String of buttons (Crassula perforata) care

Succulents & cacti · easy to keep

Last updated 26 October 2026

String of buttons (Crassula perforata) wants full sun to bright indirect light. Water it every 2 weeks. Water thoroughly, then not again until the pot is bone dry and the leaves have lost a little of their firmness. In winter, once a month is plenty. Pot it in cactus compost with extra grit. A weak cactus feed two or three times over the summer, and repot every 2 years. Humidity: indifferent; dry air is fine. Toxic to cats and dogs; causes vomiting and lethargy.

String of buttons: pairs of triangular, grey-green leaves stacked along upright stems as if threaded on a string, edged in red in strong light. Easy and slow-growing.

Quick facts

Water: Water every 2 weeks. Water thoroughly, then not again until the pot is bone dry and the leaves have lost a little of their firmness. In winter, once a month is plenty.
Light: Full sun to bright indirect light.
Humidity: Indifferent; dry air is fine.
Soil: Cactus compost with extra grit.
Feeding: A weak cactus feed two or three times over the summer.
Repotting: Repot every 2 years.
Toxic to pets: Toxic to cats and dogs; causes vomiting and lethargy. Not a hazard to people. The ASPCA does not list Crassula perforata itself, but lists a relative, Chinese Jade (Crassula arborescens), as toxic to cats and dogs (checked 26 October 2026).
Difficulty: Easy.
Mature size: 20–45 cm tall.
Native to: South Africa.

Watering a String of buttons

Water every 2 weeks. Water thoroughly, then not again until the pot is bone dry and the leaves have lost a little of their firmness. In winter, once a month is plenty.

That cadence is the one PlantParlour sets for this species when you name it, and it is deliberately on the cautious side — a plant that asks a day early is safer than one that asks a day late. Log each watering and the reminder moves with the plant rather than with the calendar.

Light

Four to six hours of direct sun. A jade in a dim room stretches into a thin pale thing that never regains its compact shape.

Humidity and temperature

Indifferent; dry air is fine. Central heating in winter is what turns a comfortable room into a dry one, and it is the usual reason an established plant suddenly browns at the edges or picks up spider mites.

Soil and potting

Cactus compost, ideally with more grit still. The one thing a jade cannot survive is a mix that stays damp.

Feeding

A weak cactus feed two or three times over the summer. Stop feeding in autumn and start again when you see new growth in spring — feeding a plant that isn't growing just builds up salts in the pot.

Repotting

Repot every 2 years. Every three or four years, and into a heavy pot — a mature jade is top-heavy and a plastic pot will tip.

Common problems

Leaves dropping at a touch
Overwatering, almost always.

Fix: Stop watering until the pot is fully dry, then water far less often.

Leaves falling off: how to read it on any plant
Stretched pale stems with leaves far apart
Not enough light.

Fix: Move it into direct sun and cut the stretched growth back — the cuttings will root.

Leggy, stretched growth: how to read it on any plant
Red edges on the leaves
Sun and cool nights. This is a good sign, not a problem.

Fix: Nothing to fix; it is the plant colouring up.
White cottony spots in the leaf joints
Mealybugs.

Fix: Dab each one with alcohol on a cotton bud and check again weekly for a month.

Propagation

A single leaf laid on dry compost roots and forms a plantlet in a few weeks. Stem cuttings work too — let the cut end callus for a couple of days first.

A cutting taken in PlantParlour keeps its link to the plant it came from, so a propagation years later still traces back to the mother plant — which is the point if you ever sell or trade it.

Toxicity and safety

Toxic to cats and dogs; causes vomiting and lethargy. Not a hazard to people.

The ASPCA does not list Crassula perforata itself, but lists a relative, Chinese Jade (Crassula arborescens), as toxic to cats and dogs (checked 26 October 2026).

If your pet has eaten a plant, call your vet, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435, or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661. Both are open around the clock and may charge a consultation fee. Take the plant or its label with you.

This is general information, not veterinary advice. We don't test plants: what we say about toxicity follows the ASPCA's published plant list as it stood on 26 October 2026, and that list can change. "Non-toxic" means not poisonous — a pet that eats enough of any plant can still vomit, and fertiliser, pesticide or leaf shine on a plant can harm it. It also only helps if the plant is what you think it is. It covers cats and dogs only; ask your vet about rabbits, birds, reptiles or anything else, and a doctor about children. Read our terms.

Every houseplant in the library the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs

Questions people ask

How often should you water a String of buttons?

Water every 2 weeks as a starting point — that is the cadence PlantParlour sets for Crassula perforata. Water thoroughly, then not again until the pot is bone dry and the leaves have lost a little of their firmness. In winter, once a month is plenty. Light, pot size and the time of year all move that number, so treat it as a reminder to go and check rather than a rule.

How much light does a String of buttons need?

Four to six hours of direct sun. A jade in a dim room stretches into a thin pale thing that never regains its compact shape.

Is String of buttons toxic to cats and dogs?

Toxic to cats and dogs; causes vomiting and lethargy. Not a hazard to people. The ASPCA does not list Crassula perforata itself, but lists a relative, Chinese Jade (Crassula arborescens), as toxic to cats and dogs (checked 26 October 2026). If a pet has eaten part of a plant, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435 straight away.

How do you propagate a String of buttons?