String of Banana Succulent

The string of bananas (Senecio radicans) is actually a close relative of the popular string of pearls succulent but is known for being faster growing and easier to care for. For anyone who has unsuccessfully tried to keep a string of pearls alive, the string of bananas may be the succulent for you. It makes an excellent hanging houseplant or can be trained to grow upwards on a trellis or moss pole depending on the look you are going for. String of bananas can also be grown successfully outdoors in succulent gardens, but they are not frost-tolerant so require regions that experience warm weather year-round.  

The most important part of growing a healthy string of bananas is ensuring that the succulent receives enough light as they do not grow well in low-light conditions. Place your string of bananas in a bright, sunny window and ignore it and it will be happy. These trailing succulents require bright, direct light when grown indoors. Choose a location that receives at least six hours of sunlight throughout the day. String of bananas do well under grow lights as well if needed. If this plant is not receiving enough light, it will become leggy and the banana-shaped leaves will become significantly more spaced out along the stem - a look that is often considered less visually appealing. String of bananas requires a well-draining soil mix in order to help prevent root rot. This hardy succulent is considered to be drought-tolerant with low water needs. There is no universal schedule for how often a string of bananas will need to be watered as this can depend on a variety of factors, but, as a general rule, the soil should be allowed to dry out completely between waterings. It is better to under-water a string of bananas than to overwater as they are highly susceptible to root rot.