String Of Pearls is grown for its foliage and the structure it brings to a planting. It's hardy across USDA zones 9 through 12, shrugs off deer, shrugs off dry spells, and grows just as well in a container as in the ground. Its summer flowers are a modest draw for honeybees.
String Of Pearls — the short answer
String Of Pearls: grown in zones 9–12, part sun, pH 5.5–7.
- USDA zones
- 9–12
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Sun
- Part Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Frost-kill temp (growing season)
- 35°F
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
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Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether string of pearls actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score string of pearls against your land's real conditions.
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What String Of Pearls is
String Of Pearls grows as a perennial and reaches around 6 inches at maturity. It blooms white in summer. It's also deer-resistant and well suited to containers.
How to grow String Of Pearls
String Of Pearls grows in USDA zones 9 through 12. String Of Pearls does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 7, on well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
9-12
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5.5 - 7
Growable Ground Plant Database
Sun
Part Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost Kill Temperature
35°F
Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.
Growable Ground Plant Database
Mature Height
0.5 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant string of pearls in part sun with at least 4 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.
Match the soil
String Of Pearls prefers pH 5.5 to 7 (Growable Ground Plant Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Keep it in good form
Prune string of pearls to shape as it grows; the reward is its foliage and structure, not a harvest, so steady upkeep is the whole job.
Where String Of Pearls thrives
String Of Pearls is hardy across USDA zones 9 through 12. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 9–12 spans average winter lows from 20°F to 60°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers none outright but splits 17 down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 9–12·Where String Of Pearls growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where String Of Pearls stands, state by state
String Of Pearls is rated for zones 9–12 — a cold floor USDA puts at 20 to 30°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 0 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 17 more, and 34 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
The line runs through
17 states
- Alaska · zones 1a-9a
- California · zones 4b-11a
- Nevada · zones 4a-10a
3 of 17 shown
String Of Pearls’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around String Of Pearls
Growing guides for string of pearls
Related plants in houseplant/patio
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — string of pearls is toxic to dogs and cats (moderate severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
String Of Pearls offers low value to bees and other pollinators.
Your land is one point inside String Of Pearls's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if String Of Pearls will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether string of pearls actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about String Of Pearls
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow String Of Pearls in my zone?
String Of Pearls grows in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 12 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant String Of Pearls?
Most growers plant string of pearls after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does String Of Pearls need?
String Of Pearls does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does String Of Pearls need?
String Of Pearls prefers soil pH 5.5 to 7, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does String Of Pearls attract pollinators?
Yes — string of pearls's flowers are a modest nectar source for honeybees.
Is String Of Pearls safe for pets?
String Of Pearls is toxic to pets (dogs,cats) with moderate severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Keep exploring String Of Pearls
String Of Pearls state by state
Every state string of pearls's zone reaches — 7 link straight to that state's string of pearls growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.