String of bananas: long shoots with small curved water-storing leaves

Your care table

The bananas are its leaves

Fleshy curved leaves sit on thin green stems. Their shape gave the plant its string-of-bananas name. They are not small fruit. The offer comes in a 14 cm hanging pot with approximately 50–60 cm trailing length. The hanger is not included in this length. The scene allows individual shoots to hang freely and stays with this measurement. A dense, metre-long plant curtain would exaggerate the young delivery size.

A daisy-family plant with succulent reserves

Curio radicans, formerly Senecio radicans, belongs to the Asteraceae family. The species comes from southern Africa. Its shoots can creep along the ground and form roots on contact with suitable compost. In a hanging pot this becomes trailing growth. The small water-storing leaves help through drier periods. Occasional pale flower heads consist of many small individual flowers, but flowers are not a promised delivery feature. The regular sequence of curved leaves is already ornamental.

A bright hanging position needs light from above

Position the plant so that the top of the pot also receives enough daylight. Too high beneath a ceiling or deep in a room, it may become sparse at the top. Very bright light and gentle sun after acclimatisation are favourable. Avoid hot, intense afternoon sun in midsummer, particularly for newly moved plants. A warm summer position outdoors sheltered from rain is suitable. Indoors, the hanging pot must remain easily reachable so that watering and inspection do not become laborious exceptions.

Dry intervals with timely watering

Allow the root ball to dry between waterings, then water evenly. Let excess drain away. The plant tolerates dry intervals but should not regularly remain completely dried out for a long time. Severely shrunken leaves show that reserves may be lacking. If the compost is wet at the same time, soft leaves are instead a reason to inspect roots. Fixed weekdays are therefore less helpful than moisture and weight. During the darker part of the year, water use decreases and intervals lengthen.

Gently fill gaps

An airy, free-draining succulent mix and drainage holes remain important. Repot when roots or old compacted compost require it. A much larger pot is not an automatic improvement. Healthy shoot pieces can be carefully rooted on suitable compost after the cuts dry briefly. Contact at the nodes helps without burying leaves deeply. This can make an older hanging plant denser again. Guide long existing shoots carefully rather than pulling tangled ends.

Through winter and small care mistakes

Overwinter in bright, frost-free conditions and water substantially less when cooler. Feed moderately according to the label during growth. If the pot centre becomes bare, check light and roots together. Watch for mealybugs and scale insects at leaf bases. Individual damaged shoots can be selectively removed. Dark, soft shoot bases above a wet root ball are more serious than a broken end piece. Successful care shows in firm leaves and healthy new growth, not in length forced as rapidly as possible.

One plant, several views

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