Curio × peregrinus
Give it a bright window and a light hand with the watering can, and a little pod of dolphins will tumble happily over the pot.
Bright indirect
50–77°F · 10–25°C
USDA 9–12
12–35 in · 30–90 cm
Overview
If you have ever wanted a plant that feels a little magical, this is a kind one to start with. Each leaf curls into the shape of a tiny leaping dolphin, which is exactly why people fall for it, and it belongs to the cheerful daisy family. It is a cultivated hybrid born from crossing string of pearls with candle plant, so it was never a wild plant, and its soft strands spill over the pot and grow 12 to 35 inches (30 to 90 cm) long.
Here is the reassuring part: this little plant forgives a lot. Bright, indirect light and a gritty mix that dries out quickly cover most of what it needs, and it will happily shrug off the odd missed watering that would sink a fussier houseplant. The one mistake worth avoiding is leaving it in a soggy pot, since sitting water is what softens and rots the stems from the base, so when in doubt, water less.
Find it a home up high, in a hanging basket or on a tall shelf where the strands have room to tumble. That one choice does two lovely things at once: it shows off the dolphin leaves and keeps the mildly toxic stems safely away from pets or little ones who might fancy a nibble. You really can grow this well.
Care
The short version: give it bright, indirect light and a gritty cactus mix in a pot that drains freely, then water only when the little leaves begin to look slightly shriveled, and you and this plant will get along just fine.
Light
Set it where it gets bright, indirect light for most of the day, close to a window but shielded from the fierce midday sun that can scorch the leaves. A little gentle morning sun is welcome, so do not fret about that. Just steer clear of a dim corner, which slowly stretches the stems thin and softens that lovely dolphin shape.
Water
Water lightly through the growing season and let the gritty mix dry out completely before you reach for the can again. The plant is kind enough to tell you when it is thirsty, since the leaves begin to look a little shriveled. Through winter, water barely if at all, because cold and wet together are what harm the stems, and holding back is the safer, easier choice.
Soil
Give it a gritty, fast-draining cactus or succulent mix that lets water rush straight through rather than pooling at the roots. It is wonderfully relaxed about pH, content anywhere from 6.0 to 8.0, so you can stop worrying about the numbers and simply focus on good drainage.
Temperature
Ordinary room warmth of 50°F to 77°F (10°C to 25°C) keeps it perfectly happy, which most homes offer without any effort. It has no patience for frost, though, so bring it comfortably indoors well before the cold sets in.
Humidity
You can relax about humidity entirely. Everyday room air suits it, and it actually likes things on the dry side, so there is no target to chase and no need to mist, which would only invite the rot you are trying to avoid.
Feeding
A light feed once a month through the growing season, from spring into early autumn, is all it asks, using a gentle half-strength general-purpose liquid fertilizer. Once winter arrives and growth slows, you can set the feeding aside and let it rest.
Pruning
Whenever you want to tidy the shape or coax fuller growth, snip the trailing stems with scissors, and take heart, because it bounces back quickly. Do slip on gloves first, since the sap from a fresh cut can irritate skin.
Repotting
Plan on repotting every 1 to 2 years, or a little sooner if roots crowd the surface or peek out of the drainage holes. Move it up just one pot size to something that drains well, since a pot that is too big holds onto extra water the roots would rather not sit in.
Size & spacing
In time the strands trail a graceful 12 to 35 inches (30 to 90 cm) and spread roughly as wide. Give your plant its own hanging pot with room to fall, and the dolphins can cascade freely without tangling into anything nearby.
Troubleshooting
Do not worry if something looks off, because almost everything here is fixable. This plant really only struggles in two ways, and they pull in opposite directions: too little water leaves the dolphins shriveled, while too much leaves the stems soft and rotting. Take a gentle look at which way yours is leaning before you water, and the answers below will steer you right.
Soft, blackening stems that begin to collapse
This one is rot, and it takes hold when the mix stays wetter than a succulent ever wants. The stems go soft right at the soil line, the base darkens, and a sour smell often gives it away. Do not lose heart: stop watering, cut away every soft stem and root, then take a few healthy cuttings and begin again in gritty mix inside a clay pot that can breathe.
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 or stretched leaves that lose their dolphin look
Two very different troubles can wear the same tired look, and both are fixable. A bone-dry mix leaves the dolphins soft and puckered, while a spot that is too dim stretches the stems thin and pale until the leaf shape fades. Give it a good, thorough drink the moment the leaves start to shrivel, shift it somewhere brighter, and trim any leggy growth so it fills back in nice and 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
This is the one place to stay firm even in a gentle routine. Every part of the plant holds pyrrolizidine alkaloids and a sap that irritates, which makes it genuinely toxic to cats and dogs and a poor pick around other pets, livestock, and small children. None of it is meant to be eaten, and the sap can sting bare skin, so slip on gloves whenever you trim and keep it up out of curious reach.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Toxic
A cat that chews the dangling strands will usually be sick, get the runs, drool, and turn quiet and sluggish. The leaves carry pyrrolizidine alkaloids, so the kindest thing is to hang it well beyond any jumping reach.
Dogs Toxic
A dog that has a chew is likely to vomit, pass loose stools, and go quiet and tired for a while. The same alkaloids are the cause, and the bitter sap can leave the mouth feeling sore too, so keep it out of reach of curious noses.
Horses Toxic
The parent plant is listed as toxic to horses, so treat this one the same. Beyond a simple stomach upset, the pyrrolizidine alkaloids in these Curio succulents are the kind that can wear on the liver with repeated grazing.
Rabbits Toxic
This is not a safe nibble for a rabbit. The very alkaloids that trouble cats and dogs upset a rabbit's gut in the same way, so keep the strands out of the hutch and up off the floor.
Livestock Toxic
Grazing animals can react badly, since the pyrrolizidine alkaloids gather in the liver with repeated feeding. Fence the plant well away and gather up any trimmings so nothing is left to be tasted.
Birds Caution
Treat it as off limits around birds. The toxic compounds in the foliage make this a poor companion for pet birds, so hang it somewhere no curious beak can reach.
People Caution
No part of this plant is food, and a curious bite can leave the stomach unsettled. The sap can sting skin as well, so wear gloves when you prune and gently keep small children from tugging 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
There is a comforting simplicity here. String of dolphins comes as one hybrid rather than a long list of named cultivars, so there is really just the single plant to get to know.
Curio × peregrinus (typical String of dolphins)
This is the familiar hybrid everyone means by the name, its curved, branched leaves arching like a pod of leaping dolphins, close to string of pearls but for that charming forked shape.
How to propagate
Making more of this plant is easy and genuinely fun, and it is hard to get wrong. You have two simple ways to try, and both need little more than a pair of scissors and some gritty mix.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring to summer during active growth · Roots in about a month
In spring or summer while the plant is growing, snip a few cuttings 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) long, gently strip the lower leaves, and lay or tuck them so the bare nodes rest against a moist, gritty mix. Roots come willingly from those nodes, and a cutting tends to settle in within about a month, so patience pays off nicely.
LayeringEasy
Spring to summer · About a month to root
Layering is the gentlest route of all. Pin a trailing stem down against the compost so its nodes touch the surface, leave it attached to the parent while it roots over roughly a month, then simply snip it free once it has anchored itself.
Myths
String of dolphins is a wild plant you can find growing in nature.
It never grew anywhere on its own. It is a cultivated hybrid, Curio x peregrinus, created by crossing string of pearls (Curio rowleyanus) with candle plant (Curio articulatus), and that happy pairing is exactly where its leaping-dolphin leaves came from.