String of Pearls ​(Senecio rowleyanus)

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is home to many animals, and we also cultivate plants from those animals’ habitats. You may see some of these plants in the animals” habitats or you can see them in our Victorian Greenhouse. Many of the plants are endangered, just like the animals.

DESCRIPTION: Senecio rowleyanus, or string-of-pearls,, is a leafy succulent vine of the aster family. Its  stems typically trail along the ground to 2-3’ long or more, rooting at the nodes to form a dense creeping ground cover.
It is particularly noted for its unique, almost spherical, tiny pea-shaped modified leaves  which store water, minimize water consumption and generally facilitate plant survival in dry climates. Core of each leaf is composed of water storage cells. White, daisy-like, discoid flowers appear on 1 1/2” stalks in summer. Flower structure is similar to that of asters. Flowers have the aroma of cinnamon.

​RANGE: Native to southwestern Africa.

Photo: Missouri Botanical Gardens