String of Dolphins Identification Guide
Identify String of Dolphins (Senecio peregrinus) by its trailing strands of leaves shaped like leaping dolphins. Includes comparisons to String of Pearls and Bananas.
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Key Identifying Features
String of Dolphins (Curio peregrinus, syn. Senecio peregrinus) is a trailing succulent famous for leaves shaped like tiny leaping dolphins. A hybrid of String of Pearls and Candle Plant, each curved leaf carries small "fin" bumps that complete the dolphin illusion.
- Curved, fleshy leaves resembling jumping dolphins
- Each leaf has two small side "flippers" (a notch and bump)
- Trailing/cascading stems
- Blue-green succulent foliage
Leaves & Stems
Leaves are small (about 0.5-1 inch), plump, and crescent-shaped, arched along the stem so each looks like a dolphin mid-leap. The illusion comes from a central pointed tip and two small lateral protrusions that mimic fins. Leaves are blue-green and succulent, spaced along thin, trailing stems that can reach 6 inches to over a foot. New growth shows the dolphin shape most clearly; very old or stressed plants may have less defined leaves.
Flowers & Fruit
Flowers are small, white to off-white puffball clusters (typical of the daisy family) with a cinnamon-like fragrance. They are not showy and appear infrequently indoors. The plant is grown almost entirely for its novelty foliage.
How to Tell It Apart from Look-Alikes
- String of Pearls (Curio rowleyanus) has perfectly round, pea-like leaves with no fins.
- String of Bananas (Curio radicans) has elongated, banana/crescent leaves but lacks the side flippers of dolphins.
- String of Tears has teardrop leaves, again without lateral fins.
The presence of two small side fins on a curved leaf is the unique diagnostic for dolphins, distinguishing it from all its relatives.
Where You'll Find It
A cultivated hybrid (parents native to southwest Africa), it is grown almost exclusively as a houseplant in hanging baskets. It wants bright indirect light to keep the dolphin shape and well-drained, gritty soil. It is not frost hardy.
Quick ID Checklist
- Curved, fleshy blue-green leaves
- Each leaf shaped like a leaping dolphin with two side fins
- Trailing stems in a hanging pot
- Succulent, plump foliage
- Occasional white puffball flowers
Look closely for the little flippers: if each leaf has them, you have a true String of Dolphins.
Frequently asked questions
Why do the leaves look like dolphins?
Each curved succulent leaf has a pointed tip and two small lateral bumps that resemble a dolphin's body and fins as it appears to leap.
How is it different from String of Pearls?
String of Pearls has round, bead-like leaves. String of Dolphins has crescent-shaped leaves with two small side fins.
My dolphins lost their shape, why?
Low light, overwatering, or aging stems cause leaves to flatten or stretch. Bright indirect light and lean care keep the dolphin form crisp.
Is it a hybrid?
Yes. It is a cross between String of Pearls (Curio rowleyanus) and the Candle Plant (Curio articulatus).