String of bananas trails over a pot on slender stems lined with curved, fleshy leaves. Its current botanical name is Curio radicans, although Senecio radicans remains common on nursery labels. Bright, filtered light and a freely draining root zone make a better starting point than a compulsory six hours of direct sun or constantly damp compost.
Light the crown as well as the trailing growth
Position the basket where daylight reaches the top of the plant. Long stems hanging below a bright window do not compensate for a shaded crown. Avoid moving a shade-grown plant straight into strong afternoon sun. NC State Extension recommends bright, indirect light and notes that excessive sun can brown or redden the foliage. Our window light guide helps distinguish a useful bright position from a scorching one.
Check below the surface before watering
Let the upper portion of the potting mix dry before adding more water, checking deeper than a thin surface crust. Pot weight offers another useful clue. Water the medium evenly, let excess escape, and empty any outer container. A small pot in warm, bright conditions may dry far faster than a large basket in a dim room. Our succulent watering guide explains why a calendar cannot account for those differences.
Keep air around the roots
Use an appropriate, coarse succulent medium and a pot with drainage holes. Adding compost simply to enrich an already wet mix can make the root environment worse. If the plant needs repotting, choose a modest increase in container size and check the roots first. Firm roots and healthy growth do not require an automatic annual move. Our repotting guide covers handling a root ball without stripping away every healthy root.
Keep it frost-free and feed according to growth
Protect the plant from frost, cold glass, and direct blasts from heaters or air conditioners. Routine misting is unnecessary for this succulent. Use a suitable fertilizer at the product’s recommended rate when active growth needs it; do not stack repeated fertilizer doses on top of a pre-fertilized mix. If growth slows in winter, reduce feeding and reassess watering from the medium’s condition rather than following a mandatory summer-and-winter formula.
Root stem cuttings and prune only where needed
Use clean snips to take healthy stem sections with several nodes. Remove leaves that would be buried, allow the cut ends to dry, and place the prepared portions in a suitable succulent rooting medium. Support the stems so movement does not disturb developing roots. Trim excessive length or damaged growth as needed, rather than repeatedly removing healthy leaves. The stems can root along their length, which makes cuttings useful for renewing a thin basket. See our propagation guide for the broader method.
Separate drought symptoms from root trouble
Shriveled leaves in a light, dry pot suggest a different problem from collapsing leaves in wet medium. Check the stem bases and roots before deciding to water. Isolate plants with suspicious insects and inspect leaf joints and undersides. Treat an identified pest with a suitable labeled product; neem oil is not a universal answer to every mark or infestation. Our mealybug guide explains how to recognize the cottony pest before treating it.
Expect trailing foliage, not edible fruit
The common name describes the shape of the leaves. This southern African succulent does not produce edible bananas, and a moss pole is not needed for its natural cascading display. Small flowers may appear, but foliage is the main reason to grow it indoors. Keep the plant away from pets and children who might chew it; NC State identifies ingestion and sap-contact concerns. Compare string of dolphins if you prefer a similar habit with notched, fin-like leaves.
