String of rubies (Othonna capensis), also sold as “ruby necklace” or “little pickles,” is a trailing succulent with small, plump, bean-shaped leaves strung along thin wiry stems. What makes it distinctive is the color: in the right conditions, the stems and leaf tips flush a deep ruby-red to purple, and small daisy-like yellow flowers appear on and off throughout the year. Getting that red color, more than anything else, is what this plant’s care comes down to.

Light

Bright light, including a few hours of direct sun, is what actually produces the ruby-red color. In lower light the plant survives and keeps trailing, but it stays mostly plain green — the coloring people buy this plant for fades or never develops in the first place. A spot in a south- or west-facing window, or a bright spot outdoors in a mild climate, gives the best color. If your string of rubies looks green instead of red, more direct light is the fix, not fertilizer.

Watering

Let the soil dry out completely between waterings, then water thoroughly and let it drain fully. Like most trailing succulents, string of rubies stores water in its leaves and handles missed waterings far better than it handles soil that stays wet. When in doubt, wait — overwatering and the rot that follows is a much more common way to lose this plant than underwatering is. The same logic applies to string of pearls and string of dolphins, two other trailing succulents that get killed by kindness more often than neglect.

Soil and pot

Use a fast-draining succulent or cactus mix — standard potting soil holds too much moisture around the roots and is one of the quickest ways to trigger rot in this plant. See how to care for succulents for the general logic behind building a mix like this. A pot with a drainage hole is essential; never let it sit in a saucer of standing water.

Growth habit

String of rubies trails quickly once established, making it a good fit for a hanging basket or a high shelf where the strands can cascade freely. See best hanging and trailing houseplants for other options if you’re filling out a shelf or macrame hanger.

Propagation

This plant roots easily from stem cuttings. Snip a few inches of stem, set it aside somewhere dry for a day or two so the cut end calluses over, then lay it directly on top of dry succulent mix rather than burying it. Roots typically form within a couple of weeks, and you can mist lightly or water sparingly once you see new growth starting.

Toxicity

String of rubies is generally considered mildly toxic if ingested in quantity, in line with many other Othonna and daisy-family succulents, though it isn’t among the more dangerous houseplants. Keep it out of reach of pets and children who like to chew on leaves as a matter of course.

Common problems

Stems staying plain green with no red color is the most common complaint with this plant, and it almost always comes down to insufficient light rather than anything wrong with watering or soil. Move it somewhere brighter with some direct sun and new growth should come in with better color within a few weeks.

Shriveled, wrinkled leaves point to underwatering — but confirm the soil has actually been dry for a while before assuming this is the cause, since the same look can follow a stretch of neglect after the plant was already struggling from other stress.

Mushy, translucent leaves or blackened stems signal overwatering and rot, the plant’s most dangerous failure mode. Stop watering immediately, check that the pot and mix drain well, and let everything dry out fully before watering again. Badly rotted sections usually don’t recover, but healthy stems can be cut above the damage and propagated fresh.

Long, bare stems with leaves spaced far apart mean the plant isn’t getting enough light and is stretching to find it. Brighter light prevents new growth from doing the same; existing leggy stems are best trimmed back and propagated rather than left to fill in on their own.